Hip hop's presence was felt throughout the festival this year more than any other, from the streets, where up-n-comers enthusiastically handed out demos and flyers in hopes of catching the eye of writers, A&R reps and potential fans that might be amongst the many party-goers.
When they weren't hustling, artists and attendees venue-hopped at all hours of the day and night, trying to take in as much new music as possible. Taking place largely over a few blocks, SXSW turned Austin's main drag, Sixth Street, into a nonstop party.
Conscious rapper Immortal Technique [READ MORE] said of his first visit to SXSW as a performer: " SXSW was like a college party - wild drunk people in the street, a mix of all different types of music, barhopping and organized chaos.
"Well, at least slightly more organized that just chaos itself."
right IT'S JUST EVOLUTION
Canadian rapper, K-OS [READ MORE], who performed at the festival for the first time this year, suggested that after so many years of almost exclusively showcasing rock, it was high time the SXSW organizers shook things up a bit.
"People get tired of things," said K-OS. "From what I know about this festival, it's been a rock or indie festival for years and I think maybe now it's just evolution. People want to come here and know that there's that option to go see something else. " When it happens this way - when it happens slowly," he continued, "it's probably way more real than if someone four years ago said, ‘you know this is an all hip hop thing.’ It's like people are ready now to diverge from watching shows all night that are just rock shows. It's like, let's go check Talib or something."
Throughout the five-day festival, acts like K-OS, Kweli, Grae, Lady Sovereign, Ghostface, Chamillionaire, Immortal Technique, Chingo Bling, Devin the Dude, and a massive roster of aspiring acts worked the circuit, while some artists, including the Beastie Boys, plotted secret live shows.
Newcomer Big Tuck [READ MORE], who played SXSW for the first time this year, said he hopes that the festival will help rappers like himself, who also have a musician side.
" It's the first year I came here where there's a lot of hip hop people here," he said. "I like it that way too cause I'm a musician myself. I'm a percussionist so I like coming to listen to bands play too."
"I HAVEN'T BEEN SOBER SINCE I WAS LIKE FOUR"
And while the three or four showcases a night were a major coup for the genre, there were some decent-sized snags - show cancellations, Lady Sovereign's short sets, Ghostface's late arrival - which proved that if hip hop really wants to be a part of this festival, it's going to have to put in some serious effort. Ghostface, however, helped save the genre's rep when, after missing his morning flight to SXSW, he chartered a plane to arrive just a bit late for his first set of the day.
That said, some artists held it down during their performances.
Jean Grae warmed up the crowd on Wednesday evening before Talib Kweli took the stage, and made sure to shout out the drunk folks in the crowd. When a few audience members booed the sober ones, Grae helpfully supported them: "Don't boo them! I haven't been sober since I was like four - I have no idea what that feels like!" Talib then took the stage and held it down for hip hop the first night, playing to a packed house at the west side venue, La Zona Rosa, even busting out a little Black Star ("RE:DEFinition").
Lady Sovereign's final set at the festival turned out to be her best (having played just two songs during a daytime set). The pint-sized Adidas lover took the stage in a reasonably timely fashion, tossing her cup of water dangerously close to the photographers in the photo pit. Sov worked her way through a set that included "Hoodie," "Blah Blah," and "Tango," a song about "self-tanners… orange people."
Adventurous attendees seeking out unknown hip hop acts were often rewarded, as was the case with Nova Scotia's Classified. After the three bands before him cancelled, Classified took the stage before a sparse crowd which grew as the show went on. The rapper is a prime example of how an unknown act at SXSW can be a local superstar in their hometown - turns out Classified has been putting out albums since 1997 and is known as one of Halifax's finest.
TEXAS - NOT JUST FOR ROCKERS ANYMORE
With all the attention Texas has been getting (due largely in part to the emergence of the Houston scene featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and others), it's no wonder SXSW's organizers finally realized it was time to step up their hip hop game.
H-Town's own Chamillionaire [READ MORE], who performed this year, as well as in previous years, said including hip hop in a heavy way should have been a no-brainer.
" I think hip hop is getting bigger and bigger by the day and is especially getting a lot more recognition in Texas than before," he said. "There are so many hip hop artists starting to emerge from out of Texas that it would be crazy to do an event as big as SXSW and not include any hip hop. There were hip hop stages at last year's SXSW and I'm sure the fact that there were not any fights and there was a good turnout helped it grow this year."
Given this year's similar lack of violent drama and the festival's yearly growth, expect an even bigger hip hop presence in the years to come. Who knows, maybe Jay-Z can give next year's keynote speech.
To read more on K-OS, Chamillionaire, Big Tuck, and Immortal Technique, read below.
K-OSVibe.com: Have you been to SXSW before?
K-OS: Not as a performer, but last year I saw MIA and Saul Williams.
What performances have you checked out?
I saw The Strokes last night and I've never seen them play. I'm leaving tomorrow so that was my optimum. I wish I could have stayed to see Metric and Morrissey. Seeing the Strokes last night for the first time ever, that was amazing.
Leaving so soon? Are you touring?
No. I'm recording a new record so basically I took two days off to do this so everyone's waiting for me to get back.
Tell us a little about the new album.
It's called Atlantis.. A lot of blues. It's soul, it's a lot of trying to rap over different rhythms. I think with hip hop there are just beats that are stable. You play a certain type of beat and people recognized it in hip hop. The big plan on this record was to use different types of rhythms and be like what if rap existed during the time of Bo Diddley? What would that sound like?
Are you working with anyone else on this album?
I have had a really fun time producing them myself and also learning about music, so my boy Greg O'Shea, he's from Australia. He came in on the last album and engineered and he co-produced on the song 'Crucial.' That sound is sort of the sound I'm going after on this record so he's right there with me on all these songs as an engineer. He can get any drum sound; he's amazing.
You've always written very conscious lyrics. Have you done the same thing on this album?
I focused so much on trying to make the music different on this record that I haven't really started writing lyrics yet but that inspired me to make sure that my lyrics are just as good or on the next level. I think I'm having more fun with it and I think I'm taking opportunities within the song to say something instead of thinking that I have to say something for the whole song. I think that's the big lesson on this record - not trying to make every single thing push an idea. It's not like propaganda or a commercial for what I think. I kind of want to have lines that stick out to people. When I think of people like Tribe [Called Quest] or De La [Soul], or Souls of Mischief or any of those artists I liked growing up. It's like when they cut the music out and said that one line it kind of stuck with me and I think I'm of that school of thought right now.
When can we expect the new album?
Could be September, man. I have 14 songs. I've already written them. I'm basically laying tracks now and in April we're going to start mixing so if we're done by May then Sept for sure.
Vibe.com: Along with your crew the Dirty South Rydaz, you sold 350,000 copies of one of your albums independently. How did you do that?
Big Tuck: We were grinding pretty much. With our own money we hit every city and surrounding areas. Dallas to Houston, Houston to Louisiana, Louisiana to Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas. We were just driving. We brought a whole bunch of our CDs and we would give stores like 10 CDs on consignment. We'd try to sell the CDs and if we didn't sell ‘em we'd give them to the person with the tightest car. A lot of people always gather around the dude who has the tightest car.
We also just spent a bunch of money giving out CDs and people just got familiar with our name. We were drilling our name into their faces. Then they started selling and stores couldn't keep ‘em in.
What's it like being on a major label now?
It pretty much just started over, like the grind we did. We've kind of got to a comfortable spot now that we signed with Universal. We gotta start all the way back from scratch like go back to the same places but I guess that's a good thing. Keeps us working.
Tell us about the new album.
It drops June 13. I have one solo album out called Purple Hook. That was my first solo album. I sold like 175,000 of those so hopefully this next one will do good too. I have Chamillionaire, Bun B, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Erykah Badu on it. Right now I'm looking for a Lil' Jon track.
I see you've got a grill. Did Paul Wall do it?
I did it! I do all the custom pieces like pink diamonds. I switch ‘em up I've got like four different kinds. I got one all yellow, one all blue and one that says ‘Tuck’ on top.
Who else would you want to work with?
I'm a real live artist. I don't want to just do hip hop. I want to be three-dimensional. I want to do some stuff with R. Kelly, Missy, Dre, G-Unit. Everybody. I just want to be everywhere. I love doing this.
The Houston scene got huge this year. Do you think your hometown of Dallas could blow up like that?
We have our own sound. Houston has the syrupy, riding, listen to music. Dallas is ener-super-duper-getic. It's super energized. It's a new sound, new flavor a new twist. There's a couple people that are real hot like Mr. Pookie and Mr. Lucci.
CHAMILLIONAIREVibe.com: What was the SXSW experience like for you?
SXSW was as a very good experience for me again this year. I have performed at previous SXSW events and I always get a lot of love from the fans and a lot of good publicity.
Did you get to see any other acts? If so, which were your favorites?
I heard Devin the dude performed the day after I performed but I didn't get a chance to check him out. I had to leave because I had another show in Bryan/ College Station. I also wanted to check out the Screwed Up Click performance but my schedule didn't allow that.
Your album Sound of Revenge came out in November. Have you been working on a new album?
I haven't been working on any other music but my Mixtape Messiah Part 2 CD, but ill be getting back in the studio during and after tour. I believe in getting the most out my singles so Im gonna push the album until I feel like I can't get anything else out of it. I sold over 500,000 records with one single. I still have a couple more singles to go and a lot more records I can sell. I will drop another album at the end of this year.
What are you doing differently on this one?
Now that I'm a little more established nationally I'll be able to do what I want with this album. I have the public's ear and the label definitely has more confidence in my music now that they are seeing success with my album. I won't say too much about any new album now though. Ill let my music do the talking. I have my swagger tight right now.
You're preparing for a tour with Lil Flip. What can fans expect from your live shows?
They will see a much more personal show than just an average club show. They will have a better feel of who Chamillionaire is and will see a lot of energy. Any fans coming to the tour dates better be ready to work because I'm not gonna allow them to just stand there starin' at my jewelry. They gonna have to work. We are performing in a lot of House of Blues venues so my game will be up a notch.
Immortal Technique
Vibe.com: What was your SXSW experience like? Was it your first time there?
Yeah it was my first time at SXSW but I've been to Texas before and I always had a crazy time while I've been out there. Unfortunately I was just there for one night to do the show I was at and then I bounced out immediately to do a Katrina benefit the next day.
This year, there were more hip hop showcases than ever. Why do you think that is? How can that benefit the genre in general?
Hip Hop is more of a commercial enterprise now, people want to buy into it because they know most artists don't know the business and they can make money off of it. Since the market for major label rap is going stagnant they want to turn to people who rhyme about topics besides the regular 'I sell crack I'm a murderer' fairytales that most niggaz kick on the mic.
I guess it shows that Rap/Hip Hop can be diversified to something other than the stereotypes about Black and Latino males that the industry like to run with. At the same time though if you really lived that life, if you've really spent time in lock up or done dirt on the street and you want to go independent, I could tell you from personal experience this being my situation that it provides an outlet for people to hear your music right next to the people who are considered to be the best of the best from their genre.
You have a new album coming out. What can people expect from this album that is different from the last?
Revolutionary Vol.2 was a very political album and dealt with pretty much just that being that the country was in turmoil over a war and over the recent events of 9/11. But I didn't write it in a preachy way or bore niggaz with some of these oversimplified themes that everyone seems to have now. I guess being a rebel is cool again, people tried to be patriotic - it didn't sell too many records. Now a lot of people are trying this so that's where the industry is. As far as me though, I just created a stronger flow for myself, and diversified the themes to not just be overtly revolutionary but more street oriented with a strong subversive undertone. The beats are more gangsta but the message hasn't lost its direction.
You've been known to speak out on, and have some pretty strong opinions on important social issues including poverty. What is an issue that is particularly important to you right now?
Right now I have been working with these families who have a farm in South Central LA, who provide healthy food for the rest of the ghetto area and who were given the land by the city after the riots. A wealthy developer by the name of Ralph Horowitz using his connections within the city wants to turn the farm into a warehouse or a trash-burning factory. They have threatened these people who want to stay there with eviction, with physical violence and have harassed them non stop.
I am working to bring this issue to light and ask that anyone who can support these people write to the mayor and the city at mayor@lacity.org/councilmember.perry@lacity.org, or call 213-978-0600/213-473-7009, to see to it that in this world where gentrification is rising and where people are eating food that causes cancer we can fight both of those things here. That's what I'm working on now in terms of street work. My album The Middle Passage is coming out soon on Viper Records/Babygrande, mixtape and DVD.
Oh yeah, and I'm buying another farm in Latin America. Fuck a platinum chain! I own land and I answer to no one.
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