Hip-Hop Happenings

Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. continues independent grind, but for how long?

The rapper voted RFT's Best Hip-Hop Artist of 2005 entertained music executives from Universal Music Group this past weekend.

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R, the self proclaimed People's Champ of St. Louis, has shifted gears fast forward in pursuit of his major label aspirations. The dred-locked emcee, known for his profanity free lyrics, capped last week off by entertaining record executives from industry heavyweight Universal Music Group. The executives were in town to scout Spaide, among others, and were treated to a round of great music, courtesy of Spaide himself.
Spaide kicked off the weekend early, performing live at Nimmy Russell's Beautiful People's Club concert at Toxic last Thursday (Nov. 3rd), and followed the gig Friday night with an inspired performance at the newly crowned Arena Club (formerly the Limelight and the Animal House) in North St. Louis County. The concert at the Arena was geared toward the teenage crowd and including performances by Riverfront Records/Capitol Records’ Ruka Puff and The Label/Asylum/Warner Brothers’ rapper Potzee. Unsigned rapper Baby Huey, who was featured in The Source Magazine awhile back, also performed.
The show at the Arena was witnessed by the Universal execs, from their perched backstage. The execs were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Spaide followers and left with an "Always" t-shirt from the Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. camp. “Always” is the name of Spaide's lead single that has been picking up quality spins at KATZ's 100. 3 The Beat in recent weeks.
An accompany video for the single will be released before the year is out, as will Spaide's new album This Herre City, pending any major developments with the Universal conglomerate. The rapper is represented locally by music imprint Hassle Life, Inc.

No Luv Entertainment Set To Release 3 EP's before year is out

The label wants to release genre specific extra long plays to attract more fans to it's sound dubbed 'Gangsta Gutta Music'

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--No Luv Entertainment, a label former Riverfront Times music editor Jordan Harper tabbed as the "post Nelly sound of St. Louis hip-hop" has announced the planned release of three extra long plays before the year 2005 is out.
According to label head, 7even Figgas, the company plans to release genre specific EP's geared toward the "streets", the strip clubs and college radio.
"What we've learned from our two prior releases (2004's Gangsta Gutta and this year's 90 Days of Hell) is that we have to expand our audience and take a more grassroots approach into attracting fans," 7even Figgas said. "We are going to put out genre specific concept albums with no more than six or seven songs on them to give fans a chance to hear our music without being overwhelmed with a lot of material. By spoon-feeding them the material, we're hoping to create an hunger for more, which will allow us to push units in for our releases in 2006."
The plan now is to release the street oriented album No Luv Entertainment/Renegade Productions Presents... The River City Bandits...Robbing Peter to Pay Paul by The River City Bandits.
The River City Bandits, 7even Figgas said, is a combination of No Luv artists and affiliates who have banned together under one group name to push the label forward. The crew will record the three albums under the RCB name.
"We have a unique sound," 7even Figgas said about No Luv's approach to music, dubbed "Gangsta Gutta Music" by No Luv themselves. Gangsta gutta' music, 7even Figgas said, is an emerging genre that combines West Coast gangster bravado and Bay Area mob music with Down South crunk music, Midwest Swing party music and East Coast grittiness.
Aggressive in it's approach, gangsta gutta music eschews the bang bang shoot 'em up of gangster rap for a more realistic approach of being from 'the gutta'. "To best bring out that sound, we need everyone associated with our label to combine their talent, resources and energy to promote that sound."
The second release will take a page from the Mike Jones book of marketing and aim straight for shake joint patrons and their employees, err, dancers. The EP, entitled Throw Dat Azz Back, will serve as an anthem for those of who frequent the various adult entertainment centers throughout the United States.
The last of the three EP's will be the seven song party themed Crash Da Party. The concept album will focus on the joys of having a good party come to a crashing end by a few undesirables, ala The River City Bandits. That release will be aimed at the college radio crowd, 7even Figgas said, as No Luv is in preliminary plans to schedule a college spring tour in 2006 throughout the Midwest region and down South.

Hip-Hop Happenings

Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. continues independent grind, but for how long?

The rapper voted RFT's Best Hip-Hop Artist of 2005 entertained music executives from Universal Music Group this past weekend.

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R, the self proclaimed People's Champ of St. Louis, has shifted gears fast forward in pursuit of his major label aspirations. The dred-locked emcee, known for his profanity free lyrics, capped last week off by entertaining record executives from industry heavyweight Universal Music Group. The executives were in town to scout Spaide, among others, and were treated to a round of great music, courtesy of Spaide himself.
Spaide kicked off the weekend early, performing live at Nimmy Russell's Beautiful People's Club concert at Toxic last Thursday (Nov. 3rd), and followed the gig Friday night with an inspired performance at the newly crowned Arena Club (formerly the Limelight and the Animal House) in North St. Louis County. The concert at the Arena was geared toward the teenage crowd and including performances by Riverfront Records/Capitol Records’ Ruka Puff and The Label/Asylum/Warner Brothers’ rapper Potzee. Unsigned rapper Baby Huey, who was featured in The Source Magazine awhile back, also performed.
The show at the Arena was witnessed by the Universal execs, from their perched backstage. The execs were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Spaide followers and left with an "Always" t-shirt from the Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. camp. “Always” is the name of Spaide's lead single that has been picking up quality spins at KATZ's 100. 3 The Beat in recent weeks.
An accompany video for the single will be released before the year is out, as will Spaide's new album This Herre City, pending any major developments with the Universal conglomerate. The rapper is represented locally by music imprint Hassle Life, Inc.

No Luv Entertainment Set To Release 3 EP's before year is out

The label wants to release genre specific extra long plays to attract more fans to it's sound dubbed 'Gangsta Gutta Music'

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--No Luv Entertainment, a label former Riverfront Times music editor Jordan Harper tabbed as the "post Nelly sound of St. Louis hip-hop" has announced the planned release of three extra long plays before the year 2005 is out.
According to label head, 7even Figgas, the company plans to release genre specific EP's geared toward the "streets", the strip clubs and college radio.
"What we've learned from our two prior releases (2004's Gangsta Gutta and this year's 90 Days of Hell) is that we have to expand our audience and take a more grassroots approach into attracting fans," 7even Figgas said. "We are going to put out genre specific concept albums with no more than six or seven songs on them to give fans a chance to hear our music without being overwhelmed with a lot of material. By spoon-feeding them the material, we're hoping to create an hunger for more, which will allow us to push units in for our releases in 2006."
The plan now is to release the street oriented album No Luv Entertainment/Renegade Productions Presents... The River City Bandits...Robbing Peter to Pay Paul by The River City Bandits.
The River City Bandits, 7even Figgas said, is a combination of No Luv artists and affiliates who have banned together under one group name to push the label forward. The crew will record the three albums under the RCB name.
"We have a unique sound," 7even Figgas said about No Luv's approach to music, dubbed "Gangsta Gutta Music" by No Luv themselves. Gangsta gutta' music, 7even Figgas said, is an emerging genre that combines West Coast gangster bravado and Bay Area mob music with Down South crunk music, Midwest Swing party music and East Coast grittiness.
Aggressive in it's approach, gangsta gutta music eschews the bang bang shoot 'em up of gangster rap for a more realistic approach of being from 'the gutta'. "To best bring out that sound, we need everyone associated with our label to combine their talent, resources and energy to promote that sound."
The second release will take a page from the Mike Jones book of marketing and aim straight for shake joint patrons and their employees, err, dancers. The EP, entitled Throw Dat Azz Back, will serve as an anthem for those of who frequent the various adult entertainment centers throughout the United States.
The last of the three EP's will be the seven song party themed Crash Da Party. The concept album will focus on the joys of having a good party come to a crashing end by a few undesirables, ala The River City Bandits. That release will be aimed at the college radio crowd, 7even Figgas said, as No Luv is in preliminary plans to schedule a college spring tour in 2006 throughout the Midwest region and down South.

3 Stars For HairKutt

Independent Filmmaker Garners Three Stars From Boston Globe

Renowned film critic Ty Burr says HairKutt “falls between the cracks of public service and reality TV”; awards the film three stars

November 9th--St. Louis, Missouri--Independent filmmaker Curtis Elliott said he was completely stunned when he found out renowned Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr rated Elliott’s documentary HairKutt three stars (out of a possible four) in the Globe’s November 4th issue. Elliott, who traveled to Boston for the film’s one week run at the Somerville Theatre November 4th-10th, said the distinction is totally humbling.

“Here we are, four guys (Elliott, Anthony “Lark” Davis, Maurice “Reese” Bradley, and the film’s heroin addicted subject Bryant “HairKutt” Johnson) from St. Louis, with nothing but a few cameras and a lot of hope and prayer, with three stars from the Boston Globe,” Elliott said about the acclaimed critique. “I mean, only about five percent of major motion pictures are even reviewed by the Globe, and here we are with three stars. Amazing.”

In his review of the film, Burr said the strength of the award winning film “is the grainy handheld footage of Johnson undergoing a week of cold turkey,” adding “this may be the best ''scared straight" material a cocky kid will ever see: night-time video of a man tossing in pain, and retching, retching, retching.”

Burr, praising the film’s anti-drug message, also mentioned the three men’s willingness to come together to help “HairKutt” kick a terrible habit, resonates throughout the film, offering the following analysis: “the parts that work: the street-level memories of growing up in an urban neighborhood where drugs were literally available on every corner, and the despairing fall-out years later…The people who need to see this movie need to see it when they're young.”

Elliott said his plans now are to focus on the St. Louis International Film Festival’s November 15th screening of HairKutt, where the film is up for several awards, and getting the film shown to today’s youth of the nation.

“HairKutt is a realistic view of the harm substance abuse can cause to not only the addict, but to family and friends as well,” Elliott said. “I think this film can be an important tool in the fight to deter drug abuse here in North America and I’m looking for support to get this documentary in the hands of the people who need to see it most--our children.”

HairKutt is a sixty minute, award winning documentary about four friends from St. Louis, MO who travel to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee in the hopes of curing one of them from the throes of heroin addiction. The story evolves around Bryant “HairKutt” Johnson, a heroin addict of more than 15 years.

The documentary takes many twists and turns as “HairKutt” becomes so debilitated from the withdrawal of the poisonous drug that he walks away from the rented cabin used as a drug rehab facility to return to the streets of St. Louis (more than a ten hour drive away) and the source of his addiction: heroin.

Coaxed back to the cabin by his friends, “HairKutt” is eventually rushed to a rural Tennessee hospital after severe life-threatening vomiting episodes. Is the hospital trip a death bed for “HairKutt” or a springboard for a new life free from the drug that has dominated his teen and adult years? The story climaxes more than a year and a half later with a tell-all truth about the fateful trip and “HairKutt’s” final condition.

HairKutt made its’ St. Louis debut in front of a crowd of over 700 at the famed Tivoli Theater in the University City, (MO) Loop on May 12th, 2005. The film has garnered two awards in 2005: Best Social Documentary at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles (March, 2005) and Best Documentary Feature at Cinema St. Louis’ Independent Filmmaker’s Showcase in July.

For more info or the view movie trailer, please visit www.itstoughtogetoffdrugs.com or Google Search keyword: HairKutt or contact Curtis Elliott at 314.324.5435 or 314.395.2342 or mrfixitfast6@msn.com.

Boston area critics on HairKutt

“Hairkutt illustrates the horrors of detoxification, succeeds at communicating a resonant anti-drug message…so real that at times it can be painful to watch.”--Deirdre Fulton, Boston Phoenix

“Hairkutt is more effective than any anti-drug public service announcement.”--Tenley Woodman, Boston Herald

“The amateur, home-video feel of (HairKutt) works to enhance the gritty reality of withdrawal and the frustrating affects of addiction on loved ones…worth seeing if only to finally have a realistic portrayal of love amongst men of color, an image that is quite rare in pop culture.”--Vidya Rao, Boston Bay State Banner

“With its gripping scenes, social message and night-vision camerawork, this documentary is interesting to watch and viewers will come away a bit more knowledgeable about heroin.”---Rao again