Believe it or not, there was a time in Hip-Hop when things where truly fun and care-free. After the untimely deaths of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, the genre seemed to be in a state of confusion and uncertainty. One of the artists that emerged when the smoke cleared was Bad Boy Records’ own, Ma$e.
Published in: ESSENCE, 7/9/2019
On the opening night of the 2019 Essence Festival, the sultry R&B duo widely known as Van Jess graced the stage and gave an intimate crowd a performance to remember. Held in the Hot Right Now SuperLounge, Ivana and Jessica Nwokike showcased an amazing amount of vocal range and stage presence.
Playing the Festival for the very first time, the soul sisters of Nigerian descent possessed a sound reminiscent of R&B’s glory days during the early-to-mid 90s. Legendary groups of the time (SWV, En Vogue, TLC and Zhane) come to mind, but on the evening of July 5th, Van Jess established themselves as a collective with an identity they can call their own.
The musical sound from the time of the Festival’s inaugural year in 1995 remains until this day; and its influence is undeniable.
Audience participation in tow, the talented duo performed many of the breakout hits from their debut studio album, Silk Canvas. Tracks such as “Filters,” “Til’ Morning” and “Honey Wheat” showed Van Jess’ versatility, but the upbeat “Through Enough” was a clear crowd favorite.
The R&B starlets most certainly left their mark on city of New Orleans with their impressive Essence Festival debut.
Almost 7 years ago, PJ Morton decided to go full speed ahead in pursuing his solo career, and he hasn’t looked back since. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Grammy Award-winning entertainer was most appropriate to welcome the more than half a million people who traveled to the Crescent City for the 25th Anniversary of the Essence Festival.
Kansas City native Tech N9ne and his hometown draft company Boulevard Brewing have announced a collaboration on a new brew, which is inspired by his song “Caribou Lou.” The Bou Lou beer is scheduled to debut on June 15 at Boulevardia, an annual Kansas City street festival in the Stockyards District.
Later this year, Lil Wayne will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his chart-topping album Tha Carter III at the fourth annual Lil Weezyana Fest. The event is scheduled to take place on August 25 at Champions Square’s Bold Sphere Music in his hometown of New Orleans.
Nav was pretty busy in 2017, dropping his self-titled album and the collaborative Perfect Timing project with Metro Boomin. The XO/Republic artist looks to pick up where he left off the release of his Reckless LP. Some of Hip Hop’s biggest artists make contributions to Nav’s newest record. Quavo, Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert highlight the guest appearances on Reckless.
The traditional “mixtape” has been responsible for building the careers of many of hip-hop’s biggest stars. Since the turn of the century, artists like 50 Cent, Fabolous and Lil’ Wayne (just to name a few…) have all benefited tremendously from the mixtape circuit. Initially, these tapes were distributed by hand-to-hand transactions in the form of cassettes, which eventually led to CD’s, and ultimately MP3 streams & downloads.
An executive in any form of business should act as the company’s motor. Although there are many significant parts, a vehicle cannot progress without its most important object. For the past 25 years, founder and chairman of both Loud and SRC Records, Steve Rifkind, has established himself as one of the most successful and consistent executives in music.
In many of the school yards, barbershops and recreational parks across America, a common topic of conversation is: “Who are some of the greatest emcees, ever?” Some people mention 2pac, others may say The Notorious B.I.G., but my personal favorite has always been Nasir Olu Bin Dara Jones, but more widely known as Nas. The aforementioned artist burst on the rap scene in 1991 on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbecue”. At only 17 years old, Nas recited the lyrics of a seasoned veteran with wisdom far beyond his years.
Since its inception in 2005, The A3C Festival & Conference has not only been pivotal to hip-hop, but a staple in the culture of music in general. A festival is defined as an “often periodic celebration or program of events or entertainment having a specified focus.” While the A3C is a testament to this description, I’ve always felt that its primary goal was to promote unity amongst all three coasts; hence the creation of the acronym.
Published in: A3C Festival & Conference, 10/6/2018
Since its creation in the 1970’s, Hip-Hop music has always been linked to the underprivileged youth in urban areas across America. It is a culture that allows the voiceless to have a voice; a platform to tell their story to the world. With the impoverished being so connected to this art form, messages of activism and social justice have also found a place in hip-hop music. On October 5th, as a part of the Action Summit, a few advocates of equality spoke about their reasoning, and ways to promote social justice and activism through their music and other means.
Moderated by Dr. Bonnette-Bailey of Georgia State, four emcees gave the audience a glimpse into their journey through the music industry and the struggle to push a message of positivity with their lyrics. The panelists were Zayd Malik, Ife Jie, Redd Fidel and Khnum Stic Ibomu, and each had a unique story to tell. The word “revolution” has always had a negative connotation, but Stic explained that to him, it means “always being about the change.” Revolution doesn’t have to be promoted by violence. It can be promoted by teaching, giving back to your community, and making sure your children are on the right path.
“Family and community are of the utmost importance when it comes to activism,” Zayd stated. As a man, being able to keep you family stable and being a provider is essential to the progression of activism, because it starts with the parents, goes to the children, and the cycle continues. Throughout history, one of the main obstacles used to discourage revolution was that of the “emasculation of the black man.” Growing up as African-American males, we are told many lies about how a man is supposed to act; such as being promiscuous, being “gangster”, and not respecting our women. Stic explained that as men, we should act the total opposite of those negative things that we are taught; and that’s what he strives to promote with his RBGFitClub.
As the only woman on the panel, Ife Jie provided a much-needed perspective on social justice and activism. She spoke about success, and how it’s all in perception. You shouldn’t let popular opinion define success, you need to define it for yourself. There are many ways to promote revolution in your community, and the platform of music is one of the best ways to do so. Hip-Hop has a heavy influence on many aspects of life, so however you decide to push your message, make sure it’s done in a positive manner, and that it effects the people around you in the best way possible.
