Thoughts
So in this weird world, I have played two live shows this year so far. I used to average 2-3 a month prior to the pandemic. It is hard to navigate this pandemic world, however I have been going to bed earlier especially on weekends and getting up super early on weekend mornings which I have really enjoyed. Playing shows and staying up late I have come to the realization is not very appealing to me. Staying up late throws off my next day as I still get up early so I am just tired all day. I don’t nap and rarely sleep in. I actually don’t really enjoy sleeping all that much witch is the exact opposite of my partner. That actually works well as I can do thing and work on things that I am interested in while she sleeps. We have an ongoing joke that I have the Rap Nest upstairs and she has the Nap Nest in the living room.
I think that there are many people like me that still like rap but going out late is not conducive to their lifestyle. Headliners going on at 12 am on a week night or weekend for that matter seems insane to me now. We are not going to make many younger new fans as they have plenty of artists that cater to their world view and experiences. So we need to look at ways of maintaining our aging fan base and making shows accessible to them.
I think the following could really go a long way in drawing in and maintaining an aging fan base:
Posted set times on the flyer and sticking to them regardless of the size of crowd. Pushing them back does not help anyone and it hurts the headliners.
Alternate venues without a focus on the selling of booze. Coffee shops, backyards, theatres etc. Bars want you to arrive early and stay as late as possible all while buying drinks. This is awesome and a lot of fun in your 20’s but not so much in your 40’s and beyond.
Tables and chairs so people can relax and enjoy the show. No one in their 40’s need to be told what to do and how they should enjoy the show. I think people should feel relaxed and be able to enjoy the show on their terms
Shows need to end at a reasonable hour and the need to start earlier. Shows on weekdays should not got past 10:30 and weekends past midnight. That will help to ensure people can arrange child care and see the all the acts. I know many people have to leave early to relieve parents or sitters watching kids etc
Show should start at 8pm. I mean actually start at 8pm. Not just doors. Doors should be at 7 with a dj playing tracks to set the tone of the night at an audio level where people can converse and not have to yell at one another.
Marathon lineups are killing live rap shows. No one has the energy to sit through 10 acts anymore. I want to see the headliner and a couple other acts max. 3-4 acts and a dj is the best show. Less is also okay.
Now, by no means is this an exhaustive list. These are just some things I know that people have mentioned to me in conversation or I have been thinking about for a while now. I think the ideal scenario would be to model things off of folk and jazz clubs and I think that is where rap is heading and I like many am here for it.
The homie Rove dropped the first video for the debut single from his If Not Now album dropping August 26th. I know for many of you reading this is one of the years most anticipated albums out of left field. I can’t wait for it to drop. It is so dope! The track is called F12 features Rifleman and Riddlore and is slammin. So slamming in fact it can only be viewed on YouTube.
I have teamed up with good homies at Audio Recon to offer you, the readers some deals on some incredible releases. This weeks deal features Neila’s classic Better Late Than Never. This classic produced by Avatar was originally only released on CD. Now is your chance to grab one of the limited vinyl copies before they are gone forever. Enter the code TFTRN and you will receive a cool 15% off! Offer expires August 2nd.
This is your heads up that Audio Recon has a preorder dropping tomorrow (Friday July 29) for something super sick that I think you will want scoop. I wish I could drop more details but I was sworn to secrecy but I assure you its certified banger.
Shouts to readers Willie Four Milli and Mock who were quick on the emails last week and took home copies of the debut issue if the Ugsmag Zine. Some copies still available here. I am going to be giving things away every once in a while to stay tuned. I got a couple things lined up!
Record One
Swamp Thing X Uncle Fester - Live From Exile
Now I am not really a fan of picture disc vinyl but this release meets me halfway as it was released in a standard printed record sleeve. I do not recall ever seeing this in the past. Usually it is one of those pastic clear jackets that often split at the seams from the sharpness of the record. I also don’t like how they feel. They feel cold, rigid and clumsy. I think they found a nice balance with this one between the printed sleeve and picture disc. The image in the A side is really nice, however I know I always harp on this but nothing beats black vinyl. I was surprised by the timing of this release usually Swamp Thing drops their album on Halloween and then the vinyl comes out in the spring, but it looks like they are a bit ahead of schedule. You won’t hear any complaints from me about this though as the Swamp Thing release is always one of my most anticipated each year. The album is produced by Uncle Fester and features Ghettosocks and Ambition and is classic Swamp Thing!
Record Two
Roughneck Jihad & Symatic - Simon Bar Sinister EP
It is no secret how big of a fan I am of Third Sight and Jihad the Roughneck MC (Jihad). Jihad has been on a tear the past half decade with an insane amount of releases and all on vinyl which is the ultimate. One of the things I know Jihad prides himself on is having scratches on his tracks and he continually works with some of the best scratchers in the world. On this one he teamed up with scratcher/turntablist / producer Skratchlord Symatic hailing from Bristol United Kingdom. This 6 track 10” record is the ultimate and combines everything I love especially when it is done well. The production is next level sick and Jihad never disappoints on the rhymes. Seriously give this album a listen and it will take you back to the early 2000’s when scratch based music really started to evolve. It is raw, polished and unapologetically in your face but in a lowkey fuck you kind of way. It really doesn’t get much better than this.
Classic Material
Fat Jack - Cater To The DJ
There are lot of albums that I could tell where I got them and this one was no exception. As I mentioned in a previous TFTRN the homie Knowskills and I used to go to Winnipeg when we had breaks from University and we would often stay with the homie Dj Hunnicutt. On one of those trips we dropped off Hunnicutt at Music Trader as he was working there at the time . I believe we were headed back to Saskatoon. When it comes to rap I have a keen eye and I spotted a couple releases behind the counter one being Fat Jack’s Cater To The DJ and I was wide eyed and super excited to see that record in the wild. It was just released and I had not even heard it yet. I asked if it was for sale Hunnicutt said it was not as it was the copy he had brought in for himself to purchase. I was visibly heart broken and I said word and kept it moving and continued to dig through the store for rap records and cd’s. I am not sure if i found anything or to maybe a cd or something but Knowskills was grabbing a few things as he had a wider appreciation for music outside of rap for me so he could have been getting a Ween album or something like that.
I think Hunnicutt could tell I was not my usually amped up self. We were about to leave and he said hey Chaps if you want to grab any of these you can and that included Fat Jacks album. I lit up like a Christmas tree and said I would take it and and the Connect The Dots Music 4 All Cities compilation. I thanked him profusely and it really made my day and made the trip home fly by. I remember getting home and immediately putting On Cater To The Dj. One of the best days!
There is a really dope documentary that dropped the other day about Dj Hunnicutt.
In the AMI original documentary DJ Interrupted: For over 20 years, DJ Hunnicutt (a.k.a. Tyler Sneesby) has mixed music for the masses. In the last two years, he lost 90 percent of his vision and is coming to grips with the new life he must create for himself and his wife.
We stopped at Canada’s first 7-11 on the way out and I got this picture wearing my Wax Museum Red T-shirt. This photo may not have been from this exact trip but that 7-11 became a must stop on the way out of town once Hunnicutt learned about my love of 7-11 and fountain Dr. Pepper super big or double Gulps. He told us about it and gave us directions and Knowskills snapped this photo on one of our stops.
Closing Ramblings
I have two shirts up at Stylesmakefights.ca One for my radio Show You Know The Rulesdesigned by the homie Aiden Searle and the other formy dj crew The Stone Cold Party Rockers with the homie Rove designed by the homie Awol One. Also the homies at Audio Recon have some dope new shirts too
I host two weekly radio shows Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon Saskatchewan every Wednesday 9 -10:30pm CST and You Know The Rules on UMFM 101.5 in Winnipeg Manitoba every Sunday Night 10-11pm They are pretty great and you should check em out.
Also i got some cool shirts, poster and hats in the Ugsmag Shop if you want that fly shit.
**legal disclaimer all records and songs were run through the RAP NEST 5000 SUPER ANALYTIC COMPTROLLER MACHINE that is certified by the I.A.A.R.R.A (International Association of Analytical Rap Recordings Analysis) in layman’s terms, it means the machine is never wrong.
Catch you next week with more thoughts from the rap nest.
Peace
-chaps