Later in the afternoon, there was a block party in South Memphis in memory of a young man called King Craddy who had been murdered several years ago. There was a DJ posted up on the block, and the rap artist Blac Youngsta was filming a new video down the street. As the evening progressed, the crowd grew larger and larger. 6/2/12
Z-Ro live at Club Ice, Camden, AR tonight 5/26/12
Rittz (@TheRealRittz) headlining the hip-hop show at Greenwood Studio in Conway, AR 5/19/12
Summer Slam XII 7/8/12 at Bell’s Place, Coldwater, MS 4PM $10 at the gate. Car show, rap performances…what more could you want?
Al Kapone and the U Dig Dance Academy jookers performing with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Pop-Up Arts Festival at Melrose Stadium in Orange Mound, 4/29/12
Collective Status Boutique (Taken with Instagram at Collective Status Boutique)
This new hip-hop shop kept some long hours during SXSW, staying open until 2 AM.
From his beginning as one-half of the legendary Texas rap group P.K.O., Kottonmouth has been a consistent figure on the Texas rap scene. Now he returns with a new album Dallas Hardhitters, featuring appearances from Tum Tum, Lil Keke, Trae and Mr. Pookie, which will hit stores on February 21. This is not an album to be missed.
Emerging from C-Loc’s Concentration Camp, Max Minelli is a veteran of the Baton Rouge rap scene, and is consistently popular with fans in Louisiana’s capital city. With Heart of a King, Max Minelli elevates his game to a new level with 14 tracks produced by some of Louisiana’s finest producers, including Gussmakemybeats and C-Loc veteran Nathan “Happy” Perez. As always, Max Minelli gives his fans a street edge, but one with an intelligent difference, as Max is first and foremost a lyricist. Songs like “Can I Help You” and “Heart Of A King” deliver the crunkness, but there are also sunny, windows-down anthems like “City Is Mine”, and Minelli’s advice to youth to “Be Respected” is far more positive than the average street rapper making records today. Several of the songs feature Max’s new Dead Game Records labelmates, the rapper Kevin Gates and singer Malachi X. Altogether a release of consistent quality from one of Baton Rouge’s finest.
Drumma Boy had the listening party for his new mixtape at a hip-hop clothing and shoe boutique called R. Sole in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, and that was really great because I wouldn’t have known about that shop otherwise. A lot of Memphis rap artists, producers and promoters were in the house, including DJ Bay and myself from Select-o-Hits, First Degree, G.K. and Li’l Pat.Â
Yesterday, DJ Zirk held his first annual 2 Thick Records Orange Mound Block Party, moved indoors to the Bear Cave on East Parkway, presumably because of the excessive heat warnings. Unlike last week’s rambunctious Orange Mound Block Party, this was a smaller and quieter event, with Memphis rap veterans like Tom Skeemask and DJ Care Bear making an appearance. Unfortunately, the air conditioning was malfunctioning, and the extremely crowded room was hotter than a sauna, but we enjoyed some great Memphis rap and R & B from newcomers and veterans alike.
