Garfield Artworks 1-19-2012 with Stillborn Identity, 30 Realm, Plots, and GINO

Holy shit I'm slow at updating this, but considering no one checks it I guess it doesn't matter. This show happened and I have some footage of it. It was a pretty rough start, it was one of the first days it snowed bad. The show got cancelled because of weather, then out of no where like 15 people showed up despite the fact. It was a small crowed but everyone ripped it anyways.

I couldn't figure out how to post Plots video of him doing Bravado at the show because I'm apparently stupid


Plots (of The 1's and 2's) did a set with Ferg. He did a bunch of songs off So Social because it was my first time going to a show in Pittsburgh for a while and he knows I dig on that album. Indaglo (of The 1's and 2's) came up for a few tracks.

Plots and Indaglo doing Bastard Child...

I feel like The 1's and 2's could be the next group to blow up out of Pittsburgh. They get all sorts of well deserved hype, and I'm way more into them than the last few clowns to blow up from this area. With that in mind it's weird that no one seems to notice Plot's solo stuff as much even though it's equally as good and he's been doing it for longer. But what the hell do I know.

Gino doing an acapella

GINO is by far the most talented rapper in Pittsburgh. He's totally slept on, but it's only a matter of time till everyone notices. He just got out of the army so he hasn't been playing shows for to long in the area. Once he puts out a mixtape every half-assed rapper is fucked.
    
30 Realm held it down. Totally solid dudes/dudets. I've only met them a few times but I'm into it.

I(Stillborn Identity) don't remember much about my set. Which usually means I was drunk, but with the roads being as bad as they were, and my car being uninsured and uninspected I didn't want to take anymore risks than I had to and stayed dead sober.  My set probably still sucked though.

January 7th at Hamilton Arts Collective

   
Saturday January 7th I was in Baltimore and decided to check out an underground hip hop show some of my friends from various cities were playing at The Hamilton Arts Collective. I arrived just in time for the third set, JE double F, of Atlantic City, to start. Anxious to get home after the last day of a 13 day tour Jeff was still able to deliver the intensity that he's been spreading across the country with his relentless touring promoting his ep Paganomics.

     Next to play was local rapper DP the emcee who I was unfamiliar with but had a positive message to convey wrapped in a smooth laid back flow, and somehow was even nicer when he went off the top. My good friend Jack Wilson, originally from Pittsburgh but now residing in Baltimore, played next and was accompanied by a DJ whose stage name I can't remember, but considering he was the only one with a DJ next time some ipod rappers it made his set aesthetically more pleasing and his songs never slack either. Last to play was local rapper Trace Blam. Trace's set suffered slightly from a cold, but when I looked some of his stuff up online after the show I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Plus he approached me because I was carrying a skateboard and said that he skated, which made me even more of a fan.

     The first two sets I missed were by Jumbled, who I've seen perform before at Charm City Artspace, and Avant-Garde originally from Delaware who I heard of prior to the show and was pretty bummed out when I missed his set. However during every set that Avant-Garde heard someone he liked on the mic, which seemed to be every set, he demanded a cypher session with them after the show at the end of the night.

Je Double F music video and tour

JE Double F is about to embark on a solo South East tour. Check the schedule and go to the show if he rolls through your town. This will be his last tour to promote Paganomics.

12/27/11 - NIGHTLIGHT (Chapel Hill, NC)
12/28/11 - COTTAGE (Atlanta, GA)
12/29/11 - BURRO BAR (Jacksonville, FL)
12/30/11 - SWEAT RECORDS (Miami, FL)
01/01/12 - UNCLE LOUS (Orlando, FL)
01/03/12 - SQUEAKY LIZARD (Ocean Springs, MS)
01/04/12 - SIBERIA (New Orleans, LA)
01/05/12 - 3 BROTHERS (Murfreesboro, TN)
01/06/12 - SHAMROCKS (Huntington, WV)
01/07/12 - HAMILTON COLLECTIVE (Baltimore, MD)
Following this tour he will be releasing his first full length, Half Man. Here's a video of a song off the upcoming cd.

get rad

Smoke Screen - Imagination Beyond Illustration: Reimagined. Urbindex - Ambidextrous

Urbindex and Smoke Screen(Chemist and Mooke) both of Cleveland, Ohio did a tour in May of 2011 that led them to Garfield Artworks in Pittsburgh where I was first introduced to these dudes. I'm not sure if either group had any merch with them or they just didn't both bringing it out because there was literally no one at the show. The only people at the show besides the touring acts were the owner of Garfield Artworks Manny, Lord Grunge, and myself.

I had found out about this show only a few hours before when Manny called me asking me to play because another band dropped off the bill. I eagerly accepted excited to play a show that someone else had done all the "promotion" for, and I could just swoop in and reap all the benefits without putting in any of the work. When I showed up to see only Manny, Urbindex, and Smoke Screen(Lord Grunge was a little late) I was less than enthused and contemplated not playing at all.

However after Smoke Screen and Urbindex each went up and completely rocked a set for absolutely no one I felt like a rock star asshole for even considering not playing over a poor turn out. After our sets I was talking with the acts a little bit and they were trying their best to stay positive about the turn out and not like the flopped first show of tour ruin the rest of the dates they had booked saying they just have to pay their dues in Pittsburgh like they did in Cleveland to get better turn outs. Later I overheard them talking with Grunge being a little harder on themselves about the lack of people at the show, he shook his head in disapproval and said, "no way dude, this is how you sharpen your teeth," and he was exactly right. Poor turn outs are part of playing DIY shows and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, all you can do is grin and bear it while playing your best at each gig no matter how many or how few people are at the show and you'll prevail, gaining however many fans/friends as possible at each stop. And that's exactly what Urbindex and Smoke Screen did with the three people at their show in Pittsburgh.

I'm pretty certain Ambidextrous is the release Urbindex put out right after the show in Pittsburgh. Check it out, it's good, it's free, and it's self produced.

This is probably Smoke Screens most recent release at the time of the show last May. These two compliment eachother really well and you can tell they've been rapping together for nearly five years by the way they can go back and forth and not just stick to switch off between verses.

Urbindex
Urbindex on facebook
Urbindex on bandbamp

Smoke Screen
Smoke Screen on facebook

MC Homeless - Still Trapped

Youngstown, Ohio's MC Homeless released Still Trapped independently in 2009 as a follow up to his first full length Trapped Under An Ohio Sky on DIY Bandits. Still Trapped, featuring Riddlore, Richard Benjamen, Swordplay, and more, is a compilation of rad lo-fi songs Homeless recorded and released with pretty much no intention of ever playing live. For instance I've requested the song, Opposite of Happy at more than one show but to no avail(once he caved in and said he'd do it over another beat because he didn't have the original but neither of us could remember how it started). When I saw Homeless the only time he had Still Trapped it was at Most Wanted, and it was just a burnt cdr with a hand written track listing. This was just something he put out to hold people over from when he ran out of copies of Trapped Under An Ohio Sky until 27 came out on Milled Pavement. I think I spent all my money buying 6 packs at the bar up the street and couldn't afford his cd and/or was to drunk to remember to buy it. Now it's free, turns out being an irresponsible drunk worked in my favor.

Pretty certain this was the show he had Still Trapped. It wasn't May 6th though, it was March 6th. Maybe I was drunk when I made the flier too. Actually Jack from Worn Out Tigers made the flyer but I'll take the heat for him.

The first time I saw MC Homeless he was on tour with Brandon Miles(now CrunkWitch) at The Smiling Moose and had Lord Grunge(of Grand Buffet) and myself(Stealboner Inflammatory) as local support. During his set I'm pretty certain he was wearing either a Teeth or Annihilation Time t-shirt, did his interpretation of a Crass cover which ended in him dry humping the pa monitor until he fell off stage and the monitor landed on him(sound guy was pissed and brought it up months later when he played The Smiling Moose again), sampled Smiths song How Soon Is Now for Champagne Wishes, and ended with an acapella about an aspiring pedophile in his hometown named Kev-Dawg. I was a fan.

Still Trapped for free
I'm sure you could message him to get an official burnt cdr on facebook
twitter
last fm
myspace/time machine(has some cool collabs at the bottom of the play list that are hard to find)

Jack Wilson - Jack Tar

A while ago current Baltimore(formerly Pittsburgh) resident Jack Wilson released Jack Tar. Not sure who produced this cd because I'm slacking on my research, but whoever it is did a great job sampling 1990's "pop" songs from artists like; Radiohead, Oasis(my favorite sample), Blur, and more. This is absolutely free because the production is absolutely illegal, so never mind those pesky "donate" buttons that guilt trip you into donating 20 cents to the artist just so you can sleep better at night. Jack has never been shy on putting out media and rarely bothers with trying to make a profit off of it. If anything he tries to break even every once in a while because that's really all an underground rapper can hope for.

Jack was one of the first and most helpful mc's I met in Pittsburgh when I was starting rapping. He put me on a handful of shows, helped me record a few tracks, and offered me insightful advice that always came from his personal experience.

A while ago I got to open for Vast Aire(of Cannibal Ox) thanks to Jack and his short lived crew Crash Course Collective, alongside EMS(now Kid A).... and I completely bombed it. Hands down my worst performance at the biggest show I've played to date. After my set when I was getting down on myself alone at the bar, Jack came over and told me that it wasn't a big deal, that all that would matter in the future was that I played with Vast Aire. He said all I could do at that point was learn from my mistakes and try not to make them again. Although playing a show that poorly may be a minor set back it's no reason to change my stage name or worse yet quit rapping. At the time I had trouble believing it, then Jack told me how a few years ago at Mr. Smalls when he opened for Atmosphere he had a similar night. Years later all that people remember(if they remember anything) was that he opened for Atmosphere. That advice may seem a bit pessimistic but none the less it was helpful at the time.

Jack Tar for free
bandcamp
facebook
soundcloud

B L A C K I E - Spred Luv

B L A C K I E, of Houston, Texas is said to be the pioneer of "American Grime."Spred Luv came out in 2010(I think) and is 12 tracks of blending punk, hip hop, harsh electronic, UK Grime, and noise all together for one truly original sound. Self produced, check it out and form your own opinion.

website
download
facebook
Not sure where you can but this online but I'm sure if you message him on his facebook you can work something out.

The first time I saw B L A C K I E preform was in Pittsburgh, PA at Most Wanted Fine Arts Gallery on tour with Limb. Dave of Edhochuli, said they needed a local hip hop artist with punk vibe and asked me(Stillborn Identity)to play(along with Skinless Boneless and Greenlander). I had never seen a hip hop artist with so much gear, B L A C K I E lined up a wall of amps behind him when he played. His set was super intense, he was in the crowds face the whole time and they loved it. By the end of his set he was crowd surfing and dripping buckets of sweat.

flier from the show

Almost a year later we played a show together again at The Lemon Grove in Youngstown, OH with Greenlander, and Le Singe Blanc on tour from Europe. Despite the small attendance at the show and lack of attention from the audience B L A C K I E still played his set with as much enthusiasm and intensity(although there weren't enough people to crowd surf this time)as he had in Pittsburgh, and in my mind surpassed the test of a true artist who is making/playing music because he loves it.