From Arc the Finger to A3C, part 1

Many people within Atlanta’s indie hip-hop world already know that Arc the Finger Records no longer exists. After putting out three albums in 2006 (Cadillac Jones, Collective Efforts and Intellekt & Dirty Digits), the label has been inactive all year. It seemed like it would return once its owners, Brian Knott and Kevin Elphick, reorganized the business. Instead, Arc the Finger Records is officially finished.

Casual readers of Crib Notes may not understand how important Arc the Finger Records was to Atlanta. When I moved here two years ago, Arc the Finger was the only game in town, and the only label consistently mounting quality shows. (Peace to Dropbombz and 4 Kings Entertainment.) Its roster — Psyche Origami, Collective Efforts, Minamina Goodsong and, momentarily, Intellekt & Dirty Digits — was the best of the city’s backpack crop.

But at the dawn of 2008, the backpack era is ending. Proton, Supreeme, Gripplyaz and Yelawolf, all former outcasts in the sometimes conservative indie-rap scene, have put in major work this year, performing dozens of local gigs and cranking out mixtapes. Along with them, and a new wave of artists, including the Dreamer, Clan Destined, Stacy Epps (who just moved back from L.A.), Mojo Swagger and many others, have created a fresh and provocative underground hip-hop scene unencumbered by expectations of keeping it real or rejecting the ever-present mainstream.

Knott acknowledged as much when I conducted an interview with him last week. “As a record label, when I think about our legacy, what we accomplished was to define a specific era in Atlanta underground hip-hop,” he told me. “As this year ends, and our record label’s done putting out those records, now we’re curious as to who will define this next era of what comes out of here.”

Yes, it appears that underground hip-hop is finally coming back and reinventing itself. But don’t forget that Arc the Finger kept the scene alive when it was at its weakest point and, to be frank, a lot of those aforementioned acts were sitting on their ass and not doing shows. Love it or hate it, the label made its mark in local rap history.

Initially, my conversation with Knott was not only going to include details of ATF’s demise, but a preview of the upcoming A3C Festival, which takes place March 20-22 at the CW Atlanta complex. However, Knott says he has some exciting news about the festival, and he can’t reveal the official details until sometime during the next several days.

So this interview is split into two installments. The first covers Arc the Finger. I’ll post part 2, which encompasses A3C, when Knott is ready to make the announcement.