Crib Notes

Even in death, Christopher “Jax” Thurston affirms that the spirit of hip-hop lives and breathes.

This week’s CL cover story on Atlanta underground hip-hop legend and Binkis Recs founder Jax — who collapsed on stage and died while performing at Lenny’s Bar on the morning of Nov. 4 — is expanded online to include excerpts of exclusive interviews with:

• Craig “Flux” Singleton — Binkis Recs’ co-founder and Jax’s best friend
• Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest and DJ Rasta Roots — who collaborated with Jax
• DJ Drama — Binkis Recs’ first DJ before he went on to form the Aphilliates and create Gangsta Grillz
• Cognito of Massinfluence — who hired Jax at the now-closed record store Fat Beats and performed with him regularly as part of Atlanta’s late ’90/early 2000s underground massive
  
• Jayforce — host of 89.3’s (WRFG-FM) Beatz & Lyrics show
• Señor Kaos — Jax’s protégé
• Lisa Thurston — Jax’s newlywed wife of two and a half months
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Thurston — Jax’s parents of Queens, NY
  

Other features include:

• Exclusive music — Jax Forever King MP3 mix by Binkis Recs’ DJ Mafioso
• YouTube footage — including Jax’s video for “Who’s Jax”
• Links to Jax tributes — aired on 89.3’s Beatz & Lyrics show and 89.9’s (WKCR-FM in New York) Smash Radio

The story also includes quotes from DJ and underground hip-hop tastemaker Bobbito. If you never knew anything about Jax — or Atlanta’s other hip-hop scene — get familiar.

R.I.P. Jax Forever King. Hip-hop lives.

Download Jax’s solo catalog and Binkis Recs’ catalog at iTunes.

(Photo courtesy Craig Singleton)

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Today’s Air Loaf features Max Arbes and CL’s Rodney Carmichael talking about Christopher “Jax” Thurston of Atlanta’s legendary underground hip-hop crew Binkis Recs. Jax collapsed onstage at Lenny’s on Nov. 4 and was later pronounced dead at Grady Hospital.

Air Loaf is broadcast weekdays on 1690 WMLB-AM at approximately 8:10 a.m., 12:20 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.

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Read “The heart of Atlanta’s indie rap scene beats on: Christopher “Jax” Thurston, 1976-2008.”

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(Illustration by Shawn “H2O” Bailey)

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Remembering JAX, a benefit show in memory of Jax of Binkis Recs, is scheduled for Saturday, November 8 to raise funds for his family. $10 donation. 3-6 p.m. Lenny’s, 486 Decatur St. 678-760-9152.

Performers will include Clan Destined, Eddie Meeks, Senor Kaos, Ekundayo, Stahhr tha F.E.M.C.E.E., Great Scott, Mojo Swagger, Dropbombz, Melaphyre, Marq Spekt, Transistor Fist, Ozy, Jaws of Life, and Ness Lee. DJs: Mafioso, Fudge, Synthesis, and Rock Most.

Though the door price is $10, concert-goers are encouraged to contribute more. In addition, Jax’s wife, Lisa, will also be accepting contributions via her PayPal account, according to the show flier. To access, enter her email address, ejwatts77@yahoo.com.

Check out the Binkis Recs blog for classic footage of Jax breaking down his lyrics, performing, and featuring in videos.

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Editor’s note: Christopher “Jax” Thurston collapsed onstage and died of natural causes due to hypertension, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office. He was 32.

Read CL’s Dec. 3, 2008 cover story on Jax, with exclusive interview excerpts from family, friends and collaborators.

Jax of Atlanta’s legendary indie hip-hop crew Binkis Recs suffered a heart attack collapsed while onstage at Lenny’s last night and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.

According to close friend and Binkis crew member Flux da Wondabat, Jax was performing the title track from his 2007 solo album, Sharper Images.

“He was performing onstage and he just passed out in the middle of his verse,” said Flux. “We went to the emergency room and then they came out and gave us the word.”

Formed in 1997, the Binkis Recs trio (Jax, Flux, Killa Kalm) quickly established itself as a true alternative to the commercial, crunk sound that defined Atlanta near the end of the millennium.

“Atlanta is weird because it’s two scenes,” N.Y. native Jax told CL in 2005. “It’s the natives and the transplants. And the scene that most people know — the OutKast and Ludacris — are all from here. A lot of us on the underground level are from somewhere else.”

The group’s name still speaks volumes — the acronym BINKIS stands for “Before Ignorant Niggas Killed Intelligent Songs.” They released several CDs, including 2003’s The Reign Begins. Though most failed to register commercially, their impact among Atlanta’s independent hip-hop scene is still felt.

“Binkis Recs paved the way for what a lot of younger Atlanta hip-hop musicians are able to do right now,” says former ATF Records label mate and friend, J-Mil of Collective Efforts. “A lot of people don’t even know that DJ Drama got his start with these brothers.”

While he was reminiscent of rap’s golden era, Jax believed in pushing music forward, as evidenced by these lyrics from the song “Shift,” featured on his ’07 release: “‘88 is not coming back/Nobody can replace Rakim or G. Rap/Slick Rick or Kane/’94’s gone/You can’t imitate Nas, Biggie or the Wu-Tang/It’s just not the same/What you should do is take lessons from the eras passed/The eras made/And apply it to your own era/Leave a legacy using your own lyrical weaponry.”

Jax had recently purchased a home with his fiancé, whom he planned to marry before year’s end.

“A lot of people forget what kind of sacrifices independent artists make in an attempt to give people options in music. Jax gave his life to the culture, and that’s a hard thing to do,” says J-Mil. “While I want to celebrate his life, I can’t help but miss the brother. I know I’m not alone.”

As for Flux and the Binkis Recs crew, “personally, he meant everything. He embodies what Binkis is; he was Binkis,” says Flux. “As far as hip-hop is concerned, that’s what Binkis is and what hip-hop is. We just continued on with the creativity and enjoyed doing it and having fun.”

Click here to see more photos of Jax.
Click here to visit Jax’s MySpace page.
Click here to listen to music from Jax.

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