Hip-Hop Homecoming Week
What Started Last Year As An Ambitious Showcase For Local Talent Has Expanded To Incorporate So Much More
originally published October 24, 2007
Monday, Oct. 29
Hip-Hop Homecoming Week, organized and promoted by local hip-hop artists BadKat, John Vereen and others, kicks off on a Monday morning with a lively event that aims to explain the elements of hip-hop culture that go beyond the rapper familiar to most casual fans. Expect deejaying, rapping, graffiti demonstrations, breakdance performances, and more. Basically, it's a succinct summation of the week to come, and a good introduction to those looking to learn more.
WHERE: UGA, Tate Student Center Plaza WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. HOW MUCH: FREE!
DJ Mahogany
Monday, Oct. 29
The nighttime event at this incognito downtown bar (it's above the more prominent Village Idiot) is a little mellower than what's to come later in the week, and dips back and out into some of hip-hop's roots and fringes. Expect retro soul and pillowy R&B goodness from 2007 Flagpole Athens Music Award winner DJ Mahogany, complemented later on by the funky jazz piano of the Keith Jackson Project. Spoken-word poets like Athens' own Bellah Sparxxx and Isai, among others, will offer their compositions, smooth vocalists Ben Stevens and F.L.Y. will croon away, and Southern folk duo Molasses Skye reaches for the acoustic soul.
WHERE: Rumor WHEN: 9 p.m. HOW MUCH: $3
Tuesday, Oct. 30
Tasty World provides a two-tiered event Tuesday night, with an emcee showcase upstairs and a deejay/ producer-focused night downstairs. The judged "song battle" upstairs allows performers to enter a song at the rate of $10 per track, with the winner taking the whole pot at the end of the night. Expect to hear from DJ Wreckineyez, Clan Destined, Figaro, Gus D. and Quanstar, while DJ Atlas provides the music throughout the night. Downstairs, you'll find what's being billed as "Beat Wars Episode 3," the third installment of a producer battle where local producers, beatmakers and deejays can pay $25 each to enter 10-minute tracks in competition for cash prizes. (Interested participants can register the day of at 8 p.m. or in advance by emailing vereencorp@yahoo.com.)
WHERE: Tasty World WHEN: 10 p.m. HOW MUCH: $5 ($3 students)
DJ Killacut
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Tonight's Halloween-themed event is a pretty loose and open-ended affair; the costume party kicks off at 8 p.m,. while performances start an hour later. It's an entirely open-mic situation (first come, first served), so show up to either proffer your own skills or check out those of others. Longtime Athens hip-hop promoter Montu Miller hosts the evening, and DJ Atlas spins a variety of sounds for the dance party starting at midnight.
WHERE: Diverse Universe WHEN: 8 p.m. HOW MUCH: FREE!
Ishues
Thursday, Nov. 1
Today's early-evening event is a lecture titled "Hip Hop for Social Change." Prominent local rappers BadKat and Ishues are on the panel to offer their opinions, as are UGA faculty members Lesley Feracho (an associate professor in the Romance Languages department and the Institute for African American Studies) and Talmadge Guy (an associate professor in the College of Education). Followed by an open discussion forum.
WHERE: UGA South PJ, Room 306 WHEN: 7–9 p.m. HOW MUCH: FREE!
Son1
Thursday, Nov. 1
Tonight's emcee battle event focuses on the tradition of off-the-cuff head-to-head rapping, and the style of tonight's emcees veers more towards the rougher, less polished (though decidedly no less fiery) end of the local spectrum. Among others, you'll find Dirt Reynolds, Big Earl, C-Fre$h, Figaro, Elite tha Showstoppa, Ayo, Big Baz, Ya Boy Brell, P-Noid and Jdown Valmont competing in an event hosted by combustible Atlanta hype man Fort Knox and Athens' DJ Bulldawg Purp.
WHERE: Little Kings WHEN: 9 p.m. HOW MUCH: $5
Friday, Nov. 2
The free showcase at this expansive college bar takes a different approach, focusing on the turntable skills of deejays. You likely won't find compact disc slingers or (gasp!) laptop jockeys here; the crew of talent kneels at the altar of wax and vinyl. Athens deejays Mr. Brown, Bulldog Purp and Citrine step up to the plate for the spin-off, as do Atlanta's Stylez, Channel-Lock and North Carolina deejay Chrome C, among others. Expect to find the local breakdancers out en masse as well.
WHERE: The Library WHEN: 10 p.m. HOW MUCH: FREE!
Ben Stevens and Bear
Saturday, Nov. 3
They're calling it "Supernova," and the show is the November installment of what's become a monthly event at the Caledonia Lounge: the "Battle @ the Lounge" hip-hop showcase and emcee battle. Tonight's all-Athens-artists event will feature a special acoustic performance by vocalist Ben Stevens, accompanied by producer/ musician Nolan Terrebone on guitar. Rappers for the night include high-energy group Deaf Judges (which will celebrate the release of the Lil' Ronny CD, produced by some of its members under the Old White Women moniker), the party-oriented Elite tha Showstoppa and the heady political rhymes of Travis Williams, BadKat and Ishues. DJ Killacut' will be on the turntables.
WHERE: Caledonia Lounge WHEN: 10 p.m. HOW MUCH: $5
Sunday, Nov. 4
The week of hip-hop related activities wraps up with a laid-back community event at Sandy Creek Park. It's a pot-luck and a cook-out, and is open to the public. There will be events geared towards children starting at 2 p.m., with activity leaders for different age groups.
WHERE: Sandy Creek Park WHEN: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. HOW MUCH: FREE!
For more info on the week's events, see www.myspace.com/hiphophomecoming.
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