by Nick Kulyoom Alatool

With an all star cast in one small little venue, what other excuse do you have for missing the biggest Hip Hop explosion to ever happen at San Diego Music Foundation’s North Park Music Thing? There is none. If there was one event that was an unexpected summer sleeper was the big show that led all the way to tonight’s evening smash top biller, Deep Rooted.

I actually arrived on the final two acts of Concrete Project. My apologies for missing out on any show performance prior, but even the Friday night excitement can be cooled by same ol’ traffic congestion from Southbound I-5. Nonetheless, Concrete Project was keeping a crowded room in Kadan’s dark corner busy with high energy and live band performance with their own deejay, percussion and keyboard.

Vision Complex made the best with some technical fade, but still held true to her original “Street Sweeper”.  On her last two sets, she let her stage partner, Joey Dixon,  finish off with his noteworthy solo, “Thank Me!”

Of course, San Diego wouldn’t be properly represented without the Armory Massive signature, but the marquee could have been better headlined San Diego’s OG duo, Tony Mansini, and partner,Tarantino (aka TNT). Their music showcase was clean, beat heavy and business, with no technical complaint.

But the group that stole the show, was Deep Rooted, who rolled in with dancing entourage and promised only two tracks. But their performance was anything but a cameo visit, killing the stage, dance floor, and crowd with unanimous concert quality showmanship. The photos should tell it all.

More review to come once Nick clears the spell check.

Thank you, NPMT, for blowing up my ear drums.

Original post: http://www.starintheskyphotography.com/?p=4187

Much respect to Nick Kulyoom Alatool for dropping this well written article on the Hip Hop aspect of the North Park Music Thing. Also a special shout out to all the acts we performed alongside with that night. Good times indeedy deed!!

Best Hip Hop
12 Gauge Shotie
Addiquit
Black Resume
Deep Rooted
Jimmy Powers
Lil Uno
MC Flow
Vokab Kompany

Best Hip Hop Album
Black Resume - Bar-Barian Music
Bully Blinders - City of Dirt
Higher Minds – 2012 The Burning City
Jimmy Powers - Califoreigner
Lil Uno - The Diagnosis
Outta Control – Daily Dose
Touch of Cas – The Real
Vokab Kompany – The New Kong

First off, congratulations to all the nominees this year. Also, big ups to everybody in the San Diego Hip Hop scene that also deserve a nod from the SDMA folks, but didn’t do to factors that are unknown to a lot of us. A fire of negativity always comes from within the local San Diego Hip Hop scene when the list of SDMA Hip Hop nominees are announced. Reminds me of when The Concrete Project got nominated in 2009 and I pretty much got shitted on at the Access Hip Hop Forums. But hey, I ain’t mad at nobody. If you feel your opinion about me and my band is warranted then I respect your true thoughts 100%. I’d rather critics give their opinions to me straight than sugar coated with a cherry on top. I’ll take the criticism (positive or negative) in strive and keep it moving with positive steps alongside positive people. Click here to follow this year’s discussion on the SDMA Hip Hop nominees.

So, whether you think MC Flow, Mitchy Slick, Jimmy Powers, Touch of CAS, Vokab Kompany, your next-door neighbor, your girlfriend’s brother or the dude up the block that makes beats in his basement deserves a nomination, let’s please move forward in a positive light and keep the “fuck you, fuck them, it’s all about me and mines” attitude to a minimum. San Diego has too much talent to let our own unwillingness to uphold each other kill the potential for all of us to eat and build a great Hip Hop scene.

AGAIN, CONGRATS TO THE NOMINEES AND MUCH RESPECT TO ALL HIP HOP ARTISTS IN THE BIG SD.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN ARTICLE AS A PDF

Much respect to Reina Mystique and Mike for writing up this great article on us. Mike and Reina are not only talented columnists, but they are also very talented musicians who play for the band called The Dynasty. They have a show on August 6th at The Brick by Brick opening up for Nappy Roots so please check ‘em out.

The Concrete Project will be playing the North Park Music Thing @ the Kadan on Friday, August 13th. If y’all don’t know about the NPMT, it’s a music-media conference during the day time and at night people are shuttled around to 14 venues around North Park to tune into the live music from a wide range of genres. Big shout outs to DJ Artistic for putting us on to this event. For more info on NPMT CLICK HERE to go to the official North Park Music Thing website.

In addition to being live on-air tonight, we’ll be doing a potlock in studio so I’ll be filming an episode of RamenDays.com tonight. A little two in one action as those crazy Yanks would say. The Speakeasy show airs live every Thursday night at 8pm (PST) so please be sure to tune in every week.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SPEAKEASY WEBSITE

CLICK ABOVE FOR LARGER IMAGE

The Concrete Project and GG Hair Art Presents…I Love Stuff: A Music-Art Mashup @ Winston’s July 22nd. Featuring artists of all types - from painters to photographers.

Billionaire Remix (Travie McCoy, Bruno Mars) - Caleb of The Concrete Project

Making of the Shaun Borja FanClub SB1 Shaun Borja shirts. Friendship is an understatement when Shaun is your friend. It’s more like he hasn’t decided to kick your ass yet.

We guarantee y’all have never heard a band coming out of San Diego like InTransit Audio. I can’t even explain their style because they take you here and then all of a sudden they’re taking you on a journey down yonder over there. Space-acid-trip-mind-altering-sound-sex-gyroscope-take-a-lunch-break-on-the-moon sounds. And that’s not me saying that because we’re gigging with them. They have a genuine sound and are not afraid to step outside the box. They actually have stepped out the box, kicked the box down a flight of stairs and stepped into some sort of prism. Check them out at http://www.intransitaudio.com/ and make sure to come to our show on July 9 at The Onyx Room in Downtown San Diego.

What else can we say that the title doesn’t already say? The Concrete Project has an affinity for everything Boise. The pizza at the Piehole, the amazing Jen Squared hot dog ladies, the winning ratio of women to men, 40 oz. bottles of PBR at Mulligans, the Cabana Inn motel that looks like somebody is going to axe murder us, buying 10 drinks and the bar tab only being $30, the new friends we’ve met, the hospitality and of course the Flying J’s gas station that nourishes us through most of the road trip. Though we hated to see it all end, we had to head back to San Diego to tell others that their is a far away land named Boise where every lady has curves and people say hi as they pass you on the sidewalk. Until next time Boise…keep your weiners in your pants unless you are using them.

Flying J’s keeps their food behind glass because people desire things more when they are behind glass. Duh.

Caleb and Tory T after soundcheck  at Knitting Factory. They are probably text messaging each other.

Jen Squared hot dogs WITH cream cheese. Yes, cream cheese is so necessary.

The stage at the Knitting Factory.

Shaun Bro in his bawwwwler ass robe and DJ Shef drinking his baawwwler ass vodka thingy.

Jen Squared hot dog ladies and Caleb.