Crib Notes

I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. Señor Kaos is the hardest working man among Atlanta’s true school.

Case in point: Last Saturday, after performing an opening set for Killer Mike and Slaughterhouse at the Loft, dude was working the exit door, passing out fliers at the end of the show. This Saturday, Oct. 3 at East Atlanta Icehouse, he opens for Killer Mike and Rakim for the A3C Festival main event.

Somewhere between his double hustles, he found time to shoot a video for “Automatic Classic” (dir. Mike Moore) and record a tribute to De La Soul with Von Pea (of Tanya Morgan) and Homeboy Sandman, titled “20 Years High & Rising.” It’s the second leak off his new project Walk Softly and Carry a Big Brick, which drops tomorrow via the Smoking Section.

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Remember Don Imus’ “nappy-headed hoes” comment? Señor Kaos does.

Directed and produced by Eljay Williams, this episode of “The Stand On Demand” features underground Atlanta’s ultimate hustler and MC, Señor Kaos, who shares the inspiration behind his song “Girls Rock Too,” featured on his Swagger is Nothing, Talent is Everything ’08 mixtape.

The mini documentary series, a Comcast cable OnDemand exclusive, highlights Atlanta’s underrepresented hip-hop culture. This episode, shot last year, is no longer available through the cable provider so Kaos is showcasing it on his Vimeo page.

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On Saturday, July 11, Crib Notes caught up with veteran Atlanta-based MC Señor Kaos during the video shoot for his Illastrate-produced single “Automatic Classic” off the Swagger is Nothing, Talent is Everything project he released not long ago. He talks about how Jax’s passing motivated him to return to the stage.

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The Smoking Section has long been regarded as an in-depth source of information about your favorite underground hip-hop artists. Recently TSS featured Atlanta’s own Señor Kaos. The artist formerly known as Kid Kaos has been a veteran of the Atlanta underground scene for over a decade releasing his first album while still in high school at age 17.

TSS presents Smoking Sessions with Señor Kaos.

During the interview he talks about how a lack of resources presents a challenge for indie hip-hop artists in the city of Atlanta.

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Arguably no on else among Atlanta’s hip-hop scene embodies the phrase “keep it moving” more than Señor Kaos. So much so, in fact, that at times it’s hard keeping up with him before he’s on to the next thing.

Before I could post this remix of Jaspects’ “Fallin” featuring Kaos’ extended verse, I heard the news that the he’d been profiled on BBC Radio’s 1Xtra by DJ Sarah Love.

Internationally known, locally respected. Unbossed and unsigned. He speaks on it in a raw, emotional verse, touching on everything from the 2008 loss of his friend and mentor Jax of Binkis Recs to his beef with labels that seem more interested in defining him than signing him.

Kaos performs tonight with Camp Lo, Binkis Recs, Catalyst & Ty-Vicious. Hosted by Fort Knox with DJs Jared Alan, Bill Steady, and Mafioso. $10. 10 p.m. Cenci, 1259 Glenwood Ave. 404-627-0533.

Jaspects, “Fallin” feat. Señor Kaos

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Call it a study in contrasts.

These two Atlanta-based artists — and their respective videos — couldn’t be further removed from one another, contextually-speaking. That’s exactly why we’re pairing them up in this post.

Senor Kaos’ new video for the “Girls Rock Too Remix” is illustrated by the words he raps in this ode to the historic accomplishments of the opposite sex. Directed by Jeanius Media and produced by Illastrate, it’s release is timed with Women’s History Month.

Gucci Mane’s new video for “Stoopid” is animated — most likely due to the rapper’s ongoing incarceration. The song is about the lavish lifestyle Mane lives, and the video features him evading police after breaking out of jail to cruise the town and indulge.

Two alternative videos from two very different rappers. Even though you’d never hear them on the same radio station, it’s interesting to put them side-by-side and consider the range of rap music coming out of Atlanta.

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Some people separate their day jobs from their night gigs. For Senor Kaos, hip-hop is a full-time hustle. Voted Atlanta’s best hip-hop artist of 2008 by 89.3’s Beatz and Lyrics show, he also doubles as a show promoter and blogger (TheKaosEffect.com). He recently interviewed Atlanta indie rap group Collective Efforts — which released it’s latest EP, Time for Hope, in 2008 and plans to follow up with a full album this year.

The video was recorded at their home — which Kaos affectionately refers to as “the Collective Efforts mansion” — and previews new music produced by Diamond D. They talk about upcoming CE projects, collaborations and what it felt like to step on stage to perform for 10,000 screaming festival-goers at Bonnaroo.

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Last week, the Beatz & Lyrics Show on 89.3 (WRFG-FM) pronounced Senor Kaos the Best Atlanta-based Hip-Hop Artist of 2008 — aka the 2008 Jax Award.

Kaos — who released his Swagger is Nothing, Talent is Everything mixtape late last year — was a protege of Jax, the Atlanta-based MC who passed in ’08.

The rest of the nominees in that category were: Stacy Epps, Dillon, Jaws of Life, Stanza.

Other category winners among the Beatz and Lyrics Show year-end lists included:

Best hip-hop album — Nas, Untitled
Top commercial rap album — T.I., Paper Trail
Top female hip-hop artist — Jean Grae
Best mixtape of 2008 — Nas, The Nigger Mixtape
Lyricist of the year — Crooked I
Most slept-on album — Fat Joe, The Elephant in the Room
Top all-around album from a producer — 88-Keys, The Death of Adam
Most popular beat or track — “Swagger Like Us,” produced by Kanye West
Alley Oop/ Most assists award — T-Pain
Producer of the year — Black Milk
Best DJ album — DJ Revolution, King of the Decks
Biggest commercial rap song of the year — Lil Wayne, “Lollipop”
10 year+ veterans who should have no business retiring award — Scarface
Best new artists to watch for in 2009 — Wale
Best of the alternative/ hip-hop influenced albums — Santogold, Santogold
Best R&B/ soul album — Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Pt. 1 (4th World War)

See the full lists and listen to the show: Beatz & Lyrics Show with Jayforce

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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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For this edition of Roll Call, we call out Señor Kaos.

Who are you?
Señor Kaos formerly known as K.I.D. Kaos

Describe yourself in three words.
K.I.D. — Keen, Independent, Diplomatic.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
The creator of Mistic Tropical Fruit Punch drink

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Right now, Sarah Palin for wasting everyone’s time.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Summertime,” Dj Jazzy Jeff And Fresh Prince. Them brothas are still seeing NICE royalty checks off that joint.

Kid Creole or Kid Cudi?
Kid Creole All Day! Light Skin Brothas are Back!!!

LP, CD or MP3?
LP — Vinyl for sound quality. MP3 for convenience.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
I’m starting the download Kaos’ “Swagger Is Nothing, Talent Is Everything” mixtape trend.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Sagging! Pull ya pants up!!!

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Lauren London, Eva Mendez, and Stacey Dash.

TOTAL KAOS…
Download: Swagger is Nothing, Talent is Everything
Watch: “Girls Rock Too” video
Read: TheKaosEffect.com blog
Peep: Kaos’ baby photo — Happy Belated

Catch Señor Kaos live at Spread Love: Kemit & Friends with DJs Kemit, Doc and Talib Shabazz. Featuring performances by Kaos, Rita J, Philipia and Burn Unit. Fri., Nov. 28 (and every 4th Friday). Cenci, 1259 Glenwood Ave. 404-627-0533.

(Photo courtesy Señor Kaos)

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SEE MORE PHOTOS OF ATLANTA INDIE MUSIC FESTIVAL @ SIDESHOWATLANTA.COM

Saturday, Oct. 8

Near the end of the scheduled seven-hour Atlanta Indie Music Festival on Saturday night, I experienced an epiphany: Hipster girls have zero booty meat.

No, that ain’t it. Just one observation among many made as I stood in the half-full parking lot adjacent to the Bench, watching trains crawl by at 5 mph in the backdrop while some of Atlanta’s finest took the stage in 40 degree weather.

Soon after the smell of hot skunk wafted into the crowd from the fire set in an industrial-strength drum by a member of Mach 5, it struck me. Hip-hop needs air to breathe. Never before had Supreeme seemed so precocious, as Shaka performed “The Best Years” shirtless. And Hollyweerd celebrated its one-year anniversary by striking a balance between controlled and chaotic, perhaps for the first time.

Still, the music (Gripplyaz, Jaspects, Mike Flo, Señor Kaos, Yelawolf, Newberry Jam, Flyy Academy, Kidz in the Hall, Brittany Bosco, etc.) was secondary to the family reunion vibe. For all the talk of Atlanta’s emerging rap scene being too trendy, it was inspiring to see the next generation lose its cool.

Now somebody please feed those skinny girls some chicken.

(Photo by Alan Friedman)

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No, we haven’t been snoozing on Atlanta’s soul scene. Just nodding a bit — head-nodding, that is.

But seriously, a lot has been happening while we’ve been busy keeping you up to date on all things underground hip-hop and rock in the city.

In case you still haven’t heard, India.Arie has a new label deal, SoulBird Records, under Universal Republik; and the first artist she signed is her homeboy, Anthony David. His first release, Acey Ducey, is due in stores June 24. It’ll be an amalgamation of the best tracks from his previous releases (2004’s Three Chords and the Truth and 2006’s Red Clay Chronicles).

So, while I was on Anthony David’s MySpace blog — which I check out darn near every day ’cause he’s always got something thought-provoking or just stupid funny to post/say — I saw that he had posted Algebra Blessett’s new video for “Run and Hide.” So I had to jack it from his page and post it above. (I’m pretty sure neither one of them will mind.)

After you peep that, check out the recent stories CL ran on both Anthony David and Algebra Blessett.

What else, might you ask, is going on in Atlanta’s soul scene? Well, besides the must-see Harmony in Life monthlies (the next one is Sat., May 24) and Joi’s Tuesday Night Jam sessions at Sugarhill, a whole helluva lot. But we’re gonna give it to you in bits and pieces so you keep coming back for more. I’ve definitely got my eye on ChantaeCann, who is supposed to be working on her debut album with P.J. Morton — another cat who deserves a head nod.

And I can’t wait to tell y’all about Sarafina. Later, I promise.

Here are some happenings you should check out this weekend:

Heston and Julie Dexter perform A Tribute to Bob Marley, featuring music by Swatt Band. $12. Sat., May 10. 9 p.m. Sugarhill in Underground Atlanta, 50 Upper Alabama St. 404-658-0068. www.sugarhillatl.com.

Atlanta Unplugged featuring Salakida. Sat., May 10. 9 p.m. Lattetude Bar and Bistro, 501 Dekalb Industrial Way. In lieu of door cover, bring used DVDs for donation to cancer patients at Emory Winship Cancer Institute. 404-298-8787. www.lattetudebistro.com.

Creative Control: Legends Edition presents A Tribute to Mary J. Blige. DJ Shakim, DJ Applejac and DJ Grandman spin 16 years worth of classics, remixes and rarities! $10 (Ladies $5 before midnight). 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Cenci, 1259 Glenwood Ave. 404-627-0533. RSVP: CreativeControl@TheKaosEffect.com.

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