We had a blast hosting an intimate listening party for Preach Jacobs (Columbia, SC) & his vinyl release of “Frances” at the studio. Big thanks to everyone that dropped in!!!
Here’s a few snaps from the evening courtesy of Shante Slagle.
BeatFreaq feat. Scott Slagle + The Mighty DJ DR / Sunday, Oct 16th
BeatFreaq : A Creatives Kickback
For all the creators and lovers of the arts especially those who love the beats....
If you missed the Freaquency360 Live series, we are still here and this is your 2.0 with a twist. This creative kickback will focus on producers and beatmakers, but it will include guests and showcases featuring folks from the music and arts industry. All photographers, writers, video directors, visual artists, rappers, singers, and fans are invited to vibe, network, and enjoy a chill-ass Sunday afternoon. As the venue grows, I will be inviting A&Rs, label folks, creative directors, artists, engineers, and more. Let's build something the whole community will benefit from.
This episode we will be speaking with two pillars of the music community. Engineer, musician, label owner, DJ and owner of 50/11 bucket hats :).... Scott "Flock of Slagles” Slagle.
Along with Scott we will have DJ, producer Diarra "DR" Mayfield telling his story and doing a beat set of his otherwordly compositions....
THE BEATS:
While there are scheduled beat performances, we will have a roulette-style pass the aux. Bring your peeps and bang some beats!! There will be no old vs. young, or experienced vs. newbies. All genres of beats are welcome. Just bring your best stuff and if you need work, our job isn't to tear you down - we want to help you reach your full potential. As humans and communal beings, we are meant to learn from each other.
A. Bring 2- 4 beats on a hard drive ( we will not aux you in ) the dj will play your tracks.
B. We will pick folks throughout the event to rock randomly throughout the event (roulette style), so come early. Sign ups for the beats ends at 5:00. There will be a cut off on the amount of beatmakers (so if we are full before 5pm) you may not be able to play.
THE VENDORS:
Freaquency360 / A Fly Girls world (Apparel)
Nature's Joy and Wellness (Natural healing, Sea Moss /Sorrell Bevs. Wellness)
BodyDecor (Crystals, Jewelry)
Starlight on 22nd (Dranks)
Freaquency360 / Freddie Ray (Glizzy's and thangs)
THE VENUE:
BeatFreaq is 3-7 PM @
Starlight on 22nd
422 E 22nd St., Charlotte, NC 28206
**parking is across the street**
AmirSaysNothing w/ Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon + Nige Hood + Psykof / February 12th
This Saturday night at The World Famous Milestone.
AmirSaysNothing and
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon
with special guests Psykof and Nige Hood
Bar opens @ 6pm / show starts @ 9pm
18 & up
No one admitted w/out valid photo ID (no exceptions) / masks required inside when not actively eating or drinking.
$12 in advance / $12 day of show (+$2 surcharge for under 21 collected @ the door)
buy advance tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../amirsaysnothing-w-lord-jah...
The World Famous Milestone Club (est. 1969)
3400 Tuckaseegee Road (between Karendale & Glenwood)
Charlotte, North Carolina 28208
Kil Ripkin & Jah Freedom feat. Supreme "Train"
Alright………All of this new music from Jah Freedom + Kil Ripkin is FINALLY about to drop - the album is all wrapped up & turned in (& the release date will be announced very soon)!!!
The guys have dropped “Train” featuring Supreme today to get everyone ready!!!
Check it out below.
The N.A.T.I.V.E.S. "Stankface Music // 4am Dope"
This one was a long time coming y’all, and The N.A.T.I.V.E.S. "Stankface Music // 4am Dope" is finally out!!!
The whole squad went HARD on this 10-track project (featuring production from D.R.U.G.S. Beats, Jah Freedom & FLLS with features from Mason Parker, Bluz & more…).
Available exclusively on Bandcamp now! Go get it!
Dirty Art Club "Future-Zine"
We wrapped up the latest EP from Dirty Art Club a few weeks back & “Future-Zine” dropped for streaming today. Check it out here on Spotify.
To be honest, I’ve really been wanting to work on one of these projects since they 1st started doing them. I’ve always felt like I could bring something useful to the table. Well, it finally happened & we’re all super-pleased with the way it turned out!
I can’t wait to get him back in the studio to see what’s next……
If you’re unfamiliar, listen to some of the previous releases from Dirty Art Club here on Spotify or purchase on Bandcamp.
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon "Beautifully Black"
Soooooo, “Beautifully Black” is finally out & the response has been awesome so far!!! I’m so stoked that people are responding to it (exactly in the way that we hoped they would) & you KNOW that I can’t wait for the vinyl release in 2022!!!
Working on this project has been a pleasure & I’ve seen how hard Jah-Monte is working right now & I’m telling you………the dude is just getting warmed up.
Check it out here on Bandcamp & a slightly “abbreviated” version on Spotify.
From Pitchfork:
”It’s hard to pick out a single track; it’s best to run straight through and wait for a Navy sample chop or Jah-Monte line that will have you smashing the rewind button. But the intro, “The Missing Link”, sets the stage. Navy’s loop is as comforting as your grandparents’ home-cooked meal, and Jah-Monte uses it as a canvas to flex his chops. In the first half his dizzying flow feels like you’re stuck in a mental maze, but then he switches on a dime, pausing to take a breather between each candid reflection.”
This is the official description from the Bandcamp page:
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon levels up again on new album “Beautifully Black”, entirely produced by fellow underground legend Navy Blue. Navy would be a premier choice for collaboration for anyone who knows their rap music, but with someone as talented as Jah-Monte on the mic the results outclass any expectations with ease. Navy’s production is smooth and luxurious, a perfect fit for someone of Jah-Monte’s rapping calibre. The two part “The Missing Link / The Sneaky Link” is exemplary of this style, the MC’ing in top form but also giving plenty of breathing space for the classically-influenced beat. Not only does Navy match his energy on each of these 11 tracks, he also creates a kind of cohesion often missing on full albums from single rapper/producer combos. It’s been a while since the last time Jah-Monte tapped in with a single artist like this, so to position himself alongside Navy like this is a move that feels as calculated as it does organic.
”Tried Your Best” and “Telfar & Karl Kani” feature the very talented Kelly Moonstone, a rapper well worth mentioning for her contributions here because her chemistry with both Jah-Monte and Navy results in two of the best tracks on the record. There’s other features here too (including a standout contribution from Navy himself), but it’s on these tracks that the album’s strongest suite of songs emerges. The beats here really are beautiful, reminding us once again that when it comes to artists with incredible and consistent work rates Navy is right there alongside Jah-Monte himself. In many senses then, this is the perfect album for the two to release at this point in time. 2021 has well and truly belonged to the scene that the two inhabit, and as two of its most proficient members they deserve all of the acclaim that they receive. The fact the last song is titled “Complex & Pitchfork Opinions” should tell listeners everything that they need to know about Jah-Monte’s place in the game, and the further greatness that is undoubtedly to follow.
Check some previous releases from Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon here & Navy Blue here.
Upcoming Releases from Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon & Kil Ripkin
I’m super stoked that we’ve just wrapped up 2 really great Hip-Hop projects this week!
We finished “Beautifully Black", a 11-track release with Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon and Navy Blue on production. The stripped back, jazzy chops support Jah-Monte’s voice perfectly & features guest spots from MESSIAH! & more.
This album will be available for streaming on all the standard streaming platforms in a few weeks……..with a vinyl release following soon behind! Seriously, many of y’all will already know, but this guy is so prolific right now - he won’t slow down!!! It’s been pretty inspiring to watch what’s been happening over the past few years for him & his team.
You can check out previous releases from Jah-Monte here & Navy Blue here.
”Self Medicate” from Kil Ripkin is a 10-track album with production from Jah Freedom & features from Skyzoo, Torae & more. Tbh, we finished “Self Medicate” just before the pandemic shut everything down. Of course it became clear really fast that Kil & Jah would have to put things on pause while they figured out how to deal with the situation (like everyone else). Soooooo, when we were not as busy at the studio, I decided to completely remix the album while we waited for the best time to release it. I think it turned out amazing & it’s finally time to let it out!!!
Check some previous releases from Kil Ripkin here & Jah Freedom here.
It’s worth noting that both of these projects feature the artist with a singular producer. It really keeps the vision unified & cohesive throughout the respective album (and not this disjointed “compilation-sound” when the tracks are coming from everywhere).
I feel like there’s a natural flow that is is just THERE on projects like this.
“U Da Party" DamarTheEmcee
“U Da Party” is the 1st single from DamarTheEmcee’s Rejuvenation & U. This is the second 13 song full-length we’ve done together over the past few years - his beat selection is always on point & I’ve always loved the unique way he kind of smoothly just floats around the tracks.
Give the project a listen!!!
Illmind BLAP:CAM 029 @ Asylum Digital
We hosted I!!mind in the studio a few weeks back for his Pass the Aux production workshop. It went well, was informative & everyone had a great time!!!
Here are some highlights from the evening via the Blap-cam....
Special thanks to Roger Cooper for assisting on this date.