Last Thursday, Thrill City and Glass Reflex proudly presented Professor Toon, Well$, Cosmoe, Tim Stack$ and special guest G. Yamazawa at the Local 506.
After Stack$’s set, a teenager from the crowd sauntered on the stage wearing a paintball jersey and what had to be a fresh haircut. This teenager was none other than Carrboro’s own Cosmoe, a high school student pursuing rap and utilizing local venues to showcase this talent. Sampling an older Rihanna song as a beat is a bold move but I definitely respect it.The previous sentence more or less sums up the entirety of Cosmoe’s set.He’s young, with a lot of untapped talent and has a hidden love for Rihanna (who doesn’t).
Up next to the stage was the special guest G. Yamazawa and he definitely not only put the “spec” in special but also in spectacle. This guy is someone to watch. G. Yamazawa is 24 year old born and raised in Durham, North Carolina by Japanese natives. Small in stature but phat in rhyme. Immediately when he was handed the mic, G was spitting effortlessly constructed double entendres faster than the bartender could hand out Red Bulls to underaged concert goers.
Completely blown away by the guest, everyone GUESSED that the next to the spit was none other than Charlotte native, Well$. With a few members of the audience wearing t-shirts repping Well$’s record label Immaculate Taste and everyone pumped on adrenaline, Well$ had his work cut out for him. 2014 was a big year for the rapper and I can tell he is planning to go even bigger in the new year. Over the past few years Well$ toured with Ab- Soul, performed with Pac Div and G-Eazy and also signed to record label Immaculate Taste. Something about Well$’s nonchalant manner and casual cool seems to draw people in and his music does not disappoint. He even stopped in the middle of his set to announce that people should mosh and those uninterested should step aside. If that’s not courtesy, I’d like to see what is.
ALL OF THESE GREAT PERFORMANCES AND WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE HEADLINER: PROFESSOR TOON.
photos from Facebook
Professor Toon is a Baltimore, Maryland native and a current resident of the 919, more specifically Durham. Also known as Toon from Toon and the Real Laww, Professor Toon had a crazy past couple of years. To clarify I mean crazy as in sharing the stage with names like Run the Jewels and De La Soul, while further establishing himself as an artist by performing at Hopscotch, and co founding the DURM Hip Hop Summit. The DURM Hip Hop Summit is a collective started by Toon and the Real Laww in 2012. They plan on having an event AUGUST 15th, 2015 (SAVE THE DATE.) The event is set to include the original 5 Pillars of Hip Hop: DJing, Beat Boxing, Break Dancing, Graffiti and the MC. So for all of you complaining about real hip hop being dead (we’ve all seen your YouTube comments) come to its resurrection in August put on by the DURM Hip Hop Summit. Professor Toon brought his “A” game to the Local 506 and after sitting down one on one with the rapper his music and personality both leave little to be desired. The professor kept the crowd going while presenting himself as excited yet humble and truly appreciative for his fan base. Performing his new song “The Elephant” which manifests a part of Professor Toon’s childhood and his love for the special woman in his life that worked to give him a good upbringing, his mother. His mother was front and center at the show rocking a ReverbNation t-shirt, dancing her heart out and she wasn’t the only one.
Check out my exclusive interview with Professor Toon where he talks about Growing up in Baltimore, Lil Bow Wow vs. Lil Romeo, Female rappers and his up and coming ventures.
IMPORTANT DATES: JANUARY 24TH at the DUKE COFFEEHOUSE catch PROFESSOR TOON, TURQUOISE JEEP, and BARF TROOPAUGUST 15th mark your calendars for the DURM Hip Hop Summit
-Dilemma, WKNC Underground Music Director