[Video] Vic Mensa x Damon Albarn: "Clint Eastwood" (Live)
Header photo by Derek Brad
Damon Albarn and Vic Mensa tag-teamed the stage on day one of Governors Ball in New York City, performing a live rendition of the Gorillaz classic “Clint Eastwood.” This performance was a big moment for Chicago, seeing their up-and-coming rapper share the spotlight with a music legend, but an even bigger moment for Vic himself, whose performance with Damon was a celebration of his 21st birthday.
Vic contributed to the piece with an improvisation on Del Tha Funky Homosapien’s verse, referencing Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey, and OutKast's "Ms. Jackson." However, the one celebrity he should’ve shouted out was Chris Brown for inspiring his blonde hair and the look he went for with his outfit that night. I’m Team Vic as much as the next Chicago hip-hop enthusiast, but I wasn’t feeling the new “post-Disclosure tour, eclectic zebra print couture,” especially during such a momentous sharing of the stage with an iconic performer.
While Vic’s eccentricity is one of his admirable traits, I would respect if his look was as consistent as his music. Although his grind is not fashion-oriented by any means, syncing up his outward appearance with the vision he’s crafting as a rapper would help the public better interpret his image and understand what he’s going for as an artist, thus making him more marketable. Then once he reaches the fame he’s aiming for, I’d say it’d be cool for him to pull out whatever kooky prints his heart desires (just as long as he keeps his hands to himself).
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2014 Music Festivals Announcement Round Up
Music festivals in America and abroad are beginning to hit critical mass. It's our generation's sign of approval to any artist if they find themselves on a bevy of festival lineups come summer, they're doing something right. Perhaps the most prevalent "music for the people" approach in the industry, festivals allow acts both large and small great opportunities for exposure and listeners the chance to attempt to take it all in. The spring/summer of 2014 is shaping up to be one of the largest festival seasons in recent memory and event organizers have wasted no time announcing jam-packed lineups that look more like an iTunes playlist than a real concert experience. We gathered together lineups from festivals from coast to coast and even beyond to give you the most full, in-depth guide to diving into festival season, check them all out on the following pages.
[SXSW] Music Festival 2014 Recap
Photo by Kristen Wrzesniewski
In 1977, a water skiing Henry Winkler wore a leather coat and life preserver and attempted to 'jump the shark' in a move that become synonymous with the beginning of the end of a good thing. In that regard it was the long-running "Happy Days" sitcom. Last week in Austin, Texas, it was the South by Southwest Music conference that took the leap from humble beginnings to corporate cash in it's own rendition of 'jumping the shark'. No one pointed it out better than TDE-signee and Oxymoron artist Schoolboy Q, who interrupted his set at the Complex House several times to address several SXSW sets he played for 'yuppies' while his real fans stood outside unable to get in. Alas, the 2014 edition of SXSW couldn't have been described better. An armful of wristbands, garnered through careful planning and RSVPs was instantly trumped by a litany of barriers between them and the artists they had traveled to see. When it began in 1987, the festival was a place for new and unsigned artists to get recognized and for true fans to catch them before they hit the big time. Today, to put it the words of my Journalism professor, it is essentially 'one big blow job'. Despite a lack of a real industry, or perhaps because of it, record labels funnel top-tier artists to the highest bidders, who more often than not come with long guest lists that leave fans sitting outside wondering where all the public transportation in this 'city' is. Even the Illmore, the exclusive house party that has become a staple of the fest, running late into the night with star-studded performance, seemed a bit too big this year in it's new home at a sterile youth center.
For me, the best part of the week was living vicariously as if the SXSW Schoolboy Q encountered was somewhere else. I hustled interviews with true rising acts in Philadelphia-based Cheers Elephant, who's onstage presence is obviously culled from years of performing together and who I'm sure saw a significant boost afterwards, The Tontons, a Houston indie/soul group with a personality to match that hit SXSW on the heels of their latest project, the well received Make Out King and Other Stories of Love. Then there was Radkey, the trio of young brothers, aged 16, 18 and 20 respectively who single-handedly got me back into punk rock with one of the wildest, most raw sets I have seen in a long time, and 17-year-old Bishop Nehru who very well may be the second coming of Nas, The Lonely Biscuits, a band of Belmont University students who stopped down to ATX between projects and mid-terms. They weren't a sit down with Rick Ross, or an in-depth on Phantogram, but the stories I was able to dig up throughout my time at SXSW made me proud to be able to say I saw through the thick haze of bullshit and gerrymandering that descends on the city for a week and actually seek out acts that benefited from the experience.
To be sure, it was two Chicago artists who not only embodied all that SXSW should be, but capitalized on it to continue their independent, organic rises out of their hometown. A year ago, Chance The Rapper ran around SXSW playing sets in anticipation of his yet-to-be-released album, Acid Rap that turned 2013 into a roller coaster of experiences for the 20-year-old MC. At that time, Vic Mensa was still performing as part of the band Kids These Days, which broke up soon after Chance dropped his project on April 30. The two close friends arrived again in Austin at wildly different points in their careers. Chance, with just about every accolade possible under his belt is becoming the biggest independent artist in recent memory, while Mensa, fresh off a plane from Norway, put on a marathon of sets throughout the week that had crowds buzzing in the street about the kid from the Midwest with the funky, different flow to him. Chance's only show was cut short by Fire Marshalls, an ode to his popularity and a crux of the festival at large while also picking up a Woodie award with Austin Vesely for the "Everybody's Something" video. As independent, self-funded artists, Chance and Vic may have embodied the spirit of what SXSW is supposed to be better than anyone else in Austin this week.
In 1977, Fonzie made history by ruining a good thing while ten feet in the air on water skis, in 2014 Lady Gaga did the same by performing beneath a carefully-placed canopy of Doritos bags. Corporate money has always been prevalent (early 2000s 'ringtone rap), and it's just another chapter in the money making something so genuine so utterly unrecognizable.
[SXSW Journal] Day 3
Photo by Kristen Wrzesniewski
After a whirlwind Wednesday that had me crisscrossing the town chasing interviews left and right, Thursday took on a bit of a different tone. The festival continued on in the wake of the terrible accident that took the lives of two on Red River Street the night before as a car plowed through crowds to avoid a DUI check. With that in the back of their minds, festival-goers stormed the streets of Austin en masse. Seriously, en masse. The sheer number of people who made it out for either SXSW official and unofficial showcases, the iTunes Festival, the MTV Woodie Awards or one of the dozen parties taking place was pretty astounding. Deciding to experience a little more of what was happening everywhere, I hopped the ATX version of a Divvy bike and headed into town where I made my first stop at the Fader Fort for some much needed early cocktails and people watching. After awhile, I left to see what the Woodie Awards was all about since Austin Vesely was a strong favorite to capture his first major film award for ‘Best New Video’ for his work on Chance The Rapper’s “Everybody’s Something”. Before any of that could go down, or I can continue further with the story, I have to mention that the Woodie Awards really have no business being in Austin during SXSW. There is plenty to do and see without quite literally another festival being dropped right inside of it. But, Vic Mensa took the stage to screams as he opened with “Orange Soda” and moved into his up-tempo hit “Feel That”. I left there to head down to the Complex House where Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul took the stage to a packed house that seemed to know more of the words to their songs than they did. In the middle of the Schoolboy Q show, a fan got punched in the face, only to get called out by Q for not fighting back. “Don’t act like a bitch and let him fuck up your day! Do You!” Shouted the TDE rapper before launching into “Man of the Year” which popped the top off the party in a hurry. Scurrying out of there, I met up with a few local Chicago acts and stopped in the Columbia College AEMMP Hip-Hop Showcase which put on for the full breadth of the burgeoning scene in the city. Later that night, standing near where the accident happened a night before, a wall of people, shouting and walking with intense purpose began marching down Red River in a huge crowd. The crowd turned out to be none other than the A$AP Mob, with General Rocky leading the charge. It was weird, but I guess an interesting show of force. Thursday was slow, but Friday is going to be turnt, stay tuned for more and keep up with my experience at SXSW.
[SXSW Journal] Day 1
Photo by Andrew Zeiter
After sixteen and a half hours in my past-her-prime Chevy Trailblazer, my knees were sore and my back was knotted but I had gotten to Austin, and it was time to dive back into the deep sea that is South by Southwest. After hiking downtown through the cab-less wasteland that is downtown ATX and picking up the proper credentials, I took off for the W Hotel where local Chicago music label Maek was taking part in the Fashion Brain Bar, a cocktail party and show on the fourth floor of the W that served to introduce invitees to new acts. So, there are always lessons, and this year I got one early.
Having found a pair of brand new Converse Chucks in my closet from Christmas, I decided to run around my first day of SXSW tearing up my feet to the point of almost utter disrepair. Gingerly walking my way down the vaunted sixth avenue I came across artists from around Chicago’s scene including Calez, Legit, Eryn Allen Kane and Stefan Ponce as everyone milled about, looking for the thing to do on a fairly dead Monday night offset by the rain. I had the chance to catch Charlotte, NC dance duo Styles N’ Complete who got the rooftop indoor-outdoor space jumping with hip-hop infused production pieces that were equal parts sample and original work. After that I rushed down to the other side of the freeway to link up with Supa Bwe, Karl, Blakkass Westley and Netherfriends who put on a set at the Volstead that set the bar high on night one as he killed his night cap with his looping sounds, interesting overall aesthetic and powerful stage presence got the alcohol-infused crowd that got pushed out at close.
Waking up the next morning, startled again by the lack of white icy hills outside my window in March, I continued a slow transition into the full breadth of what SXSW can offer as Chicago came out in full force, led by the enumerable Mayor Rahm Emmanuel himself for a pre-party at the aptly-named The Chicago House, which was filled with artists, media members and local movers and shakers from around the Windy City. Red 7 on 6th St. and Red River was the setting for Chicago Made Blog’s showcase, hosted by Hologram Kizzie, which started off with a rousing, endearing set from ProbCause, who when paired with his live drummer Cofresh is a true sight to see and got the steadily-building crowd worked up before the very talented singer-songwriter Bonzie took the stage, changing the aesthetic as the sun began to wane. Rockers Autumn Defense and Archie Powell and the Exports did their thing, showing Chicago has much more than just the hip-hop that has burst from it’s streets over the past couple of years. ShowYouSuck did what ShowYouSuck does, joined again onstage by compatriot Auggie The 9th he put on one of his best sets to date, crowd surfing, moving erratically from one side of the stage to the other and waxing knowledge on everything from ‘Big Gulps’ to ‘80’s Boobs’. As fans patiently waited, the show slowly ground to it’s headliner after a heavily Kanye-influenced DJ set from The Hood Internet, who flexed his production muscle a bit by bringing up a host of earlier performers onstage to do a series of tracks including ‘Sub-Zero’ off of ProbCause’s The Recipe Vol. 2 which may go down as one of the cooler moments of this years SXSW, as Auggie The 9th showed how hungry he is to take his game to the next level, eagerly tearing through bar after bar with vigor. Chicago seems to have a new act pop every year, and Auggie made a case for himself surrounded by some of the city’s finest. The big moment finally came around 1 am for Chance The Rapper and Peter CottonTale to take the stage, which revamped the crowd who had stood in line and inside the venue for nearly six hours. Chano started things off with the familiar “Good Ass Intro”, dropping into “Brain Cells” which got a juke mix before rolling through his Acid Rap catalogue. But, suddenly, as seems to happen in Austin during SXSW, the fire Marshalls called, the police showed up and a comfortably outstanding show was cancelled. And that was it. Two days down so far, plenty more to go.
[Songs of the Day] 2/26/14 (Feat. Vic Mensa, DâM-FunK, Njomza)
Wednesday offered up a bountiful harvest of new releases from across the music spectrum and I have all of it here for you to sift through yourself. Starting things off is Vic Mensa who teamed up with rising local producer Smoko Ono for the club banger in "Feel That", which shows off Smoko's electro-infused hip-hop production. Tensnake & Jacques Lu Cont linked up with Jamie Lidell for the 80s-esque, synth heavy "Feel of Love" while DâM-FunK continued a productive start to 2014 with his newest single, "Love Is Above" and 19-year-old French producer, Madeon capitalized on his credits from Lady Gaga's ARTpop album by dropping his latest mix, "Cut The Kid". Rico Love followed up his major release "They Don't Know" by pondering what women want on "Bitches be Like", Hurt Everybody gives fans a new one in "Anibus" and another talented Chicago product, Njomza showed off her powerful vocals on "Sowing Season". Check them all out, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Vic Mensa: "Feel That" (Prod. Smoko Ono)
Vic Mensa: "Feel That" (Prod. Smoko Ono)
Tensnake & Jacques Lu Cont: "Feel of Love"(Feat. Jamie Lidell)
DâM-FunK: "Love Is Above"
Madeon: "Cut The Kid"
Rico Love: "Bitches Be Like"
Hurt Everybody: "Anibus" (Prod. by Supa BWE)
Njomza: "Sowing Season"
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[Video] Scoolboy Q, Vic Mensa & Vado on 'RapFix Live'
Wednesday might as well have been "Come Up Day" over at the MTV RapFix studios in New York City. I say that because Sway, wearing a SaveMoney sweatshirt nonetheless, found himself flanked by two of the most aggressively progressive artists in hip-hop today in Vic Mensa and Schoolboy Q who were also joined by Cam'ron protege, Vado. The four men chopped it up between the couches with Sway, touching on what's come, what's gone and what's on the horizon. Schoolboy Q, whose album, Oxymoron is about ready to explode from anticipation leading up to the February 25 release date, showed up looking like he stole a page out of Pharrell's style book with a full brimmed hat capping off an ensemble that included a full-length grey trench coat and pink 'TDE' sweatshirt. Anything goes I guess when you're the 'Hood Pope'. Vic joined Schoolboy on the couch, rocking a matching sweatshirt to Sway's and giving the pink 'TDE' piece a run for its...money? Anyway, check out the full episode, streaming below courtesy of MTV.
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[Songs of the Day] 2/11/14 (Feat. Wiz Khalifa, Klaxons, The Black Lips and more)
Tuesday got a healthy dose of new music, and we have all of it gathered here for you once again for our 'songs of the day'. Starting things off is the honky-tonk sounds of Denny & The Jets with "Mexican Coke" and Klaxons with their heavy-handed dream pop arrangement in "Children of the Sun". Vic Mensa capitalized on a successful tour with Disclosure by releasing a freestyle over the UK duo's track "When A Fire Starts to Burn" off their album, Settle, and fellow Chicagoans Roman Flowrs and Donnie Trumpet teamed up over a Cam Osteen-produced beat in the soulful "Lake Shore Drive" and theWHOevers round out the middle of the map, offering up a J Dilla tribute in "Sooner or Later". Lil Boosie teases his post-prison plans, getting together with Boston George and Future on "Rich Off Lean" while Mr. Carmack gives listeners a new groove in his instrumental, "Free Baby" and Kelis returns with a new song in "Rumble". Yumi Zouma's “A Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers” gets a remix from Wild Nothings, Harry Fraud remixes JOYWAVE's "Tongues" and we get new tracks from The Black Lips, Beverly, Wiz Khalifa and a talented newcomer in Barney Bones. Check it all out, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Bevery: "Honey Do"
Denny & The Jets: “Mexican Coke”
Roman Flowrs: “Lake Shore Drive” (Feat. Donnie Trumpet) (Prod. by Cam Osteen)
Vic Mensa: "When A Fire Starts To Burn Freestyle"
Klaxons: “Children of the Sun”
theWHOevers: “Sooner or Later” (J Dilla Tribute)
Mr. Carmack: “Free Baby”
Boston George: “Rich Off Lean” (Feat. Lil Boosie & Future)
Kelis: “Rumble”
JOYWAVE: “Tongues” (Harry Fraud Remix):
Yumi Zouma: “A Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers” (Wild Nothing remix)
Beverly: “Honey Do”
Barney Bones: “Crash N’ Burn”
The Black Lips: “Justice After All”
Wiz Khalifa: “We Dem Boys”
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