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- Written by Khari Gzifa
- Parent Category: Onstage
“The Same” – Quadir Lateef & Hasan Salaam
This is not a video in the strictest sense of the word, it’s just a montage of still photos while the track plays. The track though is notable. The beat is nice, doesn’t try to do a whole lot -its pretty much loop-based- but it’s all that you need it to be. The lyrics and delivery are great. Quadir Lateef, who takes the first and last verse, does a good job with delivery. Something about it reminds me of B.I.G., so that has to be good. The song jumped ahead by light years though when Hasan Salaam came on. His verse is so densely packed with truth and jewels about "our" station in life that a rewind or skip back to the beginning of the track becomes more than a good idea, it becomes mandatory. Be sure to check this one out, you will really appreciate it.
”Just Another Day” - Logic
This is a very good record. Logic has a good flow and the lyrics are above average. The visuals really look great, too. It has a high quality look to it with some nice transitions in between some of the scenes. I would love to hear more from this artist. I really like the little nod to Queen Latifah because they used the basics of her hit record for the bones of their record, but I feel like they could have left the video clips of her out. Overall though, a fine effort.
”Black Hand Side” – Pharoahe Monch ft Phonte & Styles P
This song is one of my absolute favorites on an album (W.A.R.) that is full of incredible records, so that means it is a stellar quality song. Pharoahe has long been known as a very creative and imaginative guy, and you could tell that from some of his past videos. This one though stands out as a particularly smart and entertaining piece. Guest stars (on the song and video) Phonte and Styles P both bring their unique abilities to bear and help make this something special. I don’t know if I am possibly missing a more recent influence from film, I don’t see them like I used to anymore, but the first film to come to my mind when I see this is John Carpenter’s They Live. In that film the main character is able to see people and signs for what they really are and really intend by using special sunglasses. There is a similar play on that theme here and it is done with a special aplomb that makes the video a joy to watch despite some darker themes at work. I could say much more but I will end with this: watch this video at your earliest opportunity, your life will be that much better because of it.
”Rollin” – Young Sir
This video from Young Sir has some pretty nice visuals. Sharp images and some pretty smooth color to black & white transitions help to remind you that you are watching a music video. Some artists can over think the video and do too much but video producers and editors, ClipStar TV just kept it simple and put those little touches in there that almost made it a bit of a throwback to an era gone by in music. I’m sure I’m dating myself but watching this strongly reminded me of watching the MC Boss video from back in the day, when "err body" from the "urrea" was excited just to see a license plate from the DMV in a music video. Who cared if it only played on "The Box", we were coming up! LOL, those were the days. Anyway, Young Sir has real potential and we hope to see something new and improved from him in the future.
”Live from The Lost Cities Tour” – Tech N9ne
First I have to just acknowledge the fact that this was not a very good quality recording, so with that said I will just speak on the content of the concert footage. If anyone reading this does not know who Tech N9ne is you need to open a new tab and go to Youtube/Google and get you research on...trust me when I tell you the King Of Darkness (and Kansas City, MO) will keep you entertained throughout it. I just wanted to speak on what he does right in this clip that could probably help a lot of artists out there. You saw the highly produced intro, with lights and everything that lets the crowd know that it’s really about to go down. Next you saw how he came out with that high energy level and immediately start giving them some of their favorite verses. Oh and did you peep that his face was painted? That’s called showmanship (it also hearkens back to our African Heritage, which Tech is no stranger to, but that’s for another discussion). Then did you also notice how when he brought out his right hand, Krizz Kaliko, they had little synchronized steps and routines that just amp up the quality of the performance. I could go on and on about why Aaron Yates, is standing over some of your favorite Billboard-backed major label artists on the PollStar numbers and why Lil Wayne shouted him out from prison and put him on the Carter IV, but I think these are enough. If you are an artist or even if you are not but maybe have not been to a live show in a minute, do yourself a favor and suffer through 8 minutes of poor video to get the gist of what the Nina is laying down, you will be reminded of why music is such a powerful form of entertainment/communication.
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DMV performing artists are frequently called on to make appearances at worthy charity functions. No matter what causes
they’ve already supported we strongly recommend they consider coming together to lend a hand to the Coach Nick Lynch Foundation. In this town, nothing else they do would be more meaningful.
Suitland High School head football coach Nick Lynch died in a tragic automobile accident on December 31, 2008. At that moment a highly regarded mentor and surrogate father to a great many young men, and women, was lost. His impact on the lives of his team participants and students extended throughout the area. Nick Lynch was more than a coach. He was an example of how a man should live his life; contribute to his society, and work to make a positive impression on youth.
So “We Recommend” the Coach Nick Lynch Foundation to every artist, promoter, and venue owner in the DMV. And we’d like to suggest a number of ways you can help the organization accomplish its mission of promoting life-changing opportunities for students and ensuring they have every opportunity to succeed. Make a donation, or mention the foundation on Twitter or your Facebook page. Host a benefit, or make an announcement at your next event. Your influence matters. It can really help a worthy cause to realize its goals. Contact the Coach Nick Lynch Foundation for additional information.
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“Cool” - Laelo Hood, featuring Lyriciss and Pro’Verb
We like the narrative backdrop for this video with Laelo Hood assuming the character of a Boss and spitting over Shaft themed beats. His flow is precise, evocative, and sets up the follow on features by Pro-Verb and Lyriciss. Of course folks who’ve heard them would expect nothing less than excellent delivery from each and they don’t disappoint. It’s a good video, reminiscent of the early days of Hip Hop videos when the narrative was on equal par with the music. Produced by Raw Footage with the wardrobe provided by Rock It Again, this is a fun video and definitely ready for Da Stage.
The good folks at Red Eye Films sent us this video and it took us less than a minute to know we wanted to feature it. DC Don Juan was number 9 on WKYS’s list of the hottest 2010 DMV rappers and there are plenty of his videos to choose from. But this one shows him up close and personal in what he calls his JuanMix of Weezy’s original. It’s raw emotion set against a backdrop framing him seated in a chair in a room, alone and in touch with his feelings. It works well because it conveys a moment in time every guy, or woman, can connect to. The video footage strengthens as it goes along with a nice close. Good work from DC Don Juan and from Red Eye.
“SwagBeat” - $urreal, featuring Reaction Band
They’ve got Howard U roots but $urreal has a rapidly expanding fan base. They can handle the microphones as you can see from this video produced by Corbin Howard. The hookup with the great Reaction Band is a real plus for viewers who get to hear a Cranked Up beat behind the deft lyrics from this crew. This is just confirmation of our long held theory that every DMV rapper should have an affiliation with a GoGo band. It’s a winning formula. Nice scenes in this video from the club where it was filmed. Looking for real big things from $urreal.
“Wassup” – Triology III featuring Lando and Nu Era
Either they’re channeling Bone Thugs and Harmony or they’re the closet thing we’re ever going to see to a reincarnation, but with this video Trilogy III almost makes a better case for BTH’s legacy than BTH did on their last album. The video scenes are good, not exceptional, but good, but the beats and lyrics bang. We caught this group performing at the H Street Festival and immediately asked about links to their work. Don’t know what kind of footprint they have in the DMV but trust, they’ve got mad potential.
Okay, the video is not even a real video but Sir Daj is a personal favorite at OnStage. In fact, we’re willing to stake our reputation on our belief that this rapper has immense potential and a huge upside. Homie can rap, period, and we pity the A&R rep that hears his work and doesn’t sign him. He’s committed to the game as evidenced by the fact that he caught our attention with a CD his crew was passing out outside the 9:30 Club a few weeks ago. There’s nothing to see in the video but listen to the lyrics and the delivery and we think you’ll be as convinced as we are. This is the kind of talent we showcase at OnStage.
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Since our last mention of GV there has been a change in the group, with them going from a 4 to 3 member act. Niko, Millsapp, and Mac Mall remain and, no surprise, are still GRINDING, doing shows on Mondays at Rose Dream and rocking the crowd as usual. GV is completing work on a new mixtape “3 Tha Hard Way.” Enjoy our preview live performance of their new single “Real Live” and follow them on Twitter @Real_GV
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When the shots rang out our featured artist, Southeast Washington DC’s own DB, was fortunate to escape with nothing more than a bullet through his hat. Just part of a life that taught him valuable lessons on the cold ways of the street that he channels through his music. He writes, produces, and records his own work and in 2009 released “The Meal Ticket” which was well received by music critics in the DMV. Now he is working on his second project and expanding his versatility through meaningful lyrics and a variety of beats. We like the playful inventiveness of “Bring a Friend” which shows a mix of beat mastery, lyricism, and is a nicely crafted video. DB is ready for the Stage! Keep up with him at knowdb.tumblr.com.