NYS Music 20​16

Category: Hip Hop/Rap

  • Tight Reggae Riffs At The Tralf With Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

    In what’s become an almost annual event now,  Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (GPGDS) passed through the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on April 16th.

    Level 7 started the night off playing some funk by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, as well as other classic funk and hip hop. Their lyricist had a good stage presence, and got the early crowd into it. He also sat in with GPGDS for a song during their 2nd set. GPGDS makes such mellow, happy and easy going music. It’s the type of sound that a fan of any genre of music can get into and enjoy. That Saturday night at The Tralf was no different; as soon as they hit the stage the crowd started moving. They put on a great show for the hometown crowd that night. Their tour continued on afterwards but they expressed a few times how good it was to be back home for the night.

    Overall, it was a great night of music. Panda kept their momentum rolling in between sets. They hit the stage for their second set and started right where they left off as they brought The Tralf alive that night. No complaints from my end. How can you complain when you get 2 live sets of a riveting act like GPGDS for less than the price of a tank of gas?

  • Canalside Announces Annual Summer Concert Series 2016

    The free summer concert announcements are keeping music fans in Buffalo excited. The city’s popular and free Canalside series announced its Thursday night concert series this week. Canalside is hosting 12 concerts starting June 9 and running through August 25, 2016.

    canalside 2016This year’s lineup includes a variety of acts that span over a wide variety of musical genres. The Buffalo Philaharmonic Orchestra will take the stage once again in “A Tribute to David Bowie.” Other highlights of the lineup include Public Enemy, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Claypool Lennon Delirium.

    Canalside‘s weekly events will include a variety of food trucks and vendors. All of the concerts are free and open to the public, and all start at 6 p.m. VIP packages are available.

    Event organizers will be offering local area musicians the chance to open this summer’s concerts through a Battle of the Band contest held in conjunction with local arts magazine The Public.

    Canalside Thursday concert series lineup:

    • June 9: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries
    • June 16: Frank Turner with special guest July Talk
    • June 23: Public Enemy
    • June 30: Frankie Ballard
    • July 7: Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa
    • July 14: Shakey Graves and Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Wild Child
    • July 21: The Arcs and Mariachi Flor De Toloache
    • July 28: BPO “A Tribute to David Bowie”
    • August 4: Tritonal
    • August 11: Lowest of the Low and Serena Ryder
    • August 18: Coolio
    • August 25: Claypool Lennon Delirium

  • Del the Funky Homosapien ‘Iller Than Most’ Tour Stops in Brooklyn

    Del the Funky Homosapien inhabits a world of his own. It’s a world in which George Clinton occupies a role like that of a creator-god and Del with the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew are on a mission to ensure that the forces of funk win over the forces of non-funk in a never-ending cosmic saga.

    Del the Funky HomosapienLuckily for the race of Homosapiens on Earth, Del’s world is accessible to us through his records and live shows. Three years after rebooting the futurist hip-hop group Deltron 3030, Del continues to perform occasionally with that group as well as on his own, performing original music stretching back to 25 years of underground emceeing.

    Del’s music is compellingly original. The rapper-producer has admitted in interviews that he listens to very little new music and spends his time working on his own. The result: an unheard of lyrical flow tightly woven over self-produced tracks; it’s a veritable rhythmic tour de force. To be in the presence of such a funky person is humbling. Del fans are dedicated and hang on every cadence that issues forth from the stage at his shows. The opportunity to be among them should not be considered lightly.

    Del the Funky Homosapien will manifest his far-out rhyming for one night only at the Brooklyn Bowl on May 7. DJ Shiftee and Sean Anonymous will kick off the show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available online through the venue’s website.

  • Twiztid Juggalo Invasion 2016 Tour Lights Up Magic City Music Hall

    This past Friday the city of Binghamton was paid a visit by Detroit Michigan’s dark and demented duo Twiztid. Twiztid, who is currently out on the road on their Juggalo Invasion Tour in support of their newest release Mutant Remixed & Remastered brought with them a very impressive lineup consisting of  Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, The R.O.C., Lex the Hex Master, and Davey Suicide.

    TwiztidThe show kicked off with opening acts The Real Chaos, Insane E, Ajax and Trilogy. I have to admit given the number of openers and the limited amount of time each were allotted to perform, they all delivered very energetic and intense sets and did a fantastic job of getting the audience warmed up for a very powerful night of music and mayhem.

    If these acts didn’t get the crowd warmed up enough, the next round of artists kicked things into overdrive. Artists Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, Lex the Hex Master and The R.O.C. delivered nothing but excitement, skill and precision to their fans that evening. Fans danced, moshed and sang along with the artists! When it comes to gritty, sleazy full on metal you should check out UnHolywood, Killafornia’s very own Davey Suicide! One may think metal does not fit into this mix but Davey and the band are comparably dark and sinister and even won over some new fans!

    Now for the main act! The artist everyone was waiting for, Twiztid.  The fog rolls onto the stage amid the eerie low glowing green lights, the intro is cued and the demented duo creeps onto the stage. The fans go crazy as Twiztid tears up the stage with their back up band The Wickedness! Yes, they did something they have not done in a long time they used a live band to help them take things to a whole new level for their fans. Twiztid played a nice selection of tracks from their immense catalog. With Wickedness as back up, they were able to put different spins on their songs. They cranked out such hits as “Die Motherfucker Die” and the loudest version of “We Don’t Die” I have ever heard! Madrox and Monoxide are true masters of their art!

    The show was incredible and intense from the beginning right up to the end leaving fans wanting more.

    Prior to the show I had the opportunity to chat with Blaze Ya Dead Homie.  Blaze is a very welcoming and down to earth guy despite his hulking and terrifying appearance. We talked about his new album “Casket Factory,” artists who inspire him and horror movies. Hope you enjoy the interview!

  • Slick Rick Becomes a U.S. Citizen

    English-born rapper and long-time Bronx resident Ricky “Slick Rick” Martin Lloyd Walters became an American citizen last week in New York after a protracted 23-year battle.

    slick rick tourIn a statement, Walters said:

    I am so proud of this moment – and so honored to finally become an American citizen. This has been a long time coming for me, and I am relieved to finally put this long chapter behind me. I want to thank everyone – my family, friends and fans – who have supported me and stuck by me over these 23 years. I am truly blessed – and stay tuned, I will have more to announce soon.

    The rapper rose to fame in the early 1990s on the strength of his storytelling style of rap exhibited on his Def Jam debut The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. The album featured some of Walters’ biggest hits including, “Children’s Story,” “Teenage Love” and “Hey Young World.”

    Walters moved to the Bronx from London when he was 11 years old. He quickly became immersed in the hip-hop culture and joined Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew as MC Ricky D soon after finishing high school.

    The legal battle behind his citizenship began in 1990 when he was sentenced to prison for the self-defense shooting of his cousin, who had been hired and subsequently fired as his bodyguard. A bystander was also injured in the incident. Walters spent five years in prison on charges of attempted murder and residency issues with Immigration and Naturalization Services.

    When released from prison, Walters was threatened with deportation, spending several years in and out of prison. New York Gov. David Paterson granted Walters a full pardon in 2008, clearing the path to citizenship.

    Walters has been credited as the most successful British-American rapper and also one of the genre’s most sampled artists. He has collaborated with Jay Z, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot and Outkast.

    Walters has dedicated much of his time to mentoring youth and raising funds for issues impacting under-served communities.

    Slick Rick embarks on a short spring tour throughout the Midwest and Southeast on May 7. Dates can be found on his website.

  • Hearing Aide: Gramatik ‘Epigram’

    EpigramEpigram, a short saying representing a larger meaning or idea. The album art for Gramatik’s ninth album, Epigram, is the epigram. Being an outspoken advocate of free music sharing, Gramatik often engages in discussion on Twitter. The concise and lucid quips people send in 140 characters – epigrams – are often the initial inspiration for his music, which led to the album’s name.

    Epigram is a short, yet powerful, album featuring collaborations with many popular names in hip hop, such as Raekwon, ProbCause, and Adrian Lau. The album’s 10 tracks span the range of electronic music and includes bits of dubstep, downtempo, and straight up electronic hip hop. Gramatik strays from his usual sampling of music from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s for his latest release. Instead, he chose to sample the music of his musician friends. The result is a concise album that flows from track to track and keeps the listener engaged and awaiting the next hook or beat to drop.

    “Tempus Illusio” kicks off Epigram with a short, intensifying tune. “Satoshi Nakamoto” is a rap, loosely based on Bitcoin, invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, sung over jazzy samples. It features both Adrian Lau and ProbCause trading up the vocal duties. “War of the Currents” is straight up dubstep. Gramatik remixes Laibach’s “Eat Liver!” into a more danceable track with elements of dubstep and house. The album closes out with the more downtempo “Anima Mundi,” featuring Russ Liquid, which nicely bookends the first track.

    Overall, Epigram is an excellent collection of beats displaying Gramatik’s skills. In staying true to his ideals, the album is available as a free download or through traditional paid download outlets, such as iTunes and Amazon.

    Key tracks: Satoshi Nakamoto, Native Son, Native Son Prequel, Back to the Future

  • Thursdays at Funk n Waffles, Presented by NYS Music

    NYS Music is once again proud to host Thursday nights at Funk n Waffles in April. A stellar lineup of music is on tap across multiple genres.

    Thursday April 7 MISTER F and THE HEAVY PETS

    Formed in 2013 from members of Northeast regional acts Timbre Coup and Capital Zen, Mister F is an eclectic, high-energy 4-piece band that takes a no-holds-barred approach to blending genres while keeping your feet moving. The members of Mister F are no strangers to the music community.  Their first show on March 1, 2013 was so well-received that they’ve taken their show on the road to cities as far as Denver, CO and Atlanta, GA and are even performing with their previous bands at festivals such as Mountain Jam, Summer Camp, Camp Bisco, moe.down, and snoe.down.

    The Heavy Pets are an American rock band that blends rhythm & blues, jazz, funk, disco and reggae with rock & roll. Called “A living, breathing force of nature,” by Relix Magazine, the Pets are known for their soulful songcraft and powerhouse live performances. Riding high on the success of their most recent studio effort, Two Horses, look out for The Heavy Pets as they continue to hit the road hard.

    Thursday April 14 ROOT SHOCK and THE CORNERSTONE

    Formed in the winter of 2012 by regional veteran musicians, Root SHOCK blends roots reggae, dancehall, heavy drum & bass, and soulful vocals with conscious lyrics into positive dance music that will make you want to move!  Spearheaded by the stunning vocals of Jessica Brown, the band has been surprising and delighting crowds across the Central New York region and beyond with their unique high-energy style. Root SHOCK’s love of reggae music flows deep.  The band’s dedication to spreading music with a positive message has paid off in entertaining, elevating, and energizing music lovers of all walks of life in a wide range of settings!

    Root SHOCK will be anchoring a monthly Syracuse reggae night designed to bring the best and most diverse acts that modern reggae has to offer to the area. They’re not stopping there, though; Root SHOCK recording their first studio album and are set to hit the road to spread their uplifting message and vibes and take their renowned live performances to the masses!

    Fronted by lead singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist Jackson Wetherbee, The Cornerstone is a Reggae, Rock, Funk band hailing from the South Shore of Boston, Massachusetts. The band also features musicians formerly of The Aldous Collins Band and Last Call, two New England Music Award winning bands. Their sound is similar to that of Spiritual Rez, UB40, The Police, Sublime and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They put on a fun, energetic show where crowds dance, groove, and sing along to their tunes.

    Thursday April 21 SPIRITUAL REZ and GRAYAK

    With their latest release, Apocalypse Whenever, Boston’s beloved reggae-rock funkateers Spiritual Rez deliver their most triumphant musical offering yet. Produced by lead singer Toft Willingham, co-produced by bassist Jesse Shaternick, and mastered by legendary engineer Howie Weinberg (Ramones, Beastie Boys, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers), the 14-track collection of infectious anthems is chock-full of rollicking guitar riffs, ocean-bathed melodies, swagger-centric basslines, crisp soaring horns, and ska-infused jam sections that have come to define Rez’s progressive signature sound. While their groove is primarily rooted in rock, reggae, and funk traditions, the septet draws stylistic influence from nearly every musical movement of the 20th century. Over the past nine years, Rez has tirelessly toured the country ten times over, cemented their status as a consistent festival favorite, and honed their exhilarating live show into an incomparable, unabashed musical extravaganza. They have shared the stage with artistic visionaries including Toots and the Maytals, Rubblebucket, Gogol Bordello, the Dirty Heads, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, Jimmy Buffett, and Bernie Worrell. Evoking their personal power animals, they fearlessly forge into a bold new chapter of their epic musical journey and prepare to hit the road for a nationwide tour once more….

    Thursday April 28 JERRY JOSEPH AND THE JACKMORMONS

    Joseph is a prolific and accomplished songwriter who has written hits for Widespread Panic. He has released 30 albums in his more than 30 year career, not only as a solo artist, but also with the Jackmormons, supergroup Stockholm Syndrome, his burning two-piece The Denmark Veseys, and with his beloved 80s cult band, Little Women.  Playing over 150 shows around the globe a year, Joseph is a relentless live performer.  He has toured with Vic Chesnutt, Chris Whitley and Walter Salas-Humara, just to name a few. Not only has he toured Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast with the Jackmormons, but also solo through Nicaragua, Mexico, south-east Asia, Israel, Nepal, Lebanon, and the bulk of Europe.  Most recently he volunteered as a rock school music teacher in Kabul, Afghanistan. Over the years, Joseph and his Jackmormons have shown a penchant for picking a spot on a map, taking over a town, and putting on a festival. Last year, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons released a live concert DVD, Nicaragua, recorded over three nights just outside of Rivas, Nicaragua. Joseph was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in October 2015. He will be touring in Mexico, Australia and New Zealand this Winter and Spring in addition to the States. Check the Jackmormons’ web site for tour dates.

  • Wyclef Jean Takes on the Brooklyn Bowl, NY

    Grammy winning artist Wyclef Jean brought the house down Tuesday night during his second performance at the Brooklyn Bowl.  His DJ bumped the beats as Wyclef freestyled his way onto the stage mic in hand rhyming about Brooklyn, Haiti, politics and music…and even gave a shout out to the girl with the camera in the front row (that would be me!)  He wowed the crowd with eccentric dance moves, multiple costume changes, instrument maneuvers, and guitar rifts with his teeth.

    wyclef jean brooklyn bowlThe Bowl was energized from the moment Wyclef set foot on the stage. Cell phone cameras were in the air the entire night and fans were dancing in the bowling lanes as he weaved his way through tracks like “911” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”  During his new single “My Girl” with Sasha Mari, over 100 multi-colored flashing foam glow sticks were thrown into the crowd and fans from the front row were pulled onto the stage to dance with Clef and his backup dancers from Studio L Dance Co.  A fan favorite, “Killing Me Softly” was performed by Canadian jazz, pop, and soul singer Nikki Yanofsky, whose big voice filled the room over the sound of the crowd belting out of the lyrics with her.  Another special moment of the evening came when Wyclef welcomed his sister Melky onto the stage to perform a super soulful version of Leela James’ song “A Change is Gonna Come.”

    wyclef jean brooklyn bowlIt is evident why the Brooklyn Bowl added a second Wyclef show to their schedule.  He is a passionate performer who lights up a room with his talents.  He remains relevant to his fans and is always looking for the next big thing.  Be sure to keep your eyes out for his new album Carnival III which is expected to release mid-September.

  • Rihanna Brings an Aesthetically Pleasing Performance to First Niagara Center

    Rihanna has always compensated for shortcomings in technical vocal ability with showmanship and arresting charisma. The international star delivered on levels with fashion, choreography, impressive stage aesthetics, dancers, and the band this past week as she played to a pack stadium at the First Niagara Center.

    Promoting her Anti album, Rihanna will be playing 75 shows in 18 countries this time around. She stopped in Buffalo at First Niagara Center this past Wednesday, and the energy in the arena was explosive and contagious as fans danced, yelled, jumped, cheered, took pictures, and recited the lyrics to their favorite Rihanna tracks. Fans were in full force with a multi-generational diverse crowd displaying their best Rihanna inspired fashion trends, hair and make-up.

    She opened the evening with the ballad “Stay,” emerging on a high platform in the rear of the arena wearing a boxer’s robe.  She was then whisked away by  a floating platform to meet with the rest of her band, who arose from beneath the stage like a magic trick.

    rihanna first niagara centerDuring her set, she had the audacity to call Buffalo “ratchety.” Some of the crowd booed and most were insulted. She then proceeded to back pedal, gushing about how she loves the  fans there etc. Sorry sister, you already insulted us Buffalonians. We have some serious pride in our town, and we have put a lot of work into our town to make it beautiful. Buffalo is far from “ratchety.”

    Vocally, she was what she has always been. Stunning at her ballads, but not pleasing to the ear when it comes to her other music. It was partially a mumbled mess, especially during the song “Work”.  She sang to a backing track most of the night.

    The clothing options of the night left a lot to be desired. Her band and backup singers looked like they were civilians in the Star Wars movies.  Regardless of poor costume choices, Rihanna’s several costume changes seemed to flow seamlessly between songs. While some were sexy; she wore her signature over-sized men’s suit, some were risqué and quite questionable.

    Despite a lengthy set list of her biggest hits, the entire show was only about 90 minutes. The singer appeared to be having fun throughout the night, it appeared that she had her foot on the gas, speeding from one song to another in what felt like a race to the finish. “This is the sad part of the show, when you know it’s almost over,” she said shortly before closing out with “Kiss It Better.” Regardless of the disappointments of the evening, true Rihanna fans were not disappointed and definitely got their money`s worth in theatrics and sex appeal.

  • Wyclef Jean To Perform Encore Performance At The Brooklyn Bowl

    What happens when founding member of the Fugees, and solo artist Wyclef Jean makes an appearance to a full house at the Brooklyn Bowl, NY on Tuesday March 22, 2016? The crowd obviously couldn’t get enough, so due to popular demand the Brooklyn Bowl has added a second show with Wyclef Jean on Tuesday March 29, 2016.

    wyclef jean brooklynDon’t miss your opportunity to see this legendary Grammy award winning artist. Doors to open Tuesday at 6pm, with show beginning at 8pm.  Tickets are available for those 21 and over for $25.