Crib Notes

Originally making a name for himself as part of Philadelphia’s Hollertronix music collective, Diplo has gone on to become a sought-after solo DJ and producer. He’s worked with and remixed the likes of M.I.A., Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Radiohead, Britney Spears and Atlanta’s own Black Lips. He also toured as a member of Santigold’s band, opening for Bjork.

This weekend, however, Diplo — who also owns the Mad Decent record label — brings his mix of funk, electro, dub, drum-n-bass and South American beats to town for a headlining set at Lenny’s. Known for providing sets that are equal parts psychedelia, hip-hop, reggae and alterna-rock mash-up, Diplo has already impressed local crowds numerous times and established himself as a tastemaker for indie and electro fans across the nation.

Expect an eclectically energetic set of manipulative blips and heavy beats from one of the biggest stars in the underground dance music scene. Not many DJs can bring a punk rock attitude to turntablism and knob-twiddling the way Diplo does.

Diplo with Hollyweerd and Muffy. $15. 9 p.m. Fri., May 1. Lenny’s Bar, 486 Decatur St. 404-577-7721.

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For this edition of Roll Call, we call out Atlanta’s glam-pop mistress, Muffy.

Who are you?
I’m MUFFY … The most Delicious Yummie treat ever made in ATLANTA … Sweeter than Krispy Kreme.

Describe yourself in three words.
CRAZY SEXY KOOL … like TLC.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
I know this is probably on everyone’s to-meet wish list, but I would like to meet the first black president in America. We all know who he is. I Just want to see if he is real or just an illusion.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
GOODness … Who is singular but I wanna Smack a Bunch of Who’s … Like all those haters and dream snatchers and all those who’s that don’t have their own dreams and don’t believe in themselves and think they want your for their own. I wanna smack some faith in their heads.

What song do you wish you had written?
Gwen Stefani’s “Yummie,” and Remy Ma’s “I’m Conceited.” I’m not conceited but I just felt like that could have been such a yummie playful song. I wish I would have thought of it first. Goodness. One more. Kate Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.” That song really set her off. I love it. It’s so Madonna-ish. I could have freaked that song.

Michael Jackson or George Michael?
Micheal Jackson. He was the first American Black president. (giggles)

LP, CD or MP3?
MP3. I live in my Lappppp — top that is. MP3s are easier and it seems like I’m always sending them to someone or the other.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
My trend would be a hug trend. Where people wave and and give lots of hugs and focus on LOVEing everyone.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
COPY KATting. It doesn’t help individuals reach their fullest potential. Being inspired by or taking inspiration from is cool. But Copy Katting has always been a sucky trend to me. Like since 1st grade.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
I really wish I could tell you but I might get myself in trouble…. So i will just say I never played that game. (giggles) What happens after you spin the bottle?

Muffy performs at tonight’s J. Dilla vs. Prince show at Sugarhill, featuring Hollyweerd, Brittany Bosco, Tony Towerz, Gripplyaz, Jay West, Fiona Simone, Jneiro Jarel and Kevin Lamar. Live art by Dosa Kim, Miya Bailey, Dubelyoo, Mr. Soul, Jus10, Occasional Superstar. DJs Jamad and Wreckineyez. FREE w/complimentary passes available at Moods Music, Sk8tique, Standard, City of Ink, Marco’s Pita. Donations accepted on behalf of the mother of the late J. Dilla. Sugarhill, 50 Upper Alabama St. 404-658-0068. www.sugarhillatl.com. All music played/performed and all art created will be inspired, influenced, produced, composed or arranged by J. Dilla or Prince.

(Photo courtesy Muffy)

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“Retail Girls” was recorded in the spring 2008 at The Living Room, by Ed Rawls and Justin McNeight. The song mashes up the music of polyrhythymic funk of Noot d’ Noot and the down South vocal stylings of Grip Plyaz and the pop whir of Muffy. All three parties were brought into the studio for a musical endeavor that was spearheaded by Atlanta DJ Rob Wonder A.K.A. “No Static At All.”

To listen to the song, click here.

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NEW DISCLAIMER!!!!!
Remember in my first blog when I said I’d try to express my opinions without getting beat up by some gangster rapper I might run into someday? Well now I’m gonna try and do that without getting beat up by some Hipster rapper that I def will, and HAVE, run into. I know some of y’all are waaaay more hood than hipster and are just trying to get paid, but if any of you all have a problem with my words it’s not Creative Loafing, crib notes, Godney Starmichael, RAD BADFORD, Supreeme, or any of them. It’s me and my rants again. And white people, I know you’re really sensitive about race these days…so this one’s not about race or gender or sex….Its just about music!!!

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: HIPSTER HOP, THE SUB-GENRE THAT I’M NOT SURE EXISTS
Being a skinny rapper who isn’t “socially conscious” or dealing coke on record (in real life I’m a Huey P. Newton idolizing Tony Montana), I had a deep seated fear of being lumped into what is now called Hipster Hop. It seems as if anyone whose clothing fits and doesn’t rap about the struggle or the hustle gets lumped into that scategory. For those of you who don’t know, the term hipster no longer only applies to white kids who did psychedelic drugs and listened to Miles Davis. Now it applies to Filipino dudes in exclusive Japanese tees and sneakers, cokehead art student chix who only like “dance music” (cocaine robot remixes), gender ambiguous dudes with fancy haircuts and American Apparel shirts, weird black guys with messy perms who AREN’T hairdressers, and pretty much most people @ DSC, Sloppy blah, Cinespace (LA), Silent Barn (NYC), Sway (NYC), Broke n…Bang Bang blah blah blah.

The term is used almost haphazardly to describe people who often don’t have that much in common. A wave of rappers are coming out of this 238 BPM fashion-cocaine-Macbook-Japan-MySpace-based miniverse who are being called Hipster Hop. My friends and I debate if this subgenre has any signifying sonic markers. I am going to attempt to pinpoint what separates hipster hop from the rest of rap.

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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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