Volumes: Athens Hip Hop - Vol 1 Issue 4

ATH

ENS

HipHop

EVENTS

p. 3

SHOW REVIEW

Don’t Flop Training Days p. 4

CULTURE SERIES

Hip Hop Don’t Stop p. 7

CULTURE FEATURE

Jadakiss Could Raise Your Kids p. 8

INDUSTRY PROFILE

680 The Heat p. 9

INTERVIEW

Square Up With BYV p. 10

NETWORKING

p. 11

Vol. 1 Issue 4 • April 2017

Letter from the Editor This fourth edition of Volumes is based on uniqueness. There’s no denying that popularity has a formula, especially when it comes to mainstream pop culture. But how many people and things that “make it” in this culture get left behind and forgotten? Being iconic is being innovative. If we’re going to make 2017 different then we have to BE different.

-Scrap God

2

Events May 2017

World Famous Hip-Hop (First Tuesdays) Hosted by Mon2 & Chief Rocka

Bay6 Dad

(trapspiration, hip-hop) soundcloud.com/itsdaddawg

Featuring Sho Biz, Darko the Super & ialive, Beau Tay, Tru Thought, Valley Girl D, and poetry by Sam Lane

Space Dungeon The World Famous

NowThat I’ve GotYour Attention Release Party Hendershots Poetry by Shedrick Barnett.

Featuring We’re Weird, Marisha, Ricky Simone, Maxim DaPlug, African Soul, Kenneth Sneed, and Cloudy Jay Band

Volumes Presents: Caulfield EP Release Caledonia Lounge

Julianna Money and Wesdaruler Caledonia Lounge

True Fiction Kaliko

(hip-hop) reverbnation.com/kaliko5

ADVERTISE HERE Get your business or project out there!

Featuring D.K., Li Booly, Son Zoo, Squalle, Y.O.D., Caulfield, The Swank

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

Proceeds benefitting Athens For Everyone

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

ADVERTISE HERE

3

SHOW REVIEW:

Don’t Flop: Training Days Athens 4/15 way,” says Jon D, who competed at the Nuci’s Space event.

Written battles present their own challenges and unique opportunities, but for many rappers, the freestyle is iconic within the hip hop culture. However, there’s We’re Weird no reason that the two forms Don’t Flop is a UK based Battle Rap have to be independent from one another. league that covers Georgia as part of its “When the battle is freestyle, you make United States events. On April 15th, Don’t use of the environment, make reference to Flop hosted a live battle at Nuci’s Space that stuff that people can see in the room. When featured performances by local Athens artists such as We’re Weird, Y.O.D., and Ryan Bars of The Norm.

“I come from an era where battle rap is an initiation,” says Sonny Bamboo

Ryan Barz These battle raps always incorporate performances into the set alongside accapella style battles. Atlanta artist Sonny Bamboo, who assists in throwing these “stateside” events, explains that what makes these battles unique is that they are done accapella with no beats, pre-written instead of freestyle, and each contestant knows who they are facing ahead of time in order to study their opponent. There are three rounds to each battle with a coin flip to see who starts the match. Don’t Flop’s battles are not judged on the spot; these events are recorded and uploaded online for the viewers to judge. In doing this, there is a lot more opportunity for arguing over the winner, which in turn generates more views.

4

“With freestyling it’s more off the top of your head, whatever comes to mind, so you have to be more witty and slick with it.

With written it’s more like a pre-meditated murder type situation.You can plot it out and specifically research your opponent. It’s just more focused and more direct, more intentional as far as what you have to say. I would prefer to write only because we’re here to entertain fans, it’s more entertaining that

I battled Jon, his friend was standing with him, the ripped outfit design I was able to fit in on the spot which builds momentum for me. If you can add freestyle to your written, you can elevate your game even further in competition,” says Casuan, who faced Jon D in the first battle of the night.

Sonny Bamboo Despite the event focusing on two people at odds, Atlanta battle rappers came together with Athens performers for a networking opportunity. Being a filmed event based out of the UK, a great variety of people from all over the world will see what went down in the Classic City. So not only does Don’t Flop bring together rappers from different cities, ultimately rappers from around the world link up through the hip hop roots of battle rap.

- Scrap God IG scrap_goddd

Caulfield EP Release in Benefit of Athens For Everyone

SHOW PREVIEW:

Volumes (that’s right, this magazine!) is presenting a show in benefit of Athens For Everyone (A4E) Saturday, May 13th at Caledonia Lounge. Not only is this a big step for us and what we do, but the proceeds from this show go towards a great local organization whose efforts make sure Athens remains a place of equality and safety for everyone. This is an 18+ show with an energetic line-up of local Athens hip hop artists, including Caulfield’s EP release party.

people in office in order to produce better policies. A4E has built a powerful presence in the Athens community, such as organizing the biggest protest in Athens history with their Day of Resistance.

A4E is composed of a board that meets monthly, with a diverse collection of members that range from UGA professors to social workers to concerned representatives of the community. There are a variety of different committees that meet regularly as well that deal with “housekeeping” and political issues. Jesse Houle, outreach coordinator for A4E and support staff at Nuci’s Space, says that these two roles connect for him as work he believes in.

Poverty and the “economic struggle to get by” is a significant obstacle that Jesse sees in the Athens community for musicians. People in the music industry tend to get stuck working part-time jobs that provide low wages with inadequate health care.

Another division for the people here is the history of Athens’ geography, which has created “white spaces” and “black spaces.” A4E and Nuci’s Space both work to give everyone in the community an equal chance to prosper, which is an idea supported by the hip hop community as well. This show gives you the unique chance of seeing all of these wonderful elements of the Athens culture come together.

“We’re open to whoever wants to come through and do the work, who shares our vision for what should happen. That usually means there are a good bit of people that do work professionally in the field but not always,” says Jesse.

The political activism practiced by A4E is reform based, focused on electing better

“I feel like it’s overdue but it’s encouraging to me that in the wake of what’s happening now politically to see this huge swell of interest in getting out in the streets,” says Jesse. “Hopefully we can be a part of cultivating that into effective resistance.”

- Scrap God IG scrap_goddd

5

gawdlee @ Go Bar Chris Herron, Creature Comforts CEO @ Creature Comforts

Caulfield @ Flicker Bar

DJ Luke Highwalker @ Flicker Bar

BYV @ Creature Comforts Space Brother @ Flicker Bar

6

Y.O.D. @ Gameday

Hip Hop Don’t Stop: Emcee

:CULTURE SERIES

In part two of my series on the cultural roots of Hip Hop, I will be presenting the Master of Ceremonies - The MC (also spelled E-m-c-e-e.); The Rapper in most modern Montu day communities. The MC/ Emcee/Rapper in Hip Hop is equivalent to the griot in African tradition. In this tradition, the voice of the people was transmitted through the voice of the griot, a traveling musician that recited history, current events, and entertaining stories from memory with a rhythmic voice. In Hip Hop, the rapper holds this position, and the rhythmic wordplay is called rapping. This position was important in much of traditional Africa because of a lack of written language. The natural elements did not always allow for a language to be written, forcing the griot into a position as the focal point of the community. The griots of the community had to have excellent memory skills and could be sent to the community council for speaking untruths.

Minnie Lea @ The World Famous

Son Zoo @ Flicker Bar

Squalle @ Gameday

The MC/Emcee/Rapper is an offspring of the traditional griot of Africa, serving the same purpose for Hip Hop. Each griot had personal style and characteristics that separated them from the rest and ensured their community position. Also like the griot, the MC/Emcee/Rapper often plays with drums and other musical instruments to create a full entertaining message. Both of these oral musicians use spoken words, grunts, whispers and falsetto shouts for ceremonies, rituals, or for pure entertainment. “Call and Response” is one of the most recognizable methods used by the griot that is also used by the MC/Emcee/Rapper to keep the community involved and to promote a communal spirit. This vocal exercise is lead by the Emcee/Griot and followed by the community; when the lead shouts a word or phrase the followers shout back the response. This irreplaceable exercise can also be found in church with preachers, in the Jamaican dance halls with the Dee Jay, and the field holler during antebellum times. The Emcee is Hip Hop’s verbal communicator, orally transmitting knowledge, history and entertainment through the art of rapping.

- Wm Montu I Miller @ mon2miller

7

CULTURE FEATURE:

The Jadakiss Could Raise Your KIds Just Fine Mixtape

Hip Hip is life, pop culture, and all things black. Above all else hip hop is deeper than rap, but sometimes some records do it so well that the emcee does more than just spit; they teach. A dope record can take you on a trip in the Delorean anywhere from Shaolin to Long Beach and everywhere in between. Dope records give lessons. Lessons many of us wouldn’t encounter otherwise. These sermons, these lectures, these teachings are referred to as jewels. These jewels are never inadvertent.

They are intended to find you on that first listen and ride forever. And hip hop’s alltime jewel dropper is Mr. Top 5 Dead or Alive himself, Jadakiss. So just in case you haven’t absorbed his bars appropriately, I got you. The following playlist is the playlist you put with your newborn baby when you pack him into his intergalactic space pod as the Earth explodes on some Kryptonite ish. This playlist is as essential as blankets and formula. These are the bars to raise your kids to: 1. F&^K You by the Lox; Lesson: “Everybody’s a snake that’s why I try to keep the grass cut.”

2. Can I Live by the Lox; Lesson: “(You) think you Scarface but you ain’t see the end of the movie.”

3. Recognize by the Lox; Lesson: “Too hard for MTV, not black enough for BET, just let me be.”

4. Scream L.O.X. by the Lox; Lesson: “Nowadays it cost money to breathe.”

8

5. It’s All About the Benjamins by Puff Daddy; Lesson: “While you sleep I’mma scheme.”

6. B l a c k o u t b y D M X ; Lesson: “Usually a good n$*%G even though I’m able t o f l i p .”

7. Kiss of Death by Ruff Ryders; Lesson: “I had to save my lunch money just to get in the game.”

8. Run by Ghostface Killah; Lesson: “If they don’t kill me, they [going] to give me a number I can’t do.”

9. New York City by the Lox; Lesson: “If he wasn’t born with it, it just ain’t in him.”

10. New York by Ja Rule; Lesson: “They say that you deserved it whenever you die with your eyes open.”

- Trav Williams blackpeopleareawesome. blogspot.com

Radio Station: 680 The Heat

“680 The Heat” is a non-profit online radio station, ran by Jeff Mahoney, that launched earlier this year and broadcasts worldwide.

They have a focus in old school hip hop but are not afraid to explore multiple genres of music, both mainstream and independent, to entertain and educate their audience. Jeff, an artist himself, has been featured on multiple mixtapes and albums throughout his career as well as owning his own independent label (JMahoney Production). He didn’t necessarily dream of owning his own radio station but at a friend’s suggestion he found that his “love

:INDUSTRY PROFILE

for music and networking with other artists” really drove the idea. Now, he has aspirations for “680” to be the go to station for indie and underground artists as well as a platform for breaking new music.

With the diversity in his own performance and music selection for the station Jeff has managed to build a steady following over the short course of “The Heat’s” existence.

Over the past month, March 2017, he has had over 5000+ unique listeners and plans to double that in the near future. For a company that is 3 months strong and still building it looks as if there is nothing but good things in the future for “The Heat”.Contact Jeff at jmahoneyproduction@gmail.com. - Trvy @trvyf

Contact Jeff at

jmahoneyproduction@gmail.com.

9

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:

SQUARE UP WITH

BYV Btrubb Brandon Garrett @BYV_Forever FB/ Brandon Garrett IG/b_trubb

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

I grew up everywhere really. I lived a lot of places, I wasn’t in a military family but you know. I lived in Ohio, St. Louis, North Carolina, Florida, just moved a lot. It’s impacted my music, I try to make it very cultured. I’m real conscious of the words I use to try to make it understanding to the masses.

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

Griffin Griffin Haythe @ BYV_Forever FB/ Griffin Haythe IG/cassiusredclay

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

I grew up in a bunch of different cities in Georgia, like Augusta, Albany, mad different cities in Georgia.

Gotta put bars in it, rep for the home squad. People didn’t think we had bars down here.

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

I guess people wouldn’t believe that I did the whole rock thing. That was like the first music that I really heard and got put on to. “Listen to this Aerosmith/ Led Zeppelin album”, what’s an album? That’s when I learned that it’s a body of work.

I feel like anybody that knows me knows I’d say Amy Winehouse. People called me when she died. I know her better than I know a lot, well I like her better than a lot of the actual women in my life. The illest writing, and you never want to be the man that she’s ever talking about.

What does BYV stand for and what does it mean to you?

What does BYV stand for and what does it mean to you?

BYV stands for Y.O.D., We’re Weird, it stands for Ath- To be your virtue wholeheartedly. Black young vets, like ens, for the culture. Truly the acronym is “be your vir- we been here we did that.We know what we are, you tue.” That stands for a lot of shit that people don’t live can’t fool us. Black young vets, our virtue is to be that. by anymore, for morals. It stands for a lifestyle.

Time will tell if we truly stand for that.

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

The Athens artists that I know face the obstacles that the great ones faced. We haven’t ran into problems because we’re mostly working together; we have the plugs we need, I’ll put myself in that, it’s just the fact of doing. I won’t say that we’re not doing, it’s the levels of what we’re doing and the dedication we’re putting in. I always speak for myself, but I do know that all we gotta do is do it. I believe you always get what you put in.

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

You have to look at it realistically like what are you trying to do out here.You gotta get out here, you gotta tour, you gotta do shows all over the place. If you’re trying to get in this ugly ugly thing, like the music business? You gotta do more than just kick it round the block. I love this place, but sometimes you gotta go places you don’t love. Pace yourself. I say do it all, but make sure you take the time to do everything right.

Who is BYV and what’s next for you?

Griffin: “It’s people that saved my life, it’s people that now we purging, every day we wake up we purging. gave me beats, people I’ve been on tracks with. I don’t That’s a movement, that’s a bunch of tracks, that’s a know none of my niggas that worked for nobody, but album.”

I know all my homies do mad work.”

Griffin: “BYV has a CD that’s untitled right now.”

Francisco Francis: “It means a big family, a collective of different people from different places but we all Btrubb: “Look for “Breaking Bread,” the single and the have similarites. It’s more than just music when it video. The single is on soundcloud right now, and the video is dropping April 28th. comes to us, it’s everything.”

10

Btrubb: “Bam Bam got a CD out “Purge.” We live for Griffin: “It’s important to know...gang gang gang gang longevity, but we definitely live for the day. So right gang [xinfinity].”

: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 Kid Foo officialkidfoo@gmail.com FB: Kid Foo IG: kidfoo Twitter: @ItsKidFoo

Engineers Trevor Wiggins 706-499-9923 trvyfeatures@gmail.com Social Media: @trvyf Imorie Curry 706-308-4190 lexcallahan@hotmail.com Social Media: @lexcally

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

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

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

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

11

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS: • Rusty Holcomb

COVER ART BY: Infamous Kiddo “I am a visual/vocal artist that created a style called show and tell, with me rapping about a painting I created. I’m originally from Vineland, NJ, but I lived most of my life in Charlotte, NC. I was inspired to travel and spread my wave because there are a lot of people who need to see and here some new dope shit. Plus I like uplifting and motivating people to do better for themselves.” infamouskiddo47@gmail.com infamouskiddo.com @infamouskiddo

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