Volumes: Athens Hip Hop - Vol 1 Issue 2

ATH EN

S

HipHop

EVENTS

p. 3

INDUSTRY PROFILE

p. 5

INTERVIEW

Square Up With Space Dungeon p. 6

NETWORKING

p. 7

Passions in Hip Hop

Back Cover

Vol. 1 Issue 2 • February 2017

Letter from the Editor This second edition of Volumes is based on passion. Of course this month tends to be dominated by Valentine’s Day, a cliche posterchild for passion, but it also reminds us that the most worthwhile pursuits are those that come from the heart. More importantly being Black History Month, we’re surrounded by stories of not only unity but unity with passion, driving people to chase their dreams no matter the cost. Let’s keep 2017 going by showing love for ourselves, our neighbors, and for our crafts.

-Scrap God

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Events March 2017

religious ecstasy EP trvy (alternative hip-hop) soundcloud.com/trvyf

Hot Corner Hip-HopVol.VIII Little Kings Shuffle Club Performances by: Louie Larceny Dope KNife (Savannah, GA) Dee Villain (Jacksonville, FL) Khaalis Kaliko Brooks

Freestyle Cypher Night Go Bar Featuring live instrumentals from Fistful of Steel

Quintron & Miss Pussycat Feat. We’re Weird Hi-Lo Lounge

World Famous Hip-Hop (First Tuesdays) Hosted by Mon2 & Chief Rocka Featuring Son Zoo, Trav Williams, and poet Mia Smith Dictator @ World Famous Hip-Hop

5th Annual Athens Hip-Hop Awards UGA Hotel & Conference Center (formally known as The Georgia Center) see inside page 5 for details

ADVERTISE HERE Get your business or project out there!

Take advantage of our affordable ad space in the next issue of Volumes.

Contact volumeszine@gmail.com for rates and ad specs today.

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Y.O.D @ Caledonia

G Money @ World Famous Hip-Hop

Dope KNife @ Hot Corner Hip-Hop

Kxng Blanco @ World Famous Hip-Hop Cassie Chantel @ Caledonia

P.U.R.E @ Hot Corner Hip-Hop

Squalle @ Caledonia

Maxim DaPlug @ World Famous Hip-Hop Lex Callahan @ Hot Corner Hip-Hop

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Higher Level Entertainment

Higher Level Entertainment may not be a name most recognize, but be assured that the name represents some serious work by some serious talent in the Athens area.

The head coach and CEO of this squad is Willie Ward (aka Baby E-Dogg aka Willie Trump, more on that in a minute), a West Coast transplant to Athens, who in the past five years has built up not only his own home studio, but a vast stable of local rappers, banging out tracks every weekend, recording sessions often going into the wee hours every Friday and Saturday night.

The fruits of these efforts can be found on Higher Level’s latest mixtape CD “CA to the GA”, an offering that could be construed as reflective of Ward’s transition from his former home of Pomona, California to his current residence in the Classic City, bringing the laid-back funk flava of Cali and mixing it with the trap-dominated sound of the Dirty South.

“I’ve been rapping since 1990 after being inspired by N.W.A. and E-40, who’s still my

:INDUSTRY PROFILE

biggest influence”, Ward said. “All the vocal talent on ‘CA to the GA’ is from Athens, although two beats came from DJ S-Loc, who has made beats for Snoop Dogg.”

“CA to the GA” features appearances by Squalle Shottem (profiled in Volumes Issue #1) and Gutta Nip, as well as what Ward referred to as one of his main artists, Marcus Dope Boy, who will soon be dropping a full-length titled “Da Type” as a Higher Level release.

Willie Ward has made it obvious that hiphop realness is synonymous with his identity. In his younger years, living the fast life of drug/thug activity led him to doing time in federal lock-up, but his current path is a more positive one, letting his studio serve as an incubator to the younger generation.

As for the pseudonym Willie Trump, well, that choice well pre-dated the reality TV/ real estate magnate’s political career.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I respect Donald Trump as a businessman, but I never thought he’d be President.

Willie Trump is still my name on Facebook and I ain’t changin’ it”, Ward explains.

Let’s focus instead on future Higher Level activity: a second volume of “CA to the GA” is already on the near horizon and there is hope for a live appearance at the Athens Hip-Hop awards on March 26th.

“CA to the GA” (Vol. 1) is available at Wuxtry Records.

- Nathaniel T. Mitchell

5th Annual Athens Hip-Hop Awards

When: Sunday, March 26th Located at: Mahler Hall UGA Hotel & Conference Center (formally known as The Georgia Center) Presented by: United Group of Artists www.ugalive.com

:EVENT PREVIEW

The 5th Annual Athens Hip-Hop Awards features a variety of live entertainment, multi-cultural expression, community solidarity, and one of the most diverse gatherings of performers and audience members alike in the classic city.

Nominees were selected through a categorized blank form by the public. The individuals with the most nominations were vetted for accuracy and then placed on the voting ballot.

The nominees who receive the most votes in a category will be the winners announced at the ceremony.

This year’s event will have a full bar and V.I.P. tables available, featuring a live house band “The Groove Crew” among other spectacular acts.

- Scrap God IG scrap_goddd

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:

SQUARE UP WITH

Space Dungeon Wesdaruler Wesley Johnson @wesdaruler FB/ Wesdaruler IG/wesdaruler wesdaruler.bandcamp.com

Where did you grow up, and how has that impacted your music?

I grew up in a few places because my dad was in the military. I started in Florida, lived in South Carolina, and then for a few years we went to California. I guess it kind of just opened my mind up to a lot of different things, which I feel like also plays out in the music I make. A lot of the beat scene stuff that I’m really into is home in California.

Who is a big musical influence for you that would surprise people?

I’m huge into Art of Noise. A lot of people think it’s just because of Moments of Love, but I’m actually into a lot of their very weird, obscure kind of pop-y kind of not music. Art of Noise was like the first group I ever heard that didn’t have any vocals in their music, it was just really long instrumentals. The kind of weirdness where you could tell that they didn’t even care, that’s why I liked them.

What is your most memorable performance moment?

I think my highest achievement right now in the performance world is I got to open for Egyptian Lover. I got to shake his hand, and he was vibing to my stuff. My favorite performance was Gordon Lamb got me on the UGA Rooftop for Athens Intensified, I think 2015.

A lot of people was really rockin’ with it, and I got exposed to a lot of people that I’d never seen before.

Lex Callahan Imorie Curry FB/Lex Callahan IG/lexcally SC/lexcally lexcally.bandcamp. com Where did you grow up, and how has that impacted your music?

I moved to Athens when I was 5 years old. I wasn’t really into music until I was 11 or 12, and that was mainly because of School of Rock. I didn’t realize that kids could start playing at a really young age.

It wasn’t really because of the town that I started playing. Everyone else was playing and getting girls, and I wanted to get girls so I started playing.

Who is a big musical influence for you that would surprise people?

Probably Thom Yorke (frontman of Radiohead). One of my goals is to make music that makes hair stand up on your arms. Every time I listen to anything he writes as a solo artist or with Radiohead, it just like hits home. There’s a lot of hip hop, especially locally, that some of it you just take it for what you hear.

Then there’s other stuff that just kind of resonates a little bit deeper because it’s more complicated.

What is your most memorable performance moment?

Probably the first Hot Corner. Honestly, I hadn’t really taken being a rap artist that seriously up until that point. Me and Wes has already talked about starting our own collective. When Mariah started the whole Hot Corner thing and invited us on that first show, we kind of immediately set this kind of In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle rubric for ourselves.

Athens’ artists face?

Making noise in a loud scene. It’s hard to stand out.

Some people somehow got that magic where they just rise to stardom in a really short period of time. It’s been a lot easier in a collective than on my own. Just knowing that you ain’t on your own you kind of build up a certain level of confidence that you just didn’t have by yourself. Even if it’s just me and Space Dungeon, I know there’s gonna be eight people at the show.

What’s next in 2017?

Imorie’s (Lex Callahan) project that he’s coming out with, I produced a lot of that. I got a track on Son Zoo’s release. I got a track on Lingua Franca’s release; I’m gonna be doing some shows with her. Me and J Money are working on a full EP that’s gonna be really dope, I got to produce the whole thing on that. It’s fun being on the stage with everyone and doing all that, but if I had to choose between being super famous on the stage rockin or being in an old dusty basement but everybody came to me for beats...I want to be the guy that they’re just like, “Yo, who made that?”

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In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle Athens’ artists face?

Exposure. Especially because there’s a lot of artists who make great music in this town, and it’s really hard to get the gigs were a lot of people will see you.

In the local hip hop shows, like Mon2’s First Tuesday and the Hot Corner crowd, everybody who usually comes always supports everybody social media wise. As a band, it’s a lot easier to get people to rock with you that don’t even fit your demographic.

What’s next in 2017?

I just want to hone in on my production skills. I want to work with a bunch of new artists. My goal it to basically up my level of engineering and mastering so that when it comes time to do my full length a littv le bit later this year then my skills and my ear is stronger than it was so that I can make a more solid release for everyone to enjoy.

:THE NETWORK

Producers Dexter Sims dextersims89@gmail.com FB: Dex Does Music IG: theblvkjesus Twitter: @Twinzodadon Snap: cruz_89 Work Money Entertainment, LLC 404-781-5308 workmoneyent@gmail.com FB: Carlos Jones Kaliko Liberty Entertainment - Owner Ear Candy Studios - Owner 706-248-9523 FB,YT, IG, Google+, & Twitter: @itskaliko

Engineers Trevor Wiggins 706-499-9923 trvyfeatures@gmail.com Social Media: @trvyf

Marketing/Promotions United Group Of Artists 678-740-3884 P.O. Box 49096 Athens, Ga. 30604

Photography KatTookIt Photography Katherine White 706-621-2822 kattookit@gmail.com

Video Production No Silver Spoon Production Jeffery Welborn & Ricky Campbell 706-224-9669 Owen Hunt owenm.hunt@gmail.com Social Media: @bootsygreenwood

Photography/Video iGoByGoodie 706-207-1345 igobygoodie@gmail.com Josh Hart Media 678-637-9927

Illustrator Danielle Summers danisumm@uga.edu danisumm.com FB: /danisummart IG: danisummart

Hip Hop Artists A. Mack Booking: 706-308-5539 amack068@gmail.com FB: Aviyon Mack IG: A.mack706 Snap: A_mizzlee Dictator 706-818-0387 tothapoint@gmail.com DK Cell: 706-920-8093 Alt.: 706-340-8071 dk.nowles.nowledge@gmail.com FB: /dedric.knowles Twitter: @DK_nowles Snap: dedric1225 Soundcloud: /dk_nowles_nowledge Emissary89 grcpsych@gmail.com IG: emissary89 Twitter: @emissary89 Soundcloud: /emissary89 Kxng Blanco kiddblanco706@gmail.com Social Media: @KxngBlanco SoundCloud/Spinrilla: Kxng Blanco L.G. (HOTC) hotclg15@gmail.com FB: L.G. or @hotc15 Social Media: HOTC_LG Space Brother spacebrothermusic@gmail.com FB: /spacebrothersoundsystem Soundcloud: /spacebrothersoundsystem spacebrother.bandcamp.com ZiggyRoxxx 706-621-9000 iggylocz@gmail.com IG: ziggyvoodoochild Soundcloud: /ziggyroxxx

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS: • Squalle

dakidsqualle.bandcamp.com

• Rusty Holcomb

REAL TALK:

Passions of Hip Hop

Music to me means letting go of the fear of expressing yourself and your reaction to the world.

Music is making yourself vulnerable for the sake of those who are afraid to do the same.

-Dedric “DK” Knowles

I like music I can relate to. I will play a song, CD or mixtape over and over again because I feel connected to what this artist has to say cause I feel and live the same way.

-Pj King Dub Knoso

Music to me is an escape. Music to me can open doors. It can be the strength someone needs that are afraid to say certain things.

Music is a way of life and without it I feel so many would be lost.

-Travis “Dictator” West

True passion is also stepping outside of the box when it comes to music; not being afraid to make what you truly want to make rather than what others might just wanna hear from you.

-Ziggy “ZiggyRoxXx” Iamei

I think dreams are everything. It could be accounting or teaching or carpentry just as easily as it could be music or painting or dancing.Your family can be your passion, and likely should be, but you need a passion. Otherwise you’re just getting through, and that world is so dark.

-Profound Clarke

Music for me has been my getaway place from all the letdowns and daily struggles.

Music has always been my drug.

-A.Mack Passion in music is everything! Without no passion, you not putting no emotion into the music. No heart, no love!

-Brandon Garrett of BYV

For more information contact Sam Lipkin volumeszine@gmail.com /volumeshiphop