Crib Notes

YOUNG, BLACK AND WEIRD: Hollyweerd rocks the Drunken Unicorn.

(Photos by Hannibal M.)

“We on some black hipster shit in here!” announced Wil May, host for the hip-hop showcase “Perfect Attendance.” Yes, it’s true: Atlanta’s black hipsters are back and in full force. For the past several months, they’ve been organizing concerts and parties with the fervor of punk rock bands. Rarely a week goes by without a show featuring either Proton, Gripplyaz or Hollyweerd. Typically, all three were on the Perfect Attendance lineup.

Perfect Attendance was held at the Drunken Unicorn Friday, Feb. 8. It was presented by Fadia Kader’s Come Up Kids crew, and much of the two-hour showcase featured Jaspects as both lead performer and backing band. Several of the scene’s players were either performing or were in the audience, including Battery 5, Kid Kaos and others. Perfect Attendance was just the latest of dozens of events seeking to inflate the ATL hip-hop buzz to record levels, but it was as good an opportunity as any to see what the hype was all about.

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Word on the street is that Janelle Monáe signed with Bad Boy Records last Wednesday. Monáe’s publicist, Nicole Garner of the Garner Circle, could not confirm the news when I spoke to her today. However, she did say that Monáe and her camp should be prepared to offer a statement soon.

Now before you upchuck at the thought of Monáe’s creativity being swallowed whole by the “Diddy machine” and spit out in digestible chunks for mainstream consumption, you should read the statement Monáe posted on her MySpace page Nov. 6, titled “My new career decision is almost here …” in which she addresses such concerns:

I will and can reassure you that I will not be compromising my image or figuring out how I can fit into the mainstream of things. It will not be that kind of situation at all. Any decisions made about me and my image will be because I decided it was cool. In fact, I am not even having discussions with companies who don’t appreciate my artistic direction physically and musically. We are not wasting our time talking to such people.

Click here to read the entire post.

Diddy attended Monáe’s release party for Metropolis Suite I: The Chase at Sugarhill in August.

Click here to see photos of Diddy, Monáe and her Wondaland Arts Society, and Big Boi together.

She’s officially sold 10,000 copies of The Chase, which is pretty damn good considering it was released independently only a few months ago. It seemed like an odd move when Monáe and her camp decided to break her CD, Metropolis, up into four suites to be released over the space of a year, but it looks like it has served its purpose by allowing them to gain steady momentum rather than blowing their whole wad in one thrust.

Media attention has grown right along with her fan base. Our cover on Monáe ran way back in May, which seems like an eon ago now.

Click here to read Mosi Reeves’ story on Janelle Monáe and her Wondaland movement.

Now she’s ready to take over the universe — Wal-Mart included — as she says in her statement:

I have decided that it is time my music be introduced to the Universe. It is time for the W.A.S to take over the lands. It is time that our friends and family be able to come see me perform in your city and physically walk into Walmart and pick up all four suites. It is time for videos and movies to be made. It is time to move forward and take “Metropolis” to greater heights. It’s just time …

Stay tuned for more details.

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Janelle Monáe, an alien from outer space

Last Saturday, I ran into Delvin Franklin, Janelle Monáe’s manager, at the massive FunkJazz Kafé event at the Tabernacle. (More on FunkJazz Kafé in a minute.) The first thing I asked him was, “What’s up with the Metropolis EP?” First it was scheduled for May 23, and then it was pushed back to Aug. 21.

But Franklin promises the EP will come out very soon. Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase is now scheduled for release on Sept. 18. The album artwork, which is reminiscent of Björk’s classic “All Is Full of Love” video, is on display at Monáe’s MySpace page.

And I said, “Whew!” I thought the thing was never going to come out. Still, I ain’t going to believe it until I see it.

If you aren’t hyped about Janelle Monáe yet, read my profile from the May 2 issue of CL here.

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I wanted to make sure I posted this announcement before it’s too late … but former CL cover subject and soul eccentric Janelle Monáe is holding an open casting call for the video to her single “Violet Stars Happy Hunting.” The casting call runs from 4-9 p.m. at Morehouse College’s Sale Hall Chapel. And yes, you are requested to wear some kind of goofy, ’50s-inspired outfit. Further details, taken from a MySpace post she sent out on Sun., July 29, are below.

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