Local Band Local Beer Essex Muro
Last week, Phian sat down with Essex Muro for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show at the Pour House in downtown Raleigh.
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Back in July, DJ Whatsherface sat down with Jon Lindsay to talk about the NC Music Love Army and important issues affecting the Triangle and beyond.
Local Band Local Beer Drunk on the Regs
Last week, Phian sat down with Drunk on the Regs for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show at the Pour House.
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Drunk on the Regs
Local Band Local Beer My Darling Fury
DJ Whatsherface sat down with My Darling Fury for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show on August 11.
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Body Positive Festival Fashion
Festival season promises a slew of ill-informed and potentially body-shaming, culturally appropriative overviews of acceptable festival fashions. For Hopscotch, or any festival for that matter, attendees and performers should dress comfortably and fashionably (if they want!). Here are a few tips on how to stay cool for Hopscotch weekend!
SHOES
Wear comfortable shoes! I cannot stress this enough! Venues around downtown Raleigh are pretty close, but after awhile, you’ll find that hustling back and forth between sets will take a toll on your tootsies. Closed-toe sneakers or other athletic shoes are my number one recommendation. Strappy sandals, like Tevas, are another good option, but you might go home with dirty feet. You know your feet and what you can handle, though, so this is totally up to you.
TOPS
T-shirts and tank tops are usually the best bet here to stay cool. If, for religious or other cultural practices, tank tops are not an option, any light or loose top will do as well. This also goes for people who may feel uncomfortable showing their arms or skin in general. The heat must be beat, but as long as you’re hydrating and ducking into air conditioning every now and then, you will survive.
BOTTOMS
To stay cool, skirts or shorts are the best option. As stated before, if skirts or shorts are not an option for you for any reason, light athletic pants or a polyester, stretchy denim is another great option for staying as cool as possible!
ACCESSORIES
Sunglasses. Sunglasses. SUNGLASSES. Wear sunglasses! Perhaps some device to attach the glasses around your neck! You are going to thank me later for this. Also, sunscreen. Sunscreen is an accessory and a powerful one. You don’t want to go home Sunday night and realize you turned into a peeling, amorphous, dead-skin person.
BAGS/PURSES
I recommend bringing a backpack or cross-body purse to the festival. Pack light, and only the essentials. If you’re planning on attending any day parties, DEFINITELY bring water. Bulkier bags and wristlets can become a hassle in big crowds.
Suggestions here are simply that: suggestions. By all means, if you’re going to Hopscotch, I encourage you to wear whatever you want and however you want. Just don’t hurt anybody in the process.
-angel by shaggy
Since its inception, hip hop has had an internal battle with misogyny that’s made it difficult for female rappers to freely express themselves without being dismissed as too ‘girly.’ There’s been a nasty tendency in the industry to throw women who want to rap, in a box of objectification or overemphasized aggression, and what came out was usually so inorganic that it couldn’t be taken seriously by anyone. However, in recent years this tide has been changing, and we’re finally beginning to see rappers who have tossed that box in the dumpster, next to the dead body of corporate music, and are making raw, dope, hip hop.
Enter Junglepussy, a rapper from Brooklyn, NY who spits bars with overwhelming power that demand respect. Junglepussy’s rhymes are delivered with the kind of confidence that transcends gender lines. She’s not afraid to be vulnerable in songs like “Somebody,” and she’s even less afraid to spit venom on enemies. Her energy is raw (pre-gentrification) Brooklyn.
Take for instance her line from the song “Nah,” where she raps: “Spicy ass Jamaican bitch, you can get your chicken jerked/suckin’ on the wrong dick that can get your sister murked/ You don’t know what I got all up in my fuckin’ purse/Grippin on my water bottle, all these niggas thirst.”
This kind of attitude is what separates Jungle from the crowd. Listening to her lyrics are like talking to that unfiltered friend who isn’t afraid of their sexuality or their angry side. She keeps it realer than most rappers, and her flow is what puts the whole package together. Jungle’s flow is akin to Cam’ron’s, with an effortless and cocky delivery accompanied by her New York drawl. It oozes unimpeachable coolness, unashamed Blackness, and powerful femininity.
Though she hasn’t been in the game that long (she showed up in 2013), her work has garnered the respect of Erykah Badu, which was a cosign that sent her career up to the pro-leagues in 2014. Since then, she released two albums, Satisfaction Guaranteed (June 2014) and Pregnant With Success (November 2015), under the Vice Music imprint. In addition to her music success, she has also spoken at Yale University and Columbia University about her healthy options lifestyle and music.
Junglepussy will be performing at CAM on Thursday, September 8th at 11:30pm. If you’re a fan of NY hip hop and want to start your Hopscotch off right, make your way down there!
-DJ Iron Mic
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Local Rap Spotlight: FKB$
North Carolina’s underground hip-hop scene is like any other underground scene: full of talent, but with clusters of artists who share similar styles. Think of it as a high school cafeteria. The backpackers hang out at their table, the trap rappers have their corner, and the edgy rappers float from table to table making friends and drawing inspiration from everyone. Then there’s the kid who just doesn’t give a damn. That kid who’s cool with being different and doesn’t want to fit into anyone’s style, but it works for them – so they’re not a loner – they’re just ‘them.’ Enter Joco’s FKB$, short for Frank Kastle bin Savage.
FKB$ is the type of rapper that can go bar for bar with the backpackers, spit some greasy lines with the trappers, and utilize trippy beats with the edgy crowd. He’s got a style all his own, which is gritty and rough, but pulled off effortlessly. Think, Wiki meets Schoolboy Q at a local punk show.
This versatility gives FKB$ the freedom to work with producers and rappers who utilize a wide array of styles, which is displayed adroitly on his 2015 album $aint Franci$. Frank Kastle lurks through the shadows of producer, The Gatekeeper’s, dark electro beats like a lyrical assassin on the track “San Fran,” then turns around and shows lyrical footwork alongside Raleigh’s Hazz, on rough boom bap production from An Urban Assault on “Hell’s Kitchen.”
FKB$ switches styles with ease, which is what makes him a notable member of the Triangle’s hip hop scene. Not only does his sound travel well on wax, but it can be integrated well into almost any rap lineup or multi-genre live show. The dude’s literally got something for everyone.
– DJ Iron Mic
Tune in to Local Rap Lunch on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. to catch some FKB$ along with more of North Carolina’s dopest MC’s.
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My Darling Fury
Local Band Local Beer Happy Abandon
DJ Whatsherface sat down with Happy Abandon for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show on August 11.