Jamaican rappers in clash
Rapper Kyle Poole aka Six takes it to rapper Chillum. - Fabian Ledgister photos
Another lyrical confrontationcould turn ugly after a feud between local rap artistes came to a head at the Chaotic live hip-hop show, held at Endless Studio in Cross Roads on Saturday night.
Although the event showcased a slew of local rap talent in an authentically underground atmosphere that heightened the 'rap battle' feel, a true battle brewed beneath the surface.
A delay in the event was easily forgotten, as disc jockey Shane 'the fire starter' kept the vibes pumping with '90s hip-hop hits like What, What by Noreaga and Roc Da Mic by Freeway and Memphis Bleek.
As selections kept the mediocre turnout dancing, an impromptu mini-show took place on a nearby balcony, as anxious artistes began to freestyle.
The performance line-up began quite impressively, as local rapper Six took charge of the microphone with songs like Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy - using the catchy line from the cult classic film Scarface - to throw words at some unknown nemesis.
The night would later reveal that nemesis to be his former friend-turned-enemy, Chillum.
"When I met this guy, he told me his mother and father were in jail, but that same day we went to Half-Way Tree and met his mother. Our friendship ended, but now he's telling me the beef is over and then telling this girl to go and do a diss record," said a melancholic Six after his performance.
Unforgiving
Although Six opted not to do most of the diss track, his lyrical enemy, Chillum, was not so forgiving, instead unleashing an all-out verbal assault on Six later in the night, to the delight of patrons.
Chillum continued his tirade before he dropped diss tracks including Life's Hard, where he attacked Six.
"This going on for some time now, but we squash the beef and a girl in my crew didn't know the beef squash and did a diss song. So now he's talkingagain. He needs to know a me mek him get inna dis hip-hop ting, and him fi know is music," said Chillum.
But Six may have taken Chillum quite seriously, as he could be seen after the event waiting at the gate with a number of persons. However, they left less than a minute before Chillum and his posse made their way out of the venue.
Other memorable acts for the night included Scantana, Bebble Team, Godz and 16-year-old dancer and rapper, Sumoya Smith, who took the night with her hip-hop dance-and-rap combo performance.
Most local rappers that night could be heard melding their own Jamaican patois with their learnt hip-hop Ebonics. They have essentially created an interesting sound some view as the birth of a new musical genre.
Event promoter, Nykkiicia Cion of Simple Chaos, described the event as having met some of her expectations.
"These hip-hop live shows have been staged by us since 2007 to give the young rappers a chance to showcase their talent, but I wanted to find a venue that would convey the underground authenticity that I wanted, and the Endless Studio was perfect, but not enough sponsors are seeing the vision and the potential of hip hop in Jamaica," Nykkiicia told The STAR.
Rapper Chillum delivers a heated stint at Chaotic, which was held at Endless Studio in Cross Roads on Saturday.
Jamaican rappers bring chaos
published: Thursday | November 20, 2008
Fabian Ledgister, Gleaner Writer
Rapper Chillum gives a heated stint at 'Chaotic', which was held at Endless Studio in Cross Roads last Saturday. - Fabian Ledgister photo
In a testament to the true birth of hip-hop, rappers across Jamaica on Saturday delivered a lyrically-explosive night dubbed 'Chaotic' at Endless Studio in Cross Roads. The slew of young local rappers, donning do-rags under fitted caps and hoodies, flipped their Ebonics-inspired tongue play, clever hooks, and a few energetic rap battles that eerily resembled an excerpt of the popular movie, Eight Mile.
A delay in the event was easily forgotten, as disc jockey, Shane - the fire starter, kept the vibes pumping with 1990's hip hop hits like What, What by Noreaga, as well as Roc Da Mic by Freeway and Memphis Bleek. As selections kept the meagre turnout dancing, an impromptu pre-show took place on a nearby balcony, as anxious artistes began to freestyle.
True life stories
"Looking for a beat, so I can eat, can't sleep, days I'm on the job, but at night it's a robbing spree," spitted Tau 'Chillum' Cooke, as he cleverly referred to anything he saw.
Despite the late start, the performance line-up began quite impressively, as local rapper, Kyle 'Six' Poole, charged the mic with songs like, Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy, using the catchy line from the cult classic film, Scarface, to throw words at some unknown arch-nemesis. The night would later reveal that nemesis.
Like most local rappers, Poole could be heard melting his own Jamaican patois with his learnt hip-hop Ebonics. He created quite an interesting sound which some have viewed as the birth of a new musical genre.
After a non-memorable performance by Telwell, an explosive duo, Truth and Element, took the stage and re-energised the crowd with singles that told true life stories and struggles. In fact, the rappers had a similar sound to the controversial underground hip-hop group, Dead Presidents, who also rap mostly about life stories and black oppression.
Patrons were then treated to one of the night's best performers, Scantana, who had the crowd singing along to his single, No Hook. The artiste currently has a single released on Taxi (Sly and Robbie) label featuring Adena Myrie called, Cornwall, Middlesex, Surrey.
The Bebble Team was up next, as their diversified members each offered their own interesting rap styles, which blended together well. One single in particular, Who am I, by group members Pyramid, Massacre and Sauce Man, got the crowd involved in the performance.
The night was far from over, as young dancer, Sumoya, had the crowd cheering when she performed the latest hip-hop dances like the crunk, pop and lock, and some fusion of dances only Michael Jackson could complete. Afterwards, a female rapper could be heard with hard-hitting lyrics and punch lines on a single called, Champagne. To the surprise of everyone present, the 16-year-old dancer had flipped back her hoodie, grabbed a mic from a male rapper, and began spitting some lyrics way above her 5' 2" height.
The night ended with a feud between the two founding members of Black Mask Crew, as Cooke made an all-out verbal assault against rapper Poole.
Event promoter, Nykkiicia Cion of Simple Chaos, described the event as having met some of her expectations.
"These hip-hop live shows have been staged by us since 2007 to give the young rappers a chance to showcase their talent, but I wanted to find a venue that would convey the underground authenticity that I wanted, and the Endless Studio was perfect, but not enough sponsors are seeing the vision and the potential of hip-hop in Jamaica," said Cion.
Kariuki gives an emotionally-charged performance.
Kariuki Kikuyu: Profile of a Jamaican Hip Hop Artiste
The thumping bass beats and spitting braggadocio rhymes of hip hop artists, EPMD, Redman and Das Efx, served as an introduction to the world of rap music for Kariuki...
Kariuki discovered hip hop when he was eleven years old. So entranced was he with what he heard that he became a converted fan of the music. Since his childhood years of the 1990s, this personable young man has matured from merely being an ardent fan to an emcee who commands the microphone with engrossing lyrical wordplay.
The revelations that Kariuki makes in his music are sometimes philosophical, other times social or sexual, yet whichever always brutally honest. Despite the fact that his subject material can veer into R-rated territory, Kariuki's confident verbal swagger gives him a captivating presence that keeps the listeners ear perked up to hear more.
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