Words and Flicks by Sade Joseph

It was a female dominated night as Shyvonne, Jasmine Solano, Zoe Kravtiz and J Davey rocked the mic on Tuesday, June 21st at Prospect Heights’ underground music venue, Southpaw. Solano’s opening words herself commented on the evening’s all star line-up, in which she shot out the talented “fly Bohemian chic rap city bitches” that would be taking over the stage that night. Her words proved true as the talented urbanistas blew the audience away with their powerful rhymes, lyrics and DJ sets. Shyvonne, the lesser-known act still delivered as her sass, bright turquoise hair, and back up dancers kept the crowd on their feet. Solano was up next, stepping from behind the DJ booth to spit her old school hip-hop styled songs. The Brooklyn-based rapper is more commonly known for her DJ work at parties throughout NYC, and has gained a large following in the process. The crowd responded with resounding enthusiasm to Solano’s stage presence and performance, excited to see her take command of the stage.

Elevator Flight followed, whose wings were guided by the petite and vintage clad, Kravitz on vocals and tambourine. With her bottle of Jim Bean close at her feet, Kravtiz sang with deep emotion and rock soul. The set was lively as the band rocked out; dancing and jiving on stage, Kravtiz eventually kicking off her shoes and going barefoot, and guitarist Dominic Angelella jumping into the audience for a solo. This was the first time the band had played together in over a year, and the crowd couldn’t get enough of them. Father, Lenny Kravitz, proudly watched the performance from the back of the room in VIP, along with Drake, who has long been a fan and admirer of Zoe.

After much anticipation, and a treat from special guest Greg Nice, the headlining band J Davey finally graced the room, and it was their performance that shook the house. The duo, accompanied by Def Sound, worked it – with Jack Davey (Briana Cartwright) on vocals and Brook D’Leau providing the beats behind the DJ booth and on drums. Most memorable was the band’s rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and it was their spirit and energy in Southpaw that evening that had everyone wanting more.

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Last Tuesday night, ya girl VivaSkool trucked down to Brooklyn from the Upper Westside along with Far Fetched Future &  few of my friends to hit the Big KRIT x Freddie Gibbs x Smoke DZA show at South Paw in Park Slope. The place was packed – the line stretched to the corner.  Waiting outside I could hear Smoke DZA rocking the stage. Granted, I was upset at the prospect of missing DZA’s performance, but I would be far more heartbroken if I were to miss Freddie Gibbs and K.R.I.T.’s sets.

Both rappers are amazing and although their classic mixtapes and performances suggest that they are seasoned veterans in the game, they are both relative newcomers. Both rappers exhibit scholarly diction, complex rhyme patterns and flawless breath control; and you can hear the impact years of studying Southern Rap has influenced their styles. Not to mention last June Big K.R.I.T., who had only an ounce of buzz at the time, was booed off stage attempting to perform “Country Shit” at a Jay Electronica/Joell Ortiz show in Chelsea.

I had no doubt that tonight would be different and he’d be embraced by Brooklynites with the success of two classic mixtape and a buzz thats grown since he joined the Freshmen Class. When I got through the side door (S/O to the bro AL) the sold out show was packed from front to back, but I managed to make my way to the front of the stage as DZA was wrapping up.

Freddie Gibbs performed shirtless with the fervor of Tupac and a swag overflowing with Gangsta Sh*t. As a performer Gibbs is hard-as-rusty-nails, his deep baritone voice growling with hunger. When Gibbs performed his hit “The Ghetto,” Brooklyn went wild.

Gibbs is one of the realest artists I’ve ever had the opportunity to interview hands down. He spoke from the heart and with the wisdom of a veteran in the game. He took shots at the fake rappers in the industry, namely Lil B and his gimmicks for attention;  talked about his dedication to craft; and give his opinion on rap in the internet age (Check out the audio below). Expect new releases from Gibbs – now signed to CTE – to be raw and gritty like UGK or Goodie Mob.

Big K.R.I.T’s performance can be defined as poetry in motion smiling and grinning with appreciation for being well-receieved. From one song to the next, the Mississippi native would recite well-crafted poetic conversational interludes. He shared the stories behind the music, giving the crowd wisdom to take back home. It was spectacular.

As a performer K.R.I.T. is energetic, spastic, and the look in his eyes showed his passion and dedication for his craft. The the crowd was at his whim in sync with his rhythm. He performed ‘Country Shit’ again and the crowd roared in excitement. And I caught K.R.I.T. smiling  from cheek to cheek. He also did his songs ‘Children of the World,’ ‘Glass House,’ ‘Time Machine,’ ‘No Wheaties,’ ‘Moon and Stars,’ ‘Something’ and many more.

I caught up with K.R.I.T as he was hopping in his van to leave, and he stopped what he was doing to show me love and shouted out STR8NYC. When an artist takes time to make their fans feel important they deserve respect.

Freddie Gibbs Interview Pt. 1

Freddie Gibbs Interview Pt. 2

Peace x Love

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Photos: @FarFetchdFuture

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