underground hip hop

Preach Jacobs "Frances" Album Listening Party

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

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.