MATTHEW M. BURKE

Hip-hop hopefuls

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:30:12 GMT

Boston's eclectic rap stars
Already it appears 2007 will be a big year for Boston hip-hop, since a number of pivotal releases are in the making.

Forever 29

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 18:00:29 GMT

Lyrical’s birthday bash, Harpers Ferry, January 10, 2007
With its tradition of blues and jam bands, Allston’s Harpers Ferry isn’t the first place you’d expect one of Boston’s most promising hip-hop artists to celebrate his birthday.

Reconstruction project

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:28:57 GMT

JV Darapsinga gets a new lease on life
Twenty-five-year-old Javon Townes (a/k/a JV Darapsinga) shows up for interviews as if he were about to hit the stage — as if he were expecting someone to call with a gig any minute.

REBORN: Jail time forced JV to reassess.

Twenty-five-year-old Javon Townes (a/k/a JV Darapsinga) shows up for interviews as if he were about to hit the stage — as if he were expecting someone to call with a gig any minute. When we settle down to talk, he’s fully outfitted: new black baseball cap turned backward, black doo-rag, slightly faded black jeans, designer black shirt, bulky black leather jacket. Oh, and his goatee is meticulously groomed. His cellphone is nearby and he keeps a close eye on it.

His chosen clothing color is a reflection of the darkness he’s endured over the past year. Last winter he was on top of the world, thanks to the “Party ain’t a party” hook he sang on the Dre Robinson single “Get Right,” a tune that also had raps by Mobb Deep. An R&B singer in rap clothing, JV was in a prime position to break out on his own. But in March he found himself in jail. Already on probation for driving with a suspended license, he was picked up after being accused of rape by a woman who later recanted. He spent several months behind bars before being cleared in time to perform at the June 17 Mass Industry Committee’s inaugural Boston Hip-Hop Awards at John Hancock Hall.

JV came out angry, but he focused his energy on reasserting himself as an R&B heavyweight in Boston hip-hop. He has a new mixtape, The Construction (Hoodsingaz Entertainment/Hitmakerz Entertainment), that he released at the end of August and has been giving away for free at shows. And those around him have observed that he doesn’t joke around quite so much; outspokenness has given way to a more reserved and deliberate demeanor. He used to hang around at events trying to make new friends; now, once business is concluded, he heads home (where he’s a new father). His songs used to attack other artists; now they promote unity in the Boston scene. He’s dedicated himself to being a voice from the streets, but he wants his writing to inspire inner-city youth to challenge themselves.

“It was a tremendous metamorphosis,” he says of his time behind bars. “The difference from then to now, I’d have to say, is the maturity. I’m back to business, and I’m on my ‘A’ game. It’s really serious this time around. I’m getting too old, you know what I mean? I gotta make sure I can set myself up for the future and I can’t just do this anymore for play or for fun. I have to be a professional about it. It’s all about keeping yourself grounded, into music, into entertainment, not getting involved in the other things that are out there.”

Raising the, uh, cup

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:14:50 GMT

Boston’s Winter Hip-Hop Fest
Although it would have been easy to book local heavyweights like Slaine and Dre Robinson to take the stage with Lawrence hip-hop hustler Termanology for this year’s Winter Hip-Hop Fest, promoter Edu Leedz decided to try something a little bit different.

The 37th chamber

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:05:25 GMT

Method Man, Avalon, November 7
It’s one thing when fans go crazy over an artist who’s in town. But when the artists in question are equally mad, it can make for some explosive chemistry. Slideshow: Method Man at Avalon, November 7, 2006

Citizen Slaine

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:57:36 GMT

In the studio with Boston’s hardest-working rapper
Trying to get to the bottom of one of the Boston scene’s more controversial rappers is no easy feat.

SPECIAL TEAMZ PLAYA: “I am not afraid to go to the hospital because I’ve pushed myself too hard.”

Trying to get to the bottom of one of the Boston scene’s more controversial rappers is no easy feat. Like a lot of artists, Slaine keeps odd hours. A typical day in the studio starts in the evening and doesn’t end until most people are leaving for work. He’s been known to work through the next day, and sometimes into the following one, like a maniacal professor wrapped up in a radical experiment. But, slowly, he lets the details slip.

Slaine is 28 and he hails from South Boston. With his big frame and icy stare, his shaved head, and those tattoos running up both arms, he can be intimidating. Yet there’s something calming in the storm of the eyes. He can be humble and kind, and he has a reputation for getting on well with other rappers in town. Still, the vivid detail with which he describes crime is a reflection of the world he grew up in. The streets run through his veins and his rhymes. So does his complex personality.

Lyrics are his outlet. He’s an emotional rapper. He can engage in social commentary and philosophize about the nature of the streets; he can also wax misogynistic, and violence is integral to his worldview. Did I mention he’s still dating his childhood sweetheart, a schoolteacher?

It’s a Monday night, and Slaine and High Society Recording Studio producer Matty “Trump” Harris are arriving at the Armory, a studio with top-notch amenities hidden from the street in the middle of industrial Worcester. After we’ve watched several episodes of HBO’s Entourage on the flat screen, it’s time for Slaine to finish the follow-up to his White Man Is the Devil Volume I mixtape, which sold more than 6000 copies with no distribution or marketing. He’s calling the new one White Man Is the Devil Volume II, Citizen Cain and planning to celebrate its October 12 release with a party at the Middle East.

The Budweiser flows, cigarettes smolder; Slaine is antsy, rapidly tapping his foot while Trump loads the backing. But once the beats begin, everyone’s bobbing his head, and Trump mixes tunes as they narrow down the list of tracks. “I’ve never seen someone work as hard as Slaine,” Trump says — and he’s worked with some of the best in the game, from Edo G and Krumbsnatcha to Fat Joe. “The kid has drive out his ass — at certain points it’s annoying. You just want to go to sleep and he won’t let you.”

Jam Master Jay's mom slams DMC

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:46:39 GMT

Beef overshadows Berklee's Milestones
Nobody expected it to get ugly.

Run DMC in happier times

Nobody expected it to get ugly. Berklee College of Music’s 2006 Milestones awards show, billed as “A Celebration and Tribute to True Musical Innovation,” was envisioned as a way to highlight the accomplishments of hip-hop’s oft-overlooked pioneers. The event, held this past Friday at Boston’s Berklee Performance Center, started out as a jovial celebration of turntables, technique, and musical engineering technology. By the time it was over, a schism had been exposed within one of rap’s most hallowed groups.

There was no sign of tension at the outset. Hosted by former Yo! MTV Raps star Fab 5 Freddy, the show began with Al Kooper, organist on Bob Dylan's 1965 hit "Like a Rolling Stone,” performing with a band comprising Berklee faculty members. Milestones awards – mounted silver headphones – went to rap legends Marley Marl and DJ Premier (the latter has recently produced Christina Aguilera and Lawrence indie-rap phenomenon Termanology), as well as Bruce Swedien, the man who recorded and mixed Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Local indie-rap stars 7L and Esoteric performed, as did talented saxophonist Michael Phillips and the Berklee Turntablist Crew, featuring professor Stephen Webber. A trio of legendary DJs — Jazzy Joyce, Jazzy Jay, and Grandwizzard Theodore — held an clinic that drew a clear line between the improvisational principles of jazz and hip-hop.

But controversy swirled during the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to the late DJ pioneer Jason W. Mizell – better known as Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay. (Jay was murdered in a New York City recording studio in 2002.) On hand as a guest presenter for the award was Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.

DMC took the stage in a light straw hat and a Run-DMC T-shirt and had nothing but kind words to say about his slain bandmate. “He fulfilled his destiny,” he said, explaining how Run-DMC became one of the most beloved hip-hop acts in history. “He went out doing what he loved,” McDaniels continued. “He was a b-boy, he was a thug, but he was positive.”

But Jam Master Jay’s mother, Connie Mizell, had harsh words for the presenter. She, and other members of Jay’s family, received a large ovation as they approached the stage to collect the award. It was the first time DMC and Mizell had been face to face since Jay's death. Mizell commented on this as she took the stage, and DMC walked off as she walked on. By the time they picked up the trophy, DMC was nowhere to be seen.

The Devil’s Rejects

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:58:39 GMT

Necronomicon/Dynasty Musik
There aren’t many rap groups whose lyrics are laced with images of holy shrines, rivers flowing with honey, the execution of Joan of Arc, Area 51, and various demented murder scenes.

MySpace pimpin'

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:30:10 GMT

Method Man at Axis, August 15, 2006
“You lyin’,” Meth told his female MySpacians, “’cuz half you motherfuckers on my page trying to throw the pussy at me.” Slideshow: Method Man at Axis, August 15, 2006

You knew MySpace was for teen emo girls and the overaged sex-starved boomers who e-stalk them, but 2006 will go down as the year MySpace finally caught on with all the internet thugs. Friends of Keak the Sneak can’t go 10 minutes without getting a bulletin from the Yay Area, and MCs from Lowell’s D-Tension (“MySpace Bitches”) to Atlanta’s C-Side (“MySpace Freak”) now hype Rupert Murdoch’s crown jewel the way dudes used to sweat gold chains.

So yes, MySpace did put on a free Method Man show at Axis the other night – part of its ongoing “Secret Shows” series, which kicked off in January in Los Angeles and has since hosted the likes of Jenny Lewis, OAR, NOFX, Franz Ferdinand, and Gnarls Barkley. The 500 fans who were luckly enough to check their MySpace accounts and then grab a wristband at Tower Records day-of-show were treated to a newly-revived Meth: fresh off a Wu-tang reunion tour, the Clan’s most popular member was promoting his new 4:21… The Day After (Def Jam, due August 29). For a club that usually only gets out-of-town hip-hop stars when there’s a contest or something, the reception outside was low-profile: the only outward signs of life within, as baffled Red Sox fans spilled out of Fenway Park, was Meth’s tour bus parked outside and a small yellow MySpace banner.

Inside, Lawrence’s Termanology (www.myspace.com/therealtermanology) and St. Da Squad brought local flavor, but the night belonged unequivocally to Meth, who who took the stage with his typical confidence, a playful swagger that beams charisma without having to overemphasize it, a drink and his trademark blunt in hand.

“Everybody on MySpace fucking,” the Ticallion Stallion declared. He asked the men in attendance if they were on MySpace for business or to attract the opposite sex, got about a 50-50split. Then he asked the women the same question, and the applause was heavier toward business. “You’re lying, ’cuz half you motherfuckers on my page trying to throw the pussy at me.” He then jumped into a spirited rendition of “What the Blood Clot” off 1994’s critically acclaimed Tical (Def Jam). Meth appeared entranced, looking up at the ceiling, as if there was nobody in the room, and moving his arms up and down to the beat as he flowed crisply.

Home boys

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:50:12 GMT

7L & Esoteric discover A New Dope
Don’t count out 7L & Esoteric just yet. 7L & Esoteric, "3 Minute Classic" (mp3)

HYBRID PROJECT: The duo seemed to be drifting apart, but when they got together to compare solo projects, the new album was born.

George Andrinopoulos, 30, and his wordsmith partner, Seamus Ryan, 31, have been doing their best to keep old-school-style hip-hop alive in Boston and beyond since they first met, in 1992. As DJ 7L & Esoteric, they’ve been instrumental in building and maintaining a thriving local hip-hop scene and keeping Boston on the rap map. Yet after almost a decade and a half, it didn’t seem that even their love for golden-era hip-hop could continue to sustain them. When discussions began for their A New Dope (Baby Grande) in October of last year, they say, they were burnt out, sick of music, sick of the industry, and sick of themselves. They’d spent most of 2005 on the rise, opening for up-and-coming underground stars like Fort Minor and Jedi Mind Tricks across the country and staying clear of the studio. They’d even performed overseas. But they were drifting apart in their tastes, and they hadn’t played a Boston show in almost two years.

All that was about to change. But first, some history. When 7L & Eso hit the scene, old school hip-hop was flourishing; as the ’90s went on and it began to fade, they kept it alive, offering a refreshing old-school alternative to the East/West Coast gangsta wars that swept the nation and ruled the charts. Along with Mr. Lif and rap veteran Edo G, they created a Boston sound. It wasn’t until 2001 that they released their debut full-length, The Soul Purpose (Direct); that was followed by 2002’s Dangerous Connection (Brick), with guest appearances by Beyonder, J-Live, Vinnie Paz from Jedi Mind Tricks, and Apathy. They signed a deal with the expanding indie Baby Grande and took their raw brand of old-school stylings national with 2004’s DC2: Bars of Death, that one populated by underground heroes like Army of the Pharaohs, Demigodz, and MainFlow as well as Boston vets Beyonder and KT & Uno the Prophet.

But by October of last year, 7L was already several weeks into work on a solo album. He’d started writing raps that diverged from the braggadocio that had become his calling card — the “how smart I am, how fresh I am, my shit is better than yours” kind of boasting, as he puts it during our three-way conference call. Meanwhile, Esoteric, who’d always stuck to MCing, was starting to create beats of his own — more experimental, instrumental recordings inspired by the ’80s synth tunes he’d been listening to. A break-up appeared imminent.

Ordinary people

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 22:29:53 GMT

Boulder to Brooklyn funk freaks Ordinary K
It’s the archetypal, cliché story of the entertainment industry: bright eyed, blue-collar artist from cowtown lands in New York City with big dreams of stardom. Ordinary K, "Honey Sweet" (mp3) Todd Woodward, "Saving Grace" (mp3)

Ordinary K

It’s the archetypal, cliché story of the entertainment industry: bright eyed, blue-collar artist from cowtown lands in New York City with big dreams of stardom. Artist strives for success, but quickly learns how cruel the big city can be. The hip-hop and reggae fused funk quartet Ordinary K formed in Colorado in 1999, and quickly gained a devout following among the indigenous population of jam-banders and snowboarders for their reggae-splashed, Beastie Boys-meet-Stevie Wonder grooves. Without a major label deal, they released an album and several successful EPs. They regularly sold out Boulder’s premier venue, the Fox Theater, and eventually landed a huge-beer-company sponsorship. In other words, they did everything a band could in Colorado. So in 2003, OK relocated to NYC.

They weren’t expecting a ticker-tape parade, but they probably weren’t expecting what they got, either. In some ways their upswings and downbeats were typical: they lost a founding member, then the rhythm section left. They ploughed through relationship and job problems, and struggled to save enough money to record by touring the Northeast. There really isn’t a happy ending here: there’s still no record deal, and the band isn’t even pimping a new album. Instead, they’re now touring in support of singer Todd Woodward’s new self-titled released solo disc, Paradise. They’ll play Jose MacIntyre’s on Milk Street in Boston this Friday.

Woodward, or Woodz as fans know him, recorded Paradise in his apartment studio with producer Pat Lee, a set-up that afforded him the opportunity to experiment with arrangements – namely, with hip-hop sounds -- and with his own singing as well. “I wanted to get into different realms and sounds,” he says. “The content of it is pretty personal stuff, not Ordinary K-type stuff. I experimented to see what I could do. I didn’t have to go into a studio and spend a bunch of money so I saved up a couple grand to get it mastered.”

That solo disc opens with “Pieces,” which telegraphs the album’s positive vibes. In a funky wail, Woodz sings “Forget for a second, categories you’re falling in/Take a minute, think about tolerance/Hate somebody, you better give good reason.” It’s a far cry from the last Ordinary K nugget, 2005’s Naked EP, which dabbled in catchy hip-pop funk. Paradise retains some of Ordinary K’s feel-good grooves, but the lyrics are more intense, dark, and introspective.

Foundation Movement

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 21:26:05 GMT

Greatest Hits | Foundation Movement
Here the Foundation Movement step their game up with catchier beats, better production, and guest spots by Edo G, Bambuu, Lee Wilson, and Dead Prez

Daniel Laurent

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Wed, 17 May 2006 19:46:48 GMT

The Suppression | Self Made Entertainment
On his sophomore effort, local rapper Daniel Laurent bares his soul and offers good advice to young kids without sacrificing his street cred.

When it pours it rains

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:35:55 GMT

In memoriam: Proof, 1973-2006
I’ve been listening a lot this week to Proof’s second album, Searching for Jerry Garcia (Iron Fist Records). It reminds me, ominously, of Makaveli and Life After Death .

I’ve been listening a lot this week to Proof’s second album, Searching for Jerry Garcia (Iron Fist Records). It reminds me, ominously, of Makaveli and Life After Death. On the cover Proof is embracing a skeleton. The last song of the album is called “Kurt Kobain.” “This is my last letter right here,” he says. “Fuck this world, lets get the fuck out of here.” He raps about his vulnerabilities and his own insecurities. “I don’t feel like I could win niggas/It’s like I’m lost and I find only demons/I wanna quit, its like I’m tired of breathing.”

Proof, born Deshaun Holton, was gunned down in a Detroit club last Tuesday evening, reportedly in an argument over a pool game. He was 32. In a Detroit Free Press obituary, he was remembered not only as Eminem’s “right hand man” but, more importantly, as one of the most influential voices in Detroit hip-hop, the founder of the supergrou D12, and the “mayor of Detroit.”

I found out about Proof’s death last Wednesday night, in the way you always find these things out: I got a phone call from my friend Brian. When he told me, I thought back to the night a few years ago when Brian and I went to see D12 at Lupo’s in Providence. I can still see Proof coming out on stage, smiling from ear to ear. He told fans that Eminem was filming 8 Mile and couldn’t make the gig, and a lot of fans left, angry that Marshall Mathers had not shown up. Proof was wearing a big Afro wig and he smiled as some people walked out. It was hilarious; you couldn’t even see his face as the wig hung down over his eyes, just teeth. I’m still glad I didn’t follow the other people out of the venue. Proof and the members of D12 passed around cigarettes and Hennessy on stage that night. After the show they stayed to meet fans and shake everyone’s hand. Proof seemed very nice and personable. I’ve heard recently in the Detroit media that Proof didn’t believe in bodyguards and that he was like a normal guy. When I remember that night at Lupo’s, I can picture him on stage, smiling and clowning around with Bizarre. If Brian hadn’t gotten jumped, beaten, and robbed in the bathroom during the show we might have stayed and talked to him.

Dirty water

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:10:16 GMT

Boston hip-hop busts out
Boston’s burgeoning hip-hop scene is busier than ever. Here are some old favorites and some new faces who are already making waves.

Boston music news, March 24, 2006

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:48:06 GMT

Notes on Krumbsnatcha, Wolves, Akrobatik, and Slaine
The Roxbury-based label ICEMAN RECORDS is putting the final touches on its 15-track compilation Massmindstate , which has some of Boston’s most in-demand artists.

Dynamic duo

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 20:23:15 GMT

Termanology and Ed Rock step toward the national spotlight
It’s a late Tuesday night in February, and Lansdowne Street looks like a ghost town.

It’s a late Tuesday night in February, and Lansdowne Street looks like a ghost town. But inside Bill’s Bar, a capacity crowd has braved the bitter cold. “Termanology for Mayor” signs dot the walls and cover the floors. And the short, slender 23-year-old rapper is playing the politician as he walks through the crowd, an infectious smile stretched from ear to ear. He hugs girls, poses for pictures, and shakes hands as he makes his way to the stage. DJ Statik Selektah gets the crowd going with an a cappella version of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy.” As everyone sings the opening verse, Termanology reaches the stage and joins in.

But when the singing fades, the smile disappears and he begins bobbing his head to one of the slow hi-hat/snare mixes that dominate the old-school, West Coast-flavored production of the album whose release everyone is here to celebrate: Out the Gate (St. Records/ Showoff). Term is transformed. He begins to flow quietly, confidently, in a voice just above a whisper. His group, ST. Da Squad, soon surround him. Ed Rock shares the stage evenly with Termanology. It’s evident that the pair take their hip-hop seriously.

And they like to stay busy. Term has released four raw, studio mixtapes since finishing Out the Gate, the most recent of which is Hood Politics III (Showoff/ST Records), which came out in October and commemorated his being named “Unsigned Hype” in the October issue of the Source, an honor previously bestowed on B.I.G., Eminem, DMX, Mobb Deep, and dozens of other successful rappers. He’s already started work on what he’s hoping will be his major-label debut.

Ed Rock is fresh off the success of his January Scared Money Don’t Make None (Way Big Records) mixtape. His forthcoming Extraordinaire has also garnered notice at the Source. It’ll include “Murder Ma$$,” which he worked on with multi-platinum Virginia-based producer Nottz, whose past clients include G-Unit, Dr. Dre, and Busta Rhymes. The disc’s standout track, thanks to an innovative, distorted guitar sample, could open a lot of doors for the ambitious MC.

Healing power

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 23:58:39 GMT

DL and Tek.MP at a hip-hop memorial in Dorchester
Saturday night at the IBEW Hall on Freeport Street in Dorchester, Cekret Society’s Tek.MP found himself in an unfamiliar situation. Instead of a crowd of excited partygoers, he had an audience made up of mourners.

Saturday night at the IBEW Hall on Freeport Street in Dorchester, Cekret Society’s Tek.MP found himself in an unfamiliar situation. Instead of a crowd of excited partygoers, he had an audience made up of mourners. These people knew him not as Tek but simply as Tyrone from State Street, a close friend and co-worker of Stacey Nestor. In December, two days after her 30th birthday, Nestor was diagnosed with an aggressive form of colorectal cancer, and the family had rushed a benefit concert into production. But Nestor passed away before it came to fruition, and on Saturday, Tek was in Dorchester to say goodbye the only way he knew how: through hip-hop.

So often, the mainstream media cite hip-hop music and its attendant culture as being harsh, violent, and uncompromising. Hip-hop deaths make the headlines only when they’re garish and sensational. Last Saturday, there was a lesson to be learned from a tribute to a girl who lived a good life, loved hip-hop, and died far too soon.

Pictures of Stacey in happier times invited people into the hall. The mood was somber. A couple hundred of Stacey’s closest friends and family members were in attendance. As a DJ spun Top 40 hip-hop, family members spoke about Stacey and the positive impact she’d had on their lives. Tek told fellow Boston rapper DL (a/k/a Daniel Laurent) that he’d lost his father and his uncle to cancer recently. Then Tek gingerly picked up the microphone, started to move to the beat, and, with DL at his side, tactfully put his tribute into high gear. He performed “Main Squeeze,” one of the hottest tracks off Top Cekret Mixtape (Cekret Society Records). “Let’s party for a minute, for Stacey,” he said. He seemed almost in a trance, ripping into a song that’s a touching tribute to his better half.

Tek and DL came center stage for a rendition of their “Headlines.” Then DL addressed the crowd, telling us he’d written a song for the event — in fact, he’d written it only three hours ago. It was called “Answers,” and he asked Tek to sit next to him on the corner of the stage while he performed it. “Looking at the world for some answers,” he rapped while Tek got the crowd to clap along with him. “Stare at the sky/Look at the ground but nobody answers/Got a million questions, I need some answers/What goes around comes back ’roun.” For a moment, people in the crowd smiled. By the end of the night, they’d raised $11,000 toward the Nestor family’s medical bills.

The summit

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:22:20 GMT

Boston hip-hop in Roxbury; Mr. Peter Parker to sign off; Slaine previews debut
Dudley Street is not as clean as Mass Ave in Cambridge, or even Mystic Ave in Somerville, and last Saturday, outside the Roxbury Center for the Arts, there was a foot-high pile of trash on the street, some of it appearing to be weeks old.

Dudley Street is not as clean as Mass Ave in Cambridge, or even Mystic Ave in Somerville, and last Saturday, February 4, outside the Roxbury Center for the Arts, there was a foot-high pile of trash on the street, some of it appearing to be weeks old. In a city that legislates against T-shirts, it was yet another sign of Boston’s uneven civic priorities. Inside, the priorities seemed more in order. Boston’s hip-hop community is by necessity a tight-knit group, and the audience at the Berklee College of Music’s day-long hip-hop summit was an instructive cross-section: blacks and whites, young and old, male and female. In contrast to the images portrayed by the mainstream media recently, the event accentuated the positive, with discussions on topics ranging from Black History Month to the peace movement. Outside, the movement’s unofficial photographer, A. Garcia, snapped pictures of Edo G, Boston hip-hop’s professor emeritus; inside, up-and-coming MCs like DL and Lyrical networked while neighborhood youths showcased their freestyle skills.

Later that night, at the Middle East, one of the scene’s champions announced his departure. Mr. Peter Parker, a former intern at WBCN and Jam’n 94.5 who has become an influential voice at WILD 97.7, is leaving for 96.3 The Beat in Minneapolis/St. Paul, that market’s number-one station, where he’ll have a prime-time 6-10 pm shift on weekdays and a roving live broadcast from clubs on Saturday nights. Over the past three years, Parker has used his commercial-radio pulpit to highlight local and national underground hip-hop talent, maintaining triple-threat status as a mixtape DJ, producer, and promoter.

“I’m not leaving,” Parker said, “I’m expanding.” A southern New Hampshire native and Boston resident for the past seven years, he said he’ll maintain his relationship with the scene and hopes to work with his current roommate, Leedz of Leedz Edutainment, to bring Boston hip-hop out west. “We’re working on bringing Boston to Minnesota. We want to bring Slaine and Awkward Landing out for a Midwest tour.”

Although he addressed his departure on stage, Parker kept the spotlight on the performers, which included several deserving homegrown MCs. The evening was bookended by performances from Brix, a small girl with a larger-than-life stage presence who got the crowd moving immediately with her quick wordplay and thunderous classic hip-hop beats, and West Coast rapper Ras Kass, a gracious performer who drew a big crowd and seemed grateful for the love Boston showed him following a stretch of bad luck that had momentarily sidelined his career.

Open M.I.C.

MATTHEW M. BURKE — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 23:07:18 GMT

A new hip-hop force brings Kool G Rap to town
Boston MCs are banding together under the banner of the Mass. Industry Committee.

On December 20, something that’s been a long time coming happened at Cambridge’s Massive Records: a group of hip-hop locals met and, with artists like Lyrical, Slaine and Jaysaun from Special Teamz, and Eroc and Optimus from the Foundation on hand, created a union of local emcees under the banner of the Mass. Industry Committee (M.I.C.). “Boston doesn’t cater to hip-hop,” Slaine said at the meeting. But that’s beginning to change, with success stories like Mr. Lif, Akrobatic, Benzino of Made Men, and EdoG. Keeping those artists in Boston when NYC is just a turnpike away is a challenge. Unity among local rappers, along with a friendlier attitude toward hip-hop in general, is a big part of the solution. M.I.C.’s focus is on booking more shows, doing away with dress codes (the jersey, sneaker, and baseball cap ban that many clubs enforce), and eliminating the fear of violence that’s associated with hip-hop.

“We want to get into clubs,” local rapper Lokee said. “We need to rally against racism.”

M.I.C. is already bearing fruit: on January 21 they’ll bring legendary Queens rapper Kool G. Rap [see "Correction," below] to headline downstairs at the Middle East on a bill with some of the local scene’s finest — Lyrical, Dre Robinson, Cekret Society, and Illin’ P. Rap’s now working on new tracks while supporting a self-released mixtape, Dead or Alive, he put together with DJ Whoo Kid and G-Unit.

The Middle East show also marks a big step for M.I.C., which will announce the nominees for the first annual M.I.C. Hip-Hop Awards. Fans can vote through www.MassIndustryCommittee.com, and at select locations around town, M.I.C. VP Lyrical explained by phone.

Lyrical is one of the hardest-working artists in the city, according to the show’s host Kerosene, an executive at Portlife Entertainment. He recently released Infiniti (Blaze the World), a disc that highlights his smooth delivery, quick wordplay, and intelligent commentary. “The flow’s Butterworth,” he raps in “The Focuz Is Back.” “Nicest on the mother earth . . . Spit game like I’m Shuttlesworth/Staying humble first.” Between performances, he promotes events, scouts talent, and brings national artists like Kool G Rap to Boston. His label, Dotted i Music and Entertainment (D.I.M.E.), is currently merging with the fledgling Massive Records, which was announced last week by the Cambridge record store.