ROUNDUP: Snow, Shows & Singles

Over the past five years, Burlington has seen a fair few hip hop showcases come and go. Some have quietly disappeared, some have gone into semi-retirement, and some of them have kept on marching. Most of those scrappy survivors are getting together on Thursday, December 21st for a big old party called Holidaze at the Lanes.

It will be held at Champlain Lanes, home of Mics & Strikes, a showcase run by Mister Burns of Lynguistic Civilians. (In case you haven't heard of them, start here.) Rapper, producer, promoter, radio host and plenty more besides, he's got experience and connections. Since he started in May, he's brought some serious acts through Shelburne.

Joining the celebration is Anthill Collective, whose 3rd Thursdays series at Monkey House has had a spectacular run in 2017. They've continuously upped the ante, and always delivered solid lineups without overstuffing the audience. Anthill also helped organize one of the best events of the year, their waterfront art festival Above The Radar.

Finally, props to Yo! BTV Raps and the Self Portrait crew for keeping the torch burning. Here's hoping they can continue the series into 2018.

With so many extended families under the same Christmas lights, you know the lineup is going to be bananas. Mister Burns, Self Portrait and Stiltz Gang will all be in the building, with Hagen MC, Drive and at least a few members of BTV favorites Bless The Child. 9 pm. Free show. All ages. $15 gets you two hours of bowling.

Speaking of celebrations, Jibba "The Gent" just threw a wild birthday party show last weekend with Slaine & Termanology at The Rusty Nail. To celebrate, he's dropped a new single:



"Ishimown" features Jun Fargo over a spacious banger. Jibba previously collaborated with Jun Fargo on "Maple Syrup," a video that clocked 150k views on Youtube since this summer. Jibba's had a strong 2017, building some real momentum and reach with his album The Broccoli Tree.



Teece Luvv used to be known as John Carter of Earth or JCOE, part of Windsor's party weapon Maiden Voyage. He's just dropped an excellent three track set in collaboration with ILLu. A rapper named Jarv stops through to casually murder a verse and the beats are on point. Dig it.

One last note of appreciation before I go...

Sidebar, a humble & tasty venue tucked next to Mr. Mike's Pizza, has been booking and supporting local hip hop since they opened. They've got some holiday treats on the calendar this month, including an upcoming Sunday set from DJ / producer David Chief on Dec. 17th. He'll have MilkHaus artist LoKi opening.

Sidebar's got another hot ticket right after Christmas on Thursday the 28th: a bill featuring Jarv x Mr. Burns alongside Possibly Human, a collaboration between Hank Collins and Sam Paulino. For a sample of what that project will be like, check out their recent collaboration with producer IMAN, "Fossils."



You can't beat that for three bucks, hot damn. Enjoy yourselves, and whatever you do, drive safe.

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.

Yo! BTV RAPS VOl. 6 At Sidebar 1/12

Tomorrow night January 12th is the Yo! BTV RAPS Vol. 6 with a great lineup of local Hip Hop featuring Fresh Patterns (a new group featuring Mister Burns and Cworner Stwore), Self Portrait, PreciseMC, Matt Hagen MC, SkySpliiterInk and Al Dose. DJ Kanga will be holding down the music all night at this monthly event. Yo! BTV RAPS has previously been held at Nectar's and is now moving to the new Sidebar venue next to Mr. Mike's in downtown Burlington. This is a 21+ event that is FREE! Music starts at 10PM.

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

TONIGHT: Zion I / Grouch & Eligh live at Club Metronome with Mister Burns / Learic / Truth / SkySplitterInk & Jarv

Tonight at Club Metronome in Burlington, Vermont is an incredible night of Hip Hop featuring West Coast legends Zion I / Grouch & Eligh with support from locals Mister Burns with Learic, Truth and SkySplitterInk and Maiden Voyage's JARV. Z&G&E are currently on tour with Slightly Stupid and are making a special stop in Burlington, VT tonight only! There will also be live painting from Anthill who will be painting a classic A-DOG photo by Matthew Thorsen and local B-Boys Rhythm Riders will be representing as well. Doors at 9PM / Tickets available at the door. Tickets --> HERE

New Music: Causin' Effect - "Maple Syrup" (Feat. Junum)

New music from Springfield Vermont's Causin' Effect with visuals for their single "Maple Syrup" (Feat. Junum). Watch as Jibba The Gent and Vazy serve up some breakfast at the classic Springfield Royal Diner and drench your meal in REAL Vermont maple syrup.

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

Get Familiar: Sound Affects

VTHH: What is Sound Affects?

Sound Affects: We are a Hip-Hop community event that focuses on teamwork, support & bridging the gap between Vermont & the rest of the Northeast. We are here to unite the Hip-Hop scene & provide the Green Mountain State with a long-standing community event. We are here for everyone. 

Specifically, we are a monthly residency that will showcase the wealth of local talent we have to offer, as well as bring national & regional acts into Vermont. We will be showcasing a local producer each month as well as highlighting local releases, regional tours, national headliners & live-production cyphers.

VTHH: How do you plan to contribute to the current scene?

Sound Affects: Our focus is on delivering high-quality shows & giving hardworking artists the opportunity to play on one of the premiere stages in the state, while also offering a space for people to meet each other and network. There is a natural competition in Hip Hop culture - by utilizing that energy and unifying around a centralized monthly event, we will build a consistent platform to showcase the wealth of talent our state has to offer & simultaneously eliminate the competition between ourselves.

Our state is too small to have artists vying over the same audience. Sound Affects can be everyone’s home field, where we can all meet once a month to support the artists who have new projects to showcase. This unified approach will lead to more connection throughout the scene & ultimately, artists feeding off of each other for inspiration. We want to bring everyone together for the greater benefit of us all.

VTHH: Why is there a regional focus?

Sound Affects: There is a LOT going on throughout the rest of the Northeast Hip-Hop scene right now & most of the other states are already connected & working together in a mutually beneficial way. Between similar events like Mind Spray (MA), Rap Night Portland (ME), Rap Night Manchester (NH) & others, there is a tour circuit developing in the Northeast for upcoming artists. By offering regional & national acts a stop in Vermont on their tours, we will insert Vermont into the larger Northeast Hip-Hop scene & raise our state’s value. 

At the same time, by providing opportunities to send Vermont’s best out into the region, Sound Affects will combat the isolation Vermont faces in exposing it’s developing artists beyond it’s boarders. There is no scene within the Northeast that is large enough to survive on its own - look at the way the sports teams are set up. If the states in the Northeast work together, we can all achieve more success. 

VTHH: When & where is your first event?

Sound Affects: Our inception event will be at Waking Windows music festival in Downtown Winooski. This is the festival’s 6th year & they have decided that they want Hip-Hop to be represented, so they asked us to curate a 2-Hour Hip-Hop Showcase. This showcase will be on Saturday, May 7th from 7-9pm at Oak 45. Advance weekend passes are available now & will grant you access to all Waking Windows events for all 3-days. 1-Day passes will also be available at the gates & will grant you access to all events for that day.

VTHH: How can people get involved with Sound Affects?

Sound Affects: A great starting point is to sign up for our email list (below) & connect with us on social media so you can be the first to know about our events. If you want to become involved in a hands-on way, you can join our Street Team & help spread the word about our movement & have opportunities to earn exclusive perks! Interested parties should email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com with ‘Street Team’ in the subject. 

As far as artists go, as an inclusive event we want to work with as many artists as possible. Artists who want to get involved need to do just that - get involved. We want to focus on showcasing the wealth of highly talented artists our state has to offer at our events.

Artists interested in getting involved:

1. Email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com & include; links to your music, your artist bio, a brief description of your live performance, your social media links, & what project(s) you're currently working on.
2. 'Like' our Facebook page.
3. Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Twitter.
4. Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Instagram

Sound Affects is a community event & ultimately, it will become what our community makes it. Let’s make it something truly special. Sign up below to join our community & be the first to know about our events!

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Lynguistic Civilians New Album: Gratified Existence

The Lynguistic Civilians have just dropped their new full length album Gratified Existence that boasts 15 tracks of Vermont made Funky Hip Hop that features the likes of Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Stricklin, Maiden Voyage, Gang Of Thieves, Haley Fenn and The Mighty Konflik. This album features all live instrumentation from session musicians here in Burlington. The album was recorded at Park Hill Studio being mixed by the fellas at Future Fields while being mastered at Turtle Tone Studio in New York City. This album also serves as a higher cause with 20% of every purchase going to the Vermont Foodbank to help feed the less fortunate in our state. The album is available on all major outlets and you can get your own hard copy when they return to the stage Friday April 1st at Nectar's. Get your copy online now on iTunes.

TONIGHT: Boomslang & Free The Optimus in Montpelier

Tonight in Montpelier at the World Famous Charlie O's, Vermont's own Boomslang and North Carolina collective Free The Optimus will be live for a night of great music. Free The Optimus is from Nashville, NC where they have made a name for themselves with multiple releases and supporting the likes of some of Hip Hop's greats. This is a FREE SHOW with music starting at 9PM.

VIDEO - "Can We Grow" - Colby Stiltz

New video from Colby Stiltz for his track "Can We Grow" off his album Down To Earth which dropped last year. Track is produced by Then What Muzik and filmed and edited by DVP Cinematography Services. Even based in Florida Colby Stiltz stays representing Vermont with this fresh new visual.

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

Scarface (of Geto Boys) Live in Barre 3/17!

The Friends For A_Dog Foundation present legendary Geto Boys member Scarface live in Barre, Vermont Thursday March 17th at the historic Barre Opera House. Lots of support on this show including VT Union, Bar None The Best, Self Portrait, Causin Effect, Jamell NYT, DJ Rekkon, DJ Kanganade and hosted by King Sha Mecca Blaze! This is deffinitely a special show as a portion of the proceeds go to the Spaulding High School Arts Department! This show is also structured to focus more on the performance as this will be an early show and also substance free. Huge show for Vermont, you can get tickets at $25 / All Ages / Show from 7PM - 10PM

Tonight: Sophistafunk At Rusty Nail in Stowe

Tonight at The Rusty Nail in Stowe you can catch Syracuse, NY Funky Hip Hop crew Sophistafunk! This group is the epitome of Funk and bring a huge sound with just three members. Emcee, Jack Brown has an incredible way of telling stories through rhyme with Adam Gold on Keys and E-Man on drums to lay down the grooves. If you have not seen this crew live then tonight is the night! 9PM / 21+ / $10

Jarv (of Maiden Voyage) To Tour with R.A The Rugged Man

For nine shows across the East Coast Windsor, Vermont's Jarv will be direct support for the legendary R.A. The Rugged Man. Starting March 13th in Long Island, NY the Maiden Voyage MC will be hitting some big stages along with the incredibly talented A-F-R-O. Both Jarv and A-F-R-O were stand outs in R.A.'s Definition Of A Rap Flow contest last year and have since been making a name for themselves. Wish there was a VT date on the run but I believe R.A. has been thrown out of a club or two around here.. Big up to Jarv and we wish him well on the road.

Hip Hop Fuels The Bern in Winooski Feb. 15th

Collective Rhymes and The Monkey House presents "Hip Hop Fuels the Bern" going down Monday February 15th at The Monkey House in Winooski, VT. This bill is stacked with local Hip Hop with sets from Self Portrait, Headphone Jack, Enemy Self, The Blind Continuum, S.I.N.siZZle, Mycelium MC, Cworner Stwore, Jarv (of Maiden Voyage), Forest Gray, and special guests. The night is set up to support the campaign of Bernie Sanders with individuals there to help you donate your cover charge to the campaign. It all starts at 8PM at the Monkey House 2/15. For more info email --> mcmycelium74@gmail.com

2016 Vermont Hip Hop News (Re-Vamp)

Within the Green Mountain State lays a thriving Hip Hop scene. From bedroom beat-makers, graffiti artists, breakdancers, Deejay's and Emcee's Vermont has been contributing to the music scene for decades. Unfortunately inevitable for something not conventional to an area, the negative aspect of our community has been prevalent in recent times. We want to show you the positive aspect of the artists in this state. 2016 is the re-vamp of Vermont Hip Hop News. We will be working hard in supporting and promoting artists throughout the state. If you contribute to the Hip Hop scene in Vermont we want to support you! If you are a fan of Hip Hop in Vermont, you are the most important part! We hope you use this site as a place to learn about upcoming events and artists.

WORD!CRAFT One Year Anniversary at Goddard College!

      

A traveling, monthly, participatory, spoken word/hip hop event for all ages! It will take place on Friday, January 30th at "The Pit" in the WGDR Radio Station at Goddard College in Plainfield, VT from 6:30-10. It will be aired live on the earwig radio program. If you can’t make it, tune into 91.1 FM, 91.7 FM, or stream online at http://www.wgdr.org/listen-live! This is an alcohol free event. This month’s theme is “Imagine”, 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. This is a free event, but we do accept donations.

Food Justice For All - A Hip Hop benefit concert for Salvation Farms

            Collective Rhymes presents an evening of Vermont independent hip hop to raise money for Salvation Farms (http://www.salvationfarms.org), a gleaning organization that gets fresh produce, that would of otherwise been wasted, to those in need.  
            It will take place at Parker Pie Co. in West Glover, VT on Saturday, January 10th from 8-11PM. Performances by Face-One, Mavstar, Maiden Voyage, Owen Kinlund, Caveman, Dusty Swamp, and special guests. Your host of the evening will be Mycelium. There will be a freestyle cypher and dancing to end the night. Cover charge is a suggested donation of $5-$500 and there will be a raffle with lots of cool local items! For More Info mcmycelium74@gmail.com