ROUNDUP: Hip Hop Shows in June

A couple of choice cuts from what remains of June:

June 14th: Bucksaw and Loupo at SideBar. An evening of collaborative DJ sets. Expect woozy, deep cuts and heavy "electronic trap" influences. Spaced-out ill shit, in other words. 10 pm. Free.

June 15th: Anthill Collective will be hosting their third "Nights of the Roundtables" session at The Monkey House in Winooski. Expect a family vibe, eclectic vinyl and turntable excellence. Pool tables & great drinks. 9 pm. 21+ $3 // 18+ $8

June 16th: Ziontific Summer Solstice Festival will be kicking off and 802 supergroup Cultural Chemistry will be playing. More information (and tickets) available at their official site. Bring a tent, bud.

June 22nd: Yo! BTV RAPS Vol. 8 at SideBar. A variety show that keeps improving every time. The lineup is packed for this one, with Jibba the Gent headlining in support of his impressive new album, The Broccoli Tree. Also on the bill: Self Portrait, Mister Burns, Matt Hagen MC, LoKi, and "members of Bless the Child." What does that mean? You have to go and find out. 10 pm. Free.

June 29th: Busdriver at ArtsRiot. One of LA's best rappers will be coming through one of Burlington's best venues for a solo set. No word on opening acts but dude himself is plenty enough to leave the house for. 9 pm. $12 adv /$14 at the door.

2017's celebration of A-Dog Day will be on Saturday, August 26th.

Mick Jenkins, 4/23 @ Higher Ground

Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins is coming through Higher Ground, which is interesting. He's touring in support of his 2016 album, The Healing Component, which was tasty, low-key, serious hip hop.

Also interesting: tickets are $18 and there is nobody else listed on the bill. Tough sell for a Sunday night, but Jenkins is a hell of a rhyme writer and live performer. For those of you with Dealer Dot Com money and an interest in high quality rap music, this is a guaranteed good bet.

More info: Higher Ground Listing | Mick Jenkins Website

B.P.M. - A Tribute to Ryan Morin

There's going to be an absurd amount of talent packed into Club Metronome tonight to honor the life (and music!) of DJ BP, aka Ryan Morin. Barely an exaggeration to say that everyone is on the bill this evening. No exaggeration to say it will be one of the most memorable shows of the year.

If anyone reading this is unfamiliar, this Dan Bolles piece on his passing is excellent. And true.

To top it off, all proceeds go to charity. Be there.

Viva La Hop, Cultural Chemistry, Fresh Patterns, 3/11 @ ArtsRiot

One of my favorite BTV venues - the food! the people! the beer list! - will be hosting a damn promising bill next Saturday. The headliner is Viva La Hop, a Boston-based, Berklee-heavy nine-piece (!!!) band. They're a throwback act to the glorious days of acid jazz: killer rhythm section, a polished top end with keys and horn section, and even the whole "conscious lyrics" / "educate your mind" routine on the mic. Perfect for Burlington, in other words.



For local support, ArtsRiot are bringing the biggest & best outfit in town, Cultural Chemistry, an "802 supergroup" with a deep catalog. (And breakdancing.) Current lineup appears to be Skysplitter Ink on the beats, DJ Kanga on the 1s and 2s, and Learic, Mister Burns and Tha Truth on the mic; they're a dynamic posse so that is subject to change. Also, expect special guests.

Earlier in the evening, there will be performances from live hip hop crew Fresh Patterns, who held down Rusty Nail last night solo when Sophistafunk couldn't make it, and Bless the Child, always a reliable source of good vibes.

Get Familiar: Self Portrait

Photography by Colette Kulig

Self Portrait are days away from dropping their second album, Primal Union. This is a classic rap lineup with a lead emcee, a rapper/producer and a real live DJ tearing it up onstage. The new album showcases features from some of the hardest working people in Vermont hip hop, like Anthill Collective maestro Eskae, who juggles a couple hundred hats any given month. He shares a cut with SkySplitter, a prolific producer and one hell of a recording engineer, too.

These lads are embedded, in other words, a central hub of the new hot shit, and a home team a lot of folks are rooting for.

Primal Union is a big step for the Self Portrait crew, but they've been on the rise for awhile because they stay busy. Last year they were featured on the latest A-Dog Day compilation, the kind of honor that doesn't come lightly. Ringtone rap might be making money now, but albums still matter, and Primal Union is a professional product.

I got to talk with two thirds of the team about their sordid past, their violent beefs, and the upcoming HBO documentary. Dig it.

Thirtyseven: How did your crew come together?

RICO JAMES: Me and Trono met in 2007 while living in Plattsburgh, NY. I had just graduated with an art degree and Trono was still attending the college at the time. We hit it off immediately and started designing a clothing company, and writing rhymes together. This was before I even started making beats. I ended up moving to the west coast for a few years, so we continued to create long distance. I started making beats while living out west, so it was only right that we jumped back into the music when I moved back east to Burlington.

I met DJ Kanga through a mutual friend here in town, and we clicked immediately through our shared love of hip hop. I was blown away when I saw him scratch the first time. Right after we hung out, I hit up Trono and told him we gotta link up with this dude and get to work. I was amazed that Kanga hadn't been snatched up yet by another group. Dude is an unbelievable DJ. I sent him some of our tunes, while simultaneously reaching out to some people trying to book a show. We booked our first show in Sept. of 2013, and have been rockin' together ever since.



Thirtyseven: Has your songwriting process changed over the years?

TRONO: The songwriting has changed as my style and Rico's style has changed. Rico has taken a lesser role in rhyming, but when he does, his flow is on point and his one liners are hilarious. He has come a long way building a confidence you can find in his verses.

I have tried to develop my skills by being more concise. My thoughts need to convey the point that I want while also becoming one with the beat. I allow - encourage - beats to take me over, to lead me down the path. Emotions and what the instrumental pulls out of you are what need to be put into words. I need to explore that however possible with pin point exactness when translated onto paper. Its a ever growing process, forcing me to learn myself and to learn from others.

RICO JAMES: The process for the group as a whole is pretty simple. My main focus is the beats. I make the beats for the crew, so we start by sending a batch of beats to Trono. He picks and chooses the ones he likes and can get into and starts writing. I give Trono complete freedom to write whatever he feels. He usually comes up with the concepts and I just step in lyrically wherever it is needed. Trono is the lyricist of the crew. He is the true writer. I like writing rhymes for fun, but he is the true talent with the pen. After we get our songs all layed out, we send rough mixes to Kanga to add his magic.

Thirtyseven: How did you wind up with such an awesome cover?

TRONO: We discovered the artist, Evan Book, through another VT hip hopper that goes by Mycelium MC. He put us on to his work and I knew it would be a perfect fit for our album art. We had the album name, Primal Union, picked out for about a year and knew that was going to be the next album name. We had the concept that we wanted, with the cavemen in a cave listening to records by a fire, have Trono eating another emcee, etc... We through it out to Evan Book, told him the basic idea, and he absolutely killed it. His style works perfectly with what we wanted and had imagined for the album. He is a super talented artist, and everybody should hit him up on FB and check out his work.

Thirtyseven: Approximately how rich and famous do you plan on becoming on Feb. 24th?

TRONO: As rich and famous as I was the day before.

RICO JAMES: I'm hoping for a crispy $20. Will hit those dollar bins hard.

Photography by Colette Kulig

Milo w/ Elucid, 2/20 @ ArtsRiot

Created in Chicago, Milo started in Maine, wound up in Wisconsin, looped through LA for awhile with the Hellfyre Club and did one hell of a lot of touring in between. His shows are enjoyably weird, his beats often superb, and he will be at ArtsRiot on a Monday night.

Elucid is a god level rap writer. "Save Yourself" was one of 2016's best albums, and he took a hard left on his equally excellent followup, "Valley of Grace." Having him come through Burlington is very rare, very based.

Back in 2015, billy woods came through Nectars with Curly Castro and PremRock on a Monday night. There were not a lot of people there, but the music was fucking outstanding and the drinks were both delicious and affordable. Don't pass up the opportunity for that kind of luxury.

To sweeten the deal further, Adeem's new band/project Adam and the Flood will be opening up the evening. Getting Elucid on an off night is a big win for a small city, and that crew has been on a long tour. ArtsRiot is one of the best venues in the state, too. Go celebrate longer days.

Sound Affects: 10/27 @ ArtsRiot

The 6th installment of the monthly Sound Affects event at ArtsRiot goes down this Thursday October 27th in Burlington, VT. This months lineup features a great night of regional artists including Movement Of The Minds, a Hip Hop collective out of Portland, Maine as well as Judge Da Beast in support of his album "Arraignment". There will also be a producer showcase and beat auction from So.802's Brad Vazy as well as a cypher to end the night with DJ Kanga holding it down. Doors 8PM / All Ages / $5 advance & $10 Day of show. You can check out more about the event ---> HERE As always you can pick up a Sound Affects t-shirt courtesy of UnKnown Arts, live art by Anthill Collective and photography re-cap from DVP Cinematography.

Summer Slam Rap Battle at Higher Ground Sat. 7/23

802 Battle League presents the Summer Slam Rap Battle at Higher Ground in S. Burlington, VT on Saturday July 23rd featuring 10 match ups featuring rappers from all over New England as well as locals S.I.N Sizzle, Learic, Memo and more! This is an all ages show with tickets $12 adv. / $17 day of. With the first battle starting at 7:15PM for more visit the event page --> HERE

Jay Stay Loved: A Tribute To J Dilla at Nectar's 6/12

Saturday night at Nectar's in Burlington, VT is a special night during the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival with the Jay Stay Loved: A Tribute To J Dilla featuring The Dan Ryan Express, an all star band that will be recreating classic J Dilla production. The second set will feature J Dilla's younger brother Illa J providing some the vocals on his brothers classic production. Illa J has made a name for himself on the solo grind in the past few years after also being a member of the legendary Detroit group Slum Village. This is a night not to be missed! Pre-sale tickets are only $12 for this 21+ show. For more info and tickets visit www.liveatnectars.com

Milo & Michael Christmas @ Signal Kitchen 3.3

Great show going down March 3rd at Signal Kitchen with Milwaukee's Milo and Boston's Michael Christmas. Also on the bill are Mase Well and Vermont's own Loupo. All ages show with pre-sale tickets at $12. Very dope lineup of emcee's and beat makers your not gonna want to miss! More info at Signalkitchen.com

WORD!CRAFT's IN LOVE!

WORD!CRAFT-Experimental Art Rhymes-Valentine's Day

A traveling, monthly, participatory, spoken word/hip hop event for all ages! It will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14th at 242 MAIN in Burlington, VT from 7:30-10:30. Doors open and sign-ups at 7. This is a substance free event. This month’s theme is “Love”, so whatever that means to you, bring it in written and/or improvised verse. You can also just come to listen and support lyrical artists. There is a cover charge of $6 for this WORD!CRAFT (it's usually a free event!) Participants in the open mic get in free, let them know at the door. 

Also we have a special guest performing a set after the open mic at 9:45.Laura Lamb Brown-Lavoie a spoken word poet and farmer from Rhode Island will be performing as her deep winter alter ego, Lefthand Man! We are very excited to have Laura be a part of WORD!CRAFT! Her set shouldn't be missed. https://lauralambbrownlavoie.wordpress.com/about/

There will be a hip hop dance party to follow until 10:30!

We are thrilled to work with 242 Main for this event. They are the oldest all ages venue in the country! 30 years strong! It's so special to be a part of their amazing history! http://www.242main.org/about

 

We are also going to have Cworner Stwore performing with DJ Kanganade for the hip hop set! Also, Rubix from the Rhythm Riderz Crew will be around to breakdance during the dance party! Now you definitely can't miss this show! What a perfect date night! See you there and Peace!

"At All" - Face-One (is back)

This isn't part of the "Get Familiar" series since by now, we should be familiar with Face-One, one of Burlington's best and most distinctive exports. Since the Earegulars project, he's been in shamanic hermit mode, occasionally showing up to heckle me at shows but otherwise scarcely seen. That is about to change drastically. You have been warned.



VTHH: Is "At All" part of a larger project on the way or are you still on hiatus?

Face-One: Off hiatus.

At All, Searching, and Not in Season all have a particular place. At All is from a highly experimental and really dark album entitled “A Way to Nothing” I am working on with the likes of TAP; a dub step, electronic, former metal drummer, and metal band frontman from Texas. It's got enough darkly vibes and tonality to make Aleister Crowley roll in his grave. It could also double as the theme music for Sex Magick rituals.

Searching is from Apart From the Others, a project that I have had a hiatus on amid the chaos that is my life. That album just needs to be finished being recorded but due to the electric seas of complexity I tend to cyclically surf it's been on halt. That project is with the redheaded, alien, super producer known as skysplitterink aka Zack Crawford aka face let me get a smoke cause I smoke but never buy a pack. That project is utterly ridiculous and features the likes of brutally honest, prolyphic from strange famous, Zack DuPont (one of Vermonter most brilliant guitar players), nuda veritas (formerly vt but now in boston) , Corbett (black light music) who has credits for Saigon just blaze styles p and the list goes on and on, an lastly Zack Crawford and myself. Rapping... actually rapping... Sounds crazy right?

Not in season was a response to a particular transition point I recently dealt with. The heavy seas of life inspired that one. It features humble and yeah that is what it was and what it shall be. Without this medium that being music and words I don't know how the hell I’d make it through most days.

VTHH: What got you into rap to begin with? How does one arrive at such a distinctive style of production, composition and delivery?

Face-One: Man, what gets anyone into anything outside of fascination, and curiosity? I’ve always been drawn to music & poetry so it just kind of worked out. The style of production definitely shaped itself when I was posted in a bed with my mouth wired shut. Finding different ways to talk I guess. The words ever evolving and growing just like me.

VTHH: What are your favorite venues in BTV these days?

Face-One: Venues… I don't go to many shows really. That scene gets old real quick for me, its a lot of conversations I don't go out to have, and lots of random shit. If I'm going out I’d much rather go to a bar like the needs, the OP, or someplace just as loud or quiet, where I can be but don't really have to be there you know. Detachment is key some days. So is socializing. I find a balance.

VTHH: What albums do you currently keep in rotation? (Do people still listen to albums?)

Face-One: Thom Yorke-Tomorrows Modern Boxes
Damon Albarn-Everyday Robots
Andrew Bird-The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Flying Lotus-Until the Quiet Comes, and that new one You’re Dead
Caetano Veloso-Transa
Thundercat
Run The Jewels 1 & 2
Stan Getz
Astrud Gilberto
Salt-N-Peppa
Breakup Music (not to plug you but theres some gems on there)
Earegulars - The Seed
& lastly some Action Bronson

"Green Hour" - Ler Stevens

Fresh produce from Philly transplant Ler Stevens, "Green Hour" is a big, ambitious piece of work. He's definitely delivered on the promise of "Different," expanding his collaboration with Crusty Cuts and finding a perfect pocket for his flow.

As the man himself says in the liner notes, "For years i have been trying to find my sound without even knowing, and I'm sure i found it." Amen. Worth the download, worth your time.

Self Portrait - This is What We Do Ep. 2

Another installment from Burlington's best new rap crew, "This is What We Do" is a longform blend of show footage, backstage life, and a whole lot of beautiful Vermont. It's an enjoyable mix and a good, peaceful diversion.

If you're not familiar with these cats, start here.

First episode is available here.

"Side Three" - SkySplitterInk ft. Learic

As if dropping three ridiculous albums in 2014 wasn't quite enough, Burlington ex-pat Learic swoops back in for one more. "Side Three," a collaboration with BTV network hub, performer and producer SkySplitterInk, is a barn-burner, a face-melter, and a tongue-twister all rolled into a single strong dose.

Oct. 13th: SPACE EXPLORATION at Drink

Interesting digs tomorrow evening by City Hall Park: "Space Exploration" is an evening of quality instrumental music -- hip hop and EDM, mostly hip hop -- courtesy of Loupo and The Human Canvas. Also featured are Forest and some live music from Patrick Ross and Caleb Bronz. Admission is apparently free if you bring the flyer, but obviously, we're talking about a f'ing bar here, so don't sweat that.

October 15th: Homeboy Sandman at Signal Kitchen

One of the best lyricists alive will be swinging throuhg the 802 in the middle of the month: Stones Throw artist Homeboy Sandman. Opening support will be Chicago producer Brenmar and NYC underground fixture I Am Many, who -- if memory serves -- played the legendary and doomed Hip Hop in the Hills festival in 2006.

More details available via Signal Kitchen's clean & pretty-ass website.

"Different" - Ler Stevens

From Burlington by way of Philadelphia, Ler Stevens has got some damn nice tracks. This was an especially tasty slice -- you can catch him doing a whole set this evening at Club Metronome, opening up for Sophistafunk along with Lynguistic Civilians. If you're feeling frisky, this is a lineup that can scratch that itch.

Oct. 19th: Black Milk Returns to Signal Kitchen

Once again Detroit's finest will be rocking Signal Kitchen with his live band, Nat Turner. Black Milk will be touring to support his new album, If There's a Hell Below. This show is 18+ and tickets are a paltry $12.

Sept. 19th: Paul Wall x Freeway @ Venue

Venue keeps bringing the big names to Burlington. This time, it's Swishahouse legend Paul Wall (pronounced "Pawu Wawu") who is, bizarrely, sharing a bill with Philadelphia phenom Freeway.

Opening acts include Rude Dog Productions, the unfortunately named Cool Table Gang, and VT Vybe, who will presumably be doing a DJ set rather than standing on stage photographing the crowd. (But don't take my word for it.)

More details -- and tickets for sale -- at the Venue Nightclub VT site.