Wednesday, April 23, 2014

What The Fuck Happened to XV? (or any other rapper who we thought was "next up") ****RAPPERS THAT FLOPPED***

Chiddy Bang, XV, Asher Roth, Donnis, The Cool Kids ... What all these names have in common isnt anything to brag about it. They all fell victim to a quick success and an even quicker disappearance. To be clear, I dont think any of the names mentioned stopped making music (i know xaphoon jones left chiddy bang but i believe chiddy continued on). Nor do I think they make bad music, but god knows I havnt herd a new Donnis or XV song in two years. 
I remember after XV's amazing 'Everybody's Nobody' mixtape I was positive he was the next up. I felt like he had what it took to really blow up (he was a great artist with cross over appeal and what seemed like a dedicated fan base) and I championed him every chance i got. The next few tapes he released were still great but didnt quite measure up to what fans had come to expect. 
A huge part of XV's rise was his producer Seven who i believe ended up leaving XV's side. XV picked up new in-house producers that never really measured up to the chemistry XV and Seven had. The hype Chiddy Bang had was wearing off long before Xaphoon decided to make the split but even though Chiddy had some bars I dont think anyone would have cared about him if he wasnt over awesome hip hop beats made out of flipped indie rock samples. 
Donnis rose to fame with his song 'gone' and debut tape that followed. Donnis' problem was he made BETTER music after and I dont think his label and/or management knew how to market it. His mixtape Fashionably Late sounds like what a lot  of people sound like now (Drake, Asap Rocky). It almost reminds me of Kanye's '808s & heartbreak'. When that came out people talked so much shit about the "boring production" "use of auto-tune from a rapper" "too sad" blah blah blah. Literally a year later Drake's 'So Far Gone' got praise from critics and fans for the same reason 808s got trashed. Kanye got shit on so no one had to after him (doubt this was what he had in mind, i dont think Kanye likes getting shitted on, literally or figuratively).
The case of The Cool Kids, they pretty much  pioneered hip hop fashion as we know it today (for better or worse Lord Jamar). Chuck Inglish & Mikey Rocks came on the scene and changed everything, but not on a large enough scale. Half a a year later, the New Boyz came out. An essentially younger version of the Cool Kids with a major label and clothing brands (Hot Topic) backing them. After the "jerkin" hype wore off people started to act like the Cool Kids were old news and biting off the New Boyz (who wernt even hot anymore). 
A few questions arise. Are you fucked if you try (or dont try) and be innovative? Are you cursed if people prematurely call you "next up"? Are the producers more important than the rappers themselves? Hard to say and I think this has been debated for a long time. If the beat isnt hot no one wants to listen to it but if the rapper sucks its the same conclusion (or is it.. Young Thug). Did mixtapes make it so that an artists best material is done before that artist is even signed? Remember when  J Cole's debut album came out? Everyone acted like it was the worst album ever because it didnt live up to the three mixtapes he had put out prior. 
Asher Roth has a different problem. He came up at the very end of record companies having any kind of control in the music industry. His "image" and identity pretty much seemed to be created, considering his interviews and freestyles never quite mirrored how his album perceived him to be. To this day I find myself arguing with people over whether or not Asher Roth is a good rapper. If you think he's whack you are not educated enough in his music. Not an opinion, this is a fact. The kid has skills, i.e. impeccable flows and word play, but will never get the credit he deserves or be taken seriously because of the image made to market him early on (before the internet proved consumers just want REAL). Since his rise he has tried to do everything he can to erase what people perceive him to be but amazing mixtape after amazing mixtape cant erase what we were told he was. 
Some people from then have stayed around (Drake & J Cole being the real mainstays, keep in mind Kendrick came up a few years after). 
Oh yeah, remember Fashawn or Mickey Factz? Maybe that XXL Freshman cover is a curse (B.O.B. & Wale are doing okay). Also in a few years will people like ASAP Rocky fall into this trap? It already seems like people like Freddie Gibbs are (which saddens me deeply, you gotta love Gangsta Gibbs!).
Who knows? I dont. All I know is we need to stop saying who's "next up" (including myself) because I have never been right (except for Kendrick Lamar, GO TDE GO!). Instead Future has had a moderately lasting career and who would have ever thought that could be possible when he first emerged as the guy who terribly sung "Tony Montana".  Just let shit pan out. listen to what you like, dont listen to what you dont like. Yes, I am talking to myself as well as you all. 









Thursday, April 10, 2014

EDM SHOWS * BOSTON * EVENTS * CONCERTS * SHOWS * TRAP * HOUSE * CLUB * BASS * APRIL - AUGUST

Wow, so this month another site (Boston EDM Shows) did all the work for us! Here are all the upcoming events in the Boston area April-August 

Thursday April 10 – ETC!ETC! & Ookay @ Rumor Boston
Friday April 11 – Stafford Brothers @ Prime Boston
Saturday April 12 – Will Sparks @ Prime Boston
Saturday April 12 – Tony Quattro @ The Brighton Music Hall Allston
Sunday April 13 – RJD2 @ The Paradise Boston
Wednesday April 16 – Hardwell @ The House of Blues Boston
Wednesday April 16 - The “Super Smash” Tour ft. Mutrix, Singularity, and DJ Shiftee @ The Middle East Cambridge
Wednesday April 16 - Mr. Carmack and Djemba Djemba @ Naga Cambridge
Wednesday April 16 – AN21, Max Vangeli, Third Party, Qulinez @ Bijou Boston
Thursday April 17 – Swanky Tunes @ Whiskey Saigon Boston
Thursday April 17 – Mustard Pimp & Run DMT @ Rumor Boston (18+)
Thursday April 17 – Victor Niglio @ Naga Cambridge
Friday April 18 – Chris Lake (All night Deep House set 10pm-2am) @ Bijou Boston
Saturday April 19 – Coyu @ Rise Boston
Saturday April 19 – DJ Snake @ Prime Boston
Sunday April 20 – Wolfgang Gartner @ Prime Boston
Tuesday April 22 – Koan Sound & Minnesota @ The Middle East Cambridge
Tuesday April 22 – Riff Raff & Grandtheft @ The Paradise Boston
Wednesday April 23 – James Holden @ The Phoenix Landing Cambridge MA
Thursday April 24 – Markus Schulz @ Royale Boston
Friday April 25 – Dirty South @ Bijou Boston
Friday April 25 – The Hood Internet @ The Sinclair Cambridge
Friday April 25 – Jack Beats & AC Slater @ Prime Boston
Friday April 25 – Joel Fletcher @ Julep Bar Boston
Wednesday April 30 – Chromeo @ The House of Blues Boston
Thursday May 1 – Boys Noize @ Royale Boston
Friday May 2 – Sweater Beats @ The Middle East Cambridge
Tuesday May 6 – Shlohmo @ The Brighton Music Hall Allston
Friday May 9 – Pleasurekraft @ Bijou Boston
Wednesday May 14 – Kolombo @ The Phoenix Landing Cambridge
Friday May 16 – Tensnake & Curses @ Bijou Boston
Friday May 16 – Tony Junior @ Julep Bar Boston
Saturday May 17 – Thomas Jack Sunset Cruise @ Boston Harbor [DETAILS]
Saturday May 17 – Thomas Jack After Party @ Brighton Music Hall Allston [DETAILS/TICKETS]
Saturday May 17 – The Oxford Group presents the Carnage Boat Cruise (Summer Boat Cruise Series) @ Boston Harbor [TICKETS]
Sunday May 18 – Julio Bashmore @ The Sinclair Cambridge
Thursday May 22 – Vicetone @ Whiskey Saigon [TICKETS]
Friday May 23 – Deniz Koyu & Danny Avilia @ Royale Boston
Friday May 30 – A-Trak & Salva @ The Paradise Boston
Friday May 30 – Tritonal @ Royale Boston
Friday June 13 – Viceroy Business Casual Disco @ The Sinclair Cambridge MA
Friday June 13 – Chuckie & Gregori Klosman @ Royale Boston
Saturday June 28 – Goldroom (LIVE) @ The Sinclair Cambridge MA
Thursday July 3 – The Martinez Brothers @ Bijou Boston
Sunday August 10 – Mad Decent Block Party @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion Boston