Tag: hip hop
Nature World Night Out At The Regent: Building Bridges Between Hardcore and Hip Hop
Rob Shepyer
March 3, 2018
Nature World Night Out is musical proof that there is more variation within the groups we separate ourselves into than between those groups. On the surface, Hardcore music and Hip Hop may seem on opposite poles of the musical spectrum but after a little bit of inspection, you realize they both have similar bounce, fashion, and both originated from the streets. Whether you’re black, brown, or white; male or female, there were artists in the Hardcore or Rap categories performing at this festival for you to project yourself onto. I remember my first Nature World Night Out, two years ago back when it was a one night event at Union Nightclub with Trash Talk and Soulja Boy co-headlining. The night was also my introduction to Antwon, Hip Hop’s ambassador to Hardcore and one of the festival organizers. Needless to say, that first NWNO was amazing and to this day, I still regret missing the second NWNO with Cam’ron… these guys booked Cam’ron to play on the same stage as Jesus Piece and No Warning for God’s sakes. related content: Trash Talk, Ratking, and Pangea: Slam Dance 101 At The Echoplex This year’s third annual installment migrated downtown to the Regent
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Rolling Loud SoCal 2017 Doses the Youth with the Latest Opiate of the Masses
Rob Shepyer
December 23, 2017
Whether you follow and enjoy hip hop or not, you cannot live in 2017 without encountering the sounds of “Trap”, hip hop’s newest anarchist misfit offspring and perhaps its most polarizing subgenre. As a punk and metalhead my whole life, a year ago, I would’ve never predicted I would go to a festival like Rolling Loud SoCal 2017 but now, as a music critic, I don’t think I’d have a credible understanding of modern music without partaking in the spiked Trap kool-aid. Trap music began in the South, the word “Trap” referring to the physical location of a drug deal. Thus, rappers that had drug dealer alter egos became known as trap rappers. The sound’s origins are debatable but what is definite is that it came out of Atlanta, Georgia with ties to the Dungeon, a bare bones recording studio in a basement that has bred artists like Outkast and Future. T.I. claims he invented Trap, others can hear a definite link beginning with Gucci Mane. Then there’s other important proto-trap artists like Soulja Boy and Lil B. But it is perhaps Migos and Future that are the most stolen from artists, with Future creating what is now known as Mumble-rap with songs
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Summertime In The LBC: Love Letter To A City That Doesn’t Always Love Back
Jonathan Reyes
August 11, 2017
Finding out the Summertime in the LBC festival was not actually in the Queen Mary had me feeling like they literally missed the boat on this one. Why couldn’t they figure out a way to have it on the actual boat? That’s only the tip of the iceberg that almost sank this festival. Almost. But instead, the performances were worthy of the type that were on the deck of the Titanic, just before it went down. This review is gonna be all ocean references… I’m naugty by nature. Festivals are tricky. There’s got to be dumb shit to preoccupy your time with in between sets. Like a tooth jewelry vender or the Swisher Sweet booth meant to let you know how deeply this fest embraced the Long Beach vibe, or over priced food and drinks. Summertime In The LBC had all this but lacked a couple of things that could’ve made the festival smoother and whole- a consistent DJ between artist’s sets, for one thing. But in a way, it honored the spirit of our city, because the cleaner and more gentrified they make Long Beach, it’s still the place where I once saw a man get out of his
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Wu-Tang Clan Pack The Observatory Beyond It’s Capacity
Janky Smooth Central Command
March 26, 2017
The Evolution of Wu-Tang Clan and Orange County As I walked up to the Observatory, it hit me that Orange County wasn’t the suburban utopia it’s fair skinned pilgrim settlers envisioned when they fled the cities so many moons ago. I can’t remember the last time I had seen such a diverse group of people at a show in Orange County- if you’ve ever been to a show at The Galaxy then you know what I’m talking about. First step into the venue and the room was already near capacity. Fat-Lip of The Pharcyde was spinning 90’s throw-back jams while people were already starting to bunch up. The anticipation level for Wu-Tang Clan to take the stage was at full boiling point by the end of the DJ set, with people chanting, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ ta Fuck Wit” at high decibel. I decided to ditch the side stage before the band came on, and left to view the set from the upper balcony, joined by my close friend Donny– Wu-Tang, like the drugs they rap about, is always better shared than alone. related content: Method Man & Redman: Observations in the Key of 90’s Nostalgia The Iconic Sounds of
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Dr Octagon: 20 Years Later, Kool Keith & Crew Play 1st L.A. Show
Jessica Moncrief
March 14, 2017
Hip Hip lovers rejoiced when The Teragram Ballroom announced that Dr.Octagon would be playing the first ever live performance in LA with the original trio of masterminds that gave us “Dr. Octagonecologyst.” In 1996 Kool Keith’s alter ego Dr.Octagon along with Dan “The Automator” Nakamura and DJ Qbert brought forth one of the most epic cult classics in Hip Hop history, yet never once played a show together. More than 20 years later the elusive group surprised everyone with a handful of reunion shows. An Iconic Project from an Iconic M.C. Kool Keith took a different eccentric approach to hip-hop. While he always has maintained his roots from the The Ultramagnetic MCs days, his lyricism wasn’t what the typical hip hop artists of that time were on. He was on some bizarro lyrical shit, garnering him a huge cult like following of weirdos and freaks from every end of the spectrum. Witnessing Hip Hop History at The Teragram Ballroom Blogger, Cesareo Garasa’s online reaction to the news was totally on point, he wrote “This terrifies me. His music terrifies me on some unknown level. I can’t listen to it– even though I enjoy it– without being filled up
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Method Man & Redman: Observations in the Key of 90’s Nostalgia
Jessica Moncrief
February 10, 2017
Southern California was blessed with a flurry of great Hip-Hop shows last week! With acts such as Run The Jewels, Warren G, Method Man & Redman, we were exposed to some of the best of what hip-hop has to offer. Redman and Method Man want you to know that they are still all about that 90’s shit. It seems to be their mantra. Talk about keeping it old school, legendary DJ Dice of Das EFX joined them on turntables along with DJ Allah Mathematics, the designer of the OG Wu-Tang logo. Inspectah Deck was once quoted saying “The logo shows how the group is now bigger than any of the individual members.” That sentiment seems to still run true as they paid homage to their loved ones passed and dropped some ODB in honorarium. The loyalty these guys show for their friends is part of what I love about them, they never forget where they’ve come from. Considering how dynamic the pair are as a unit, it would have been nice to see them more in the zone as the “Funk Doc and Mef Tical” duo rather than one part of Wu-Tang. As expected, they busted out plenty of Wu-Tang
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Annual Low End Theory Festival Spreads L.A. Wildfire Into Shrine Auditorium
Danny Baraz
July 25, 2016
A radioactive, orange, spherical fiery orb in the sky hung just below a thick, impenetrable blanket of ash and dust from the sand fires burning the Angeles National Forrest, just 30 miles outside of Los Angeles. The distant wild fire choked my lungs and burned my eyes as I navigated the streets of South L.A. to enter the Shrine Auditorium for the third annual Low End Theory Festival in 2016. But even with the safety of distance from the flames, the most important beat collective in the world gets LIT af everytime they get together to dance and blaze and spark the imagination by pushing the envelope of sound, rhythm and rhyme. Whether you are a regular at Low End Theory’s home base on Wednesday’s at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights or you attended the festival because Wu-tang MC’s Ghostface Killah and Raekwon were at the top of the bill, you were a part of a movement that is shaping the future of music. It was clear, immediately, that attendance was down from the previous year’s sold out festival but it is no commentary on any type of waning influence. Last year, Low End Theory booked widely respected and beloved cross
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Janky Smooth’s Top 20 Artists to Watch in 2016
Danny Baraz
January 15, 2016
In identifying Janky Smooth’s Artists to Watch in 2016, there were a number of factors to take into consideration. There are different levels and plateaus musicians can ascend to in their careers. There is the release of their first EP/7”. There is the release of their debut album and of course, the all-important sophomore LP. Any predicted success after those milestones is hardly a prediction unless it involves a comeback. When we define our artists to watch in 2016, it is using any and all of these criteria to identify buzz worthy bands. We want to help our readers get the jump on artists before corporate money corrupts their artistic process too much. While there are bands in this list based in cities other than Los Angeles, LA is our home base and seeing these bands live is a part of the process of selection. If you can’t do it live, you can’t do it! This is Janky Smooth’s List of Artists to Watch in 2016 20. Cavanaugh- Collaboration between Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti Time & Materials by Cavanaugh (Open Mike Eagle & Serengeti) 19. So Pitted- Punk/Post Punk Seattle Group on Sub Pop Records neo by
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Year in Review: Top 10 Songs of 2015 Rated by Contributors
Danny Baraz
December 15, 2015
Every year has a song or songs that define it. That song that will always remind you of the best summer ever, the worst summer ever, the year your child was born, the year you graduated high school, the year you dropped out of high school. A song that paints a picture in your mind. Songs you love. Songs you hate. Both can be just as powerful. This is Janky Smooth’s list of the Top 10 Songs of 2015 as rated by our regular contributors. Rating the Top 10 Songs of 2015 is much more difficult than rating the Top 10 Albums of 2015. Masterpiece albums are much more rare than the single flash of inspiration required to create one, catchy 3-5 minute arrangement. Top 10 Songs of 2015 Justin Cornwall- Author: Top 10 Songs of 2015 Beck- Dreams Tame Impala- Let it Happen Chemical Brothers ft. Beck- Wide Open Robert DeLong- Long Way Down RATATAT- Cream on Chrome Bob Moses- Tearing Me Up Best Coast- California Nights Romare- Love Song Kendrick Lamar- King Kunta Disclosure ft Lorde- Magnets Top Post: Sylvan Esso Moves the Fonda for Day 3 of 30 Days in L.A. David Evanko- Photographer: Top 10 Songs
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Year in Review: Top 10 Albums of 2015 Rated by Contributors
Danny Baraz
December 14, 2015
10 years from now, we might look back at the Top 10 Albums of 2015 as the year the “new music industry” became a viable business model. As the battle rages to fine tune some of the sticky points around streaming services, vinyl sales soar at the same time bands and artists offer free downloads, surrendering the traditional model and entrusting their legacy to future generations. With so many different ways to deliver musical products to consumers, our Top 10 Albums of 2015 list will include LP’s, EP’s and Mixtapes. We are not a hive mind at Janky Smooth so you will find albums we didn’t publish favorable reviews on in our contributors top 10 list. We here at Janky Smooth feel blessed to stand on the precipice with you and gaze upon the vast landscape of music that is exploding from all corners of the world. Top 10 Albums/EP’s/Mixtapes of 2015 Johnny Ramos- Photographer: Top 10 Albums of 2015 Tame Impala – Currents Beach House – Depression Cherry Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color Death Grips – The Powers That B Toro Y Moi – What For? Turnover – Peripheral Vision Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love Hot Chip –
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Vince Staples Talks Trash and Spits Fire at El Rey for 30 Days in LA
Danny Baraz
November 27, 2015
I had a thought Tuesday night as I was watching Vince Staples do his thang at The El Rey Theater for day 24 of Red Bull’s, 30 Days in L.A.– right now might be the most exciting time in hip hop since the 90’s. The underground is exploding with talent and style. MC’s are pushing the lyrical envelope and producers are bangin out beats that are generating kinetic enthusiasm from the West coast to the East. The old beefs have been replaced with a collaborative spirit and respect and the result is fucking epic. Long Beach’s Vince Staples is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Staples had no long term plans to ascend hip hop mountain but folks like Earl Sweatshirt and Mac Miller believed in his skills and encouraged him enough to get in the studio. 2 mix tapes, 1 EP and his first LP, Summertime ’06 later, he is one of the most talked about up and coming rappers in the country. And for good reason. If you’ve seen Vince Staples live you know that it’s common for his DJ, Westside Ty to cut the beat, sometimes for an entire verse, as Vince Staples kicks it
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Camp Flog Gnaw 2015: Beats, Beefs and Building Your Brand
Danny Baraz
November 17, 2015
As I entered Exposition Park for the next annual installment of Camp Flog Gnaw, I was consumed by visions of khaki’s and polo shirts. Many attendees resembled prep school students more than the stereotypical image of hip hop fans. There was very little evidence of “hip hop past” and it’s baggy clothing, ironed creases and crisp snap backs. Rapper, producer and entrepreneur Tyler, The Creator continues to create the entire Camp Flog Gnaw world in his own image, with a tireless output and an ever evolving sound and aesthetic, fans are buying in; big time. But to say that it’s “all about the music” would be disingenuous. If the contemporary artists’ financial success were solely based on their music then Tyler wouldn’t be such a standout powerhouse (being the best isn’t enough). With streaming music services and P2P sites making album sales almost irrelevant, acts like Tyler, the Creator and indie bands like The Growlers with their “Beach Goth” festivals are at the forefront of building the new music industry. No, even with artists like Snoop, Atmosphere and Living Legends on the bill, this festival was not about the past. This festival was not about the future. This festival wasn’t
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