What do jazz, sidewalks and Greek food have in common?

I have been searching for a piece that I wrote a few years ago regarding Birmingham's cultural scene. My husband and I were attending the first annual 4th Avenue Jazz Festival. It was outstanding. Jazz Hall of Famers and jazz enthusiasts returned to perform on 4th Avenue North. It was a reunion.

Every once in awhile, people who may have never walked along 4th avenue north would pass through the crowd looking for the Carver Theater. They were en route to catch an independent film as part of the Sidewalk Film Festival. When the film was over, many of them stopped and hung out at the festival.

That night, we left 4th Avenue North to catch the annual festival at the Greek Orthodox Church on the Southside. We danced and ate all the leftovers. After we shut down the festival a group of friends left for an event at Workplay.

To some of you, this doesn't mean anything. To me, it was the beginning of a cultural explosion in the City Center, stretching from north to south. Birminghamians were functioning in cultural enclaves, but organizers created a situation where people were forced to intersect. Some jazz enthusiasts were introduced to the Film Festival. Film fans, stopped and hung out at the Jazz Festival. I can't wait to see what is in store for the fall.

What events are you looking forward to this fall?

B'ham's Hip Hop Scene and Me

As much as I appreciate other music genres, I am still a fan of hip hop, particularly conscious hip hop. Few in Birmingham know that I was a percussionist in my high school band (Color Guard and Drum Major also). So naturally I'm into music that I can dance to, groove to or be moved by the messages of its lyrics.

Fortunately, I re-united with Patrick Johnson a.k.a S. Fly of Red Light District over a year and half ago. We were once employed by the same company. S. Fly is the first Birmingham hip hop artist that I was introduced to. Red Light District is an unforgettable group in my mind. I’ll always remember my favorite lines in one of their songs: “ I know a place where we can go, there’s nothin’ but love around, nothin’ but love around”. The track’s beat, the bass is so deep and melodic. It’s one of those songs that you just ride out to when you need to clear your head.

Since then, I’ve also met other Birmingham artists such as: Thed Weller, Byron the Aquarius, I.M.A.E, Poet John Paul, Shaheed, Supreme and Poet Shaun Judah. They performed at one of Birmingham’s most energizing and uplifting spoken word/live music events, The Latte Lounge: SpeakYoSoul Live! at Java and Jams coffee house . I saw Green Seed shut it down at the Bottletree a few years ago. I’m now a fan and really encourage each of these artists to continue to deliver the goods with sick beats and passionate messages about love, struggle, triumph, politics, friendships, foes and “things that make you go mmmhhh”.

Lastly, I think that Birmingham is filled with incredible talent. We can't forget about the ladies. The artists I’ve mentioned have all impressed me. Just as impressive is the female producer/singer/graphic artist Ms.BeatJunkie. She’s remixed tracks for artists abroad and here in the city. Her influences are cats like J.Dilla Flying Lotus, Pharcyde, Digable Planets and Sun Ra. You must experience her for yourself. She even freestyles and has a soulful, jazzy, “can sing just about anything” voice. She has her very own unique swag! You can listen to some of her beats at www.myspace.com/offbeatmusiq.

While you’re cruisin’ the web for hip hop, stop by djlovedeluxe.podomatic.com. This is my site. Yes, I’m making a really concerted effort to hone my dj skills. Stay tuned for the 69 Boyz/Flo Rida mashup. Not very conscious I know, but we all have our weaknesses! The SoulHeat mix on the site showcases some of my favorite conscious hip hop tracks and a remix by Birmingham's MsBeatJunkie. You know, it’s really cool to know personally some of the great hip hop artists and musicians in our city.

Thanks Bettina for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the Birmingham Hip Hop scene. I wish each of the artists mentioned much success in life and their careers.

Supporting friends and colleagues during Ramadan

When I was in charge of diversity training for an organization with a sizable Muslim population, I always received calls regarding how to deal with co-workers who were fasting during Ramadan. They wanted to know whether they should invite them to functions or what should they serve during functions. I always start the conversation with, for this year I suggest...However, I really think that organizations with religious and ethnic diversity, should sit down annually and develop a calendar that includes the major observances of staff and constituents. However, most questions require a quick fix and immediate answers.

A few suggestions come to mind.

1) Plan ahead. Include a survey of ethnic and religious diversity that solicits suggestions from all of your constituents on how you can be supportive.
2) If you want Muslim co-workers to attend events, don't plan a lunch or a dinner prior to sundown. However, I have had colleagues who still showed up to lunches, but they just didn't eat.
3) If a co-worker who is observing Ramadan decides not to attend an event or meeting scheduled during this time, please be supportive.
4) Contact your local Mosque or Islamic Center for suggestions or to learn more about Ramadan. Our Birmingham society had an open house a few years ago. Many churches and community groups participated.

I have also asked people that I know who are Muslim to comment on this post and give their opinions.

Can Translation Blunders Make or Break You?

While on her African tour, Secretary of State Hilliary Clinton was asked about her husband's opinion regarding matters of state--or so she thought. It ends up, the student was asking about President Obama's opinion not former President Clinton's. A translation blunder set off Sec. Clinton. I don't know the nature of the error. However, when considering using a third party in intercultural relations, the translator can make or break you.

When I provide cultural competence consulting to organizations, the issue of using a translator always comes up. Out of desperation, people often grab friends, people off of the street or even bi-lingual employees. I am not suggesting that you not hire bi-lingual employees. For certain issues, a basic common understanding of a language is fine. However, for official business, health or international issues it is really important to use certified translators. A certified translator possesses a number of competencies beyond speaking two or more languages.

See Lost in Translation: She, Not Bill, is the Secretary of State.

First Time Eating Thai or Indian Food?

I am frequently questioned about what to eat by people who have not had the occasion to try Indian or Thai food. My approach is to take the, "It tastes like chicken" approach of my mom by actually suggesting that they order chicken. It is my way of easing people into expanding their pallets.

For the not so experimental person, I take them to Surin for Thai as opposed to some of the other places in town. I recommend the BBQ chicken which includes fried rice. They may or may not try the coconut soup. If they make funny faces, I don't let them anywhere near my ginger soy scallops.

For Indian, I recommend Tandoori chicken which is available at most places I have been to. I also order bhindi masala which is sauteed okra with tomato, onion and spices. My southern friends are used to stewed okra which also includes tomatoes and onions. I actually brought bhinidi masala to a family dinner. Everyone loved it. I didn't mention it was Indian until dinner was over. They were pleasantly surprised.

All see, Soul Food in India, Japan...

How do you ease your friends into experimenting with different foods?

Is the Best Granola in Montgomery, AL?

I am trying to figure out where to find the best granola in the country. We have some great granola in Alabama. My favorite is from Cafe Louisa in the Cloverdale area. I prefer to buy it by the pound in a Ziplock bag rather than the fancy packaging from the bakery. I swear that it changes the taste.

Cafe Louisa is in an area of Montgomery which is somewhat eclectic. It is home to an independent theater that my husband and I used to frequent--the Capri. We were attending a screening of Military Brats: Our Journey Home. Although there are other military installations in Alabama, they chose to show the film in Montgomery. Montgomery is home to Maxwell Air Force Base which is best known for Air War College.

While waiting for my husband and a friend that was stationed at Maxwell, I needed a quick bite. I decided to explore the cafe across the street. I ordered yogurt and granola. I immediately fell in love. Not only is the granola wonderful, the ingredients, are local. Particularly the syrup.

Who makes your favorite granola?

All B'ham Hip Hop Roads Lead to S-Fly

After posing the question, "How would you characterize the Birmingham Hip Hop Scene?", members of the hip hop community shared their opinions. Almost everyone mentioned S-Fly, Patrick Johnson, of the Red Light District. I wrote to him and asked for his perspective. He responded immediately to my request. He reminded me that we had met more than ten years ago when he was still with the Red Light District and I was working at UAB.

Bettina...I'm a huge supporter of our music scene in general, and because I'm a hip hop artist, I tend to take my hometown hip hop a bit more personal than some others may. I honestly think the current scene reflects the national music scene as a whole - we still tend to try and make music that sounds like someone else's. I don't think rappers WANT to make music that sounds like someone else's (at least not initially), but the pressure from radio, video outlets, and even the (local) audience we play for often demand songs about getting money, what money allows us to do/have, or status... almost anything negative about hip hop can be funneled right back to the "money" category.

This is only 1 example that keep the hip hop community from standing out or being heard on a larger scale (there are several). THERE ARE SEVERAL ARTISTS/EVENTS that promote good hip hop music, and there are various artists from the city who are excellent examples of new, fresh sounds and approaches to the music that intrigue audiences without radio play or videos.

The best part about the current scene for me is that the scene has actually grown up. In 1992, when Southern Comffort started, the scene was more like a toddler.... we had studios where we could book time and a network of outlets to produce quality work, and we were all "learning the system".

Somewhere around 1998-99, rappers like Supreme (Eargasm), Superking and B. Moe (Last Sunday Showcase), and Red Light (Love Jones @ Phoenix) hosted regular events that promoted not only the artists who came through, but hip hop culture AND the Bham scene as a whole. We no longer booked studio time - the PC had become affordable and we now had home studios and the knowledge to use them. This was our adolescent age... we were now promoting events, booking our own venues, and showing our independence.

Nowadays, Supreme has his own hip hop show, I've produced documentary and soundtrack music, Superking and Big Creed started award shows for the local scene, and several hip hop artists are involved in civic/mentoring projects. We produce our own shows if/when necessary with no problem, buy and/or produce our own advertising, create, shoot, and edit our own videos. We are in a much better position than we were almost 20 years ago! Our #1 problem right now is being ORIGINAL whenever we produce this quality work....what's the sense in producing your very own Gucci Mane record when Gucci Mane already has one out? Shout out to Ike Gi Jones and the Battle C.A.T.S., John Woodlawn, 7even, Big Chuck Ent, Murc Camp, Code, Thed Weller (old head, new name) and a host of other "newer generation" Bham scene hip hop brethren that keep fresh creative sounds and ideas, and can rock a show without rapping over the words in the track (a new phenom, requires a different post altogether). RESPECT to all the pioneers of this scene, from Cozmo Flex and Kid Fresh, to L.O.D., R.O.A., Attitude, Supreme, and so many others (emcees and dj's alike).

Yes, long winded....but like I said, I love this scene and will always promote it. I'm not leaving.

Please check out the link to Mr. Dial Has something to Say's Emmy nominated soundtrack by Patrick Johnson.

Thed Weller on B'ham Hip Hop

In Thed Weller's own words...

Ah...Hip Hop in Birmingham. For me, I won't go back to what it "was" I'll write about what "it is"... Alive! But before you can accurately talk about something I feel it important to define what it is you are talking about. What is "Birmingham Hip Hop"? For the purposes of this blog entry I'll define it as, "art inspired by life; usually but not limited to artists from the less privileged population*." There is a thriving hip hop scene in Birmingham now, but it's sometimes difficult to find "the scene" because of several factors. If you don't limit yourself to only the people/artists you already know of and you don't limit yourself to only attending events at certain venues, you'll find many talented and exciting artists in and around The Magic City. If you trust your friends and are willing to be exposed to "new" music and/or culture, then, when you hear or read that there is something going on at a spot that you may have never heard of, go check it out. That's how I've come to know and enjoy Birmingham Artists like, R-Tist, Constantine the Emcee, DJ FX, ComplEt, Biti, 7even, Alabama Power, Tig Knight, Attitude, Jr. Star, etc. the list could go on and on.

One of the factors that limits the strength of the "hip hop" scene in our city is money. Many people are not willing to pay to be entertained by hip hop artists and many artists are tried of having "good exposure opportunities" with no monetary compensation.

Another factor is much of "rap music" today is looked upon by "the powers that be" and many others as a 2nd class, 2nd rate form of music. I once performed at The Civil Rights Institute a cappella and was well received. After my performance I engaged in a conversation with two older gentlemen and was asked "what else did I do?" I told them that I was a rapper and the entire tone of the conversation changed. One of them told me, "I hate rap. They can throw it all in the ocean." He then proceeded to walk off. He had just told me how much he enjoyed my work but when he found out I was a "rapper", he instantly didn't like my music.

Yet another limiting factor is technology. Ironic because it would seem that with the explosion of social networking, it would be a unifying force, right? Well, it's so easily accessessable now, everybody is doing it. Rappers & Producers are a dime a dozen & everybody's got an agenda. It's hard and time consuming to murk through everybody that's got a CD out to find the stuff you might like. When artists had to make more of an investment in their art by purchasing studio time and what knot, fewer artists could get their product out and so, it was easier for the public to get familiar with the limited local talent that had product to offer.

Radio doesn't help either. There was a point in the not so distant past when the people at your local radio station pretty much played what they wanted to play. Now, it's more limited as to what DJ's can get on the air. Radios play what people know because that's what keeps people from changing to another station and finding a familiar tune.

Politics also is limiting the current Birmingham Hip Hop scene. Everything is political. "If you didn't come to my last show, then I'm not coming to your next show and vice versa. If you don't have me on your "top friends" on myspace, or write back under my status on facebook or chime in on what I'm doing on Twitter, you're pretty much dead to me." Many artists produce and promote their own shows, other artists come out to the shows to show "support". This "support" is really an unspoken "quid pro quo". Most artists, if they're being honest, are hoping that when it's their own show that's being promoted, if nothing else, all of the artists they've supported will come out and show up to support them. The truth is that "we" (the artists) should be able to bring enough people that we don't know out to a show so that it really doesn't matter either way if other artists come or not. This leads me to the last "limiting factor" I'll write about in this entry.

The people of Birmingham are not avid "hip hoppers". Just because their listening to 107.7 on Saturday mornings don't mean their coming out to see live hip hop music when it's available in the city. I'm not exactly sure why this is but I do know that it is. I've gone to show, after show, after show and see 20 or 30 people in a spot that should be filled with at least a hundred or more. And not just "ATL-auto-tuned-snap" type rap but real hip hop shows with Emmy Nominated Artists, a real scratching DJ, a Beat Boxer, Live instrumentation and back up singers for FREE! In Birmingham, it's very hard to get people to come out to enjoy this form of music live.

So, what's the Hip Hop scene in Birmingham like? It's alive but it does need watering. So, if you're reading this, do us all a favor and find out how you can help "water the good seeds" of hip hop when you can.

~Thed Weller

*by less privileged I don't necessarily mean poor or uneducated just people that can tell you how life for them ain't been no crystal stair.www.thedweller.com%5D
Source: www.thedweller.com

Genesis of Hip Hop in Birmingham

Kurtis Patterson takes us back to the old school.

Bettina and family… I don’t have a lot to say concerning the present state of hip hop in Birmingham. However, as usual you have struck a cord in my memory that has transported me to happier times! After reading the entry made by Bettina and Chris Coleman I was inspired to add my little bit to the conversation. We can't know who we are if we don’t know where we come from. I’d like to address the genesis of hip hop culture in Birmingham!

In and around 1978 Birmingham was a much simpler and less combative place. The town was still relatively white politically. David Vann was mayor. Richard Arrington and present mayor Larry Langford were staking out ground for a run at the top job! Birmingham had fourteen high schools back then. There was no Hoover high, or Spain Park. One could go to any sporting event anywhere in the city and not have to worry about being shanked or gatted!!! There was no Tom Joyner or Steve Harvey to start our mornings! We had Shelly the Playboy, Pat Slim Man Williams and the master of them all Tall Paul - Paul Dudley White! Tall Paul manned the microphone for afternoon drive! This time in my life was so very cool. When it was not basketball season I raced to my home in West End after school! I bust down my bedroom door and turned on my component set to WENN 107.7!!! Tall Paul was already into that afternoon’s high school checkin!!

High School check-in was a little thing where the listeners would call in and state what school they went to. What ever school had the most callers could claim bragging rights for that day… till the next afternoon’s contest! It was so exciting to hear callers from West End, Hayes, Phillips, J.O. and those hater Parker Thundering Turds!!! LOL most days the contest came down to Parker and West End! Occasionally we galvanized enough of us to win an afternoon at Ramsay! When that happened there was so much buzz in the hallways the next day. Because, everyone would know if you called… they would recognize your voice! You would be a celebrity that day! All thanks to Tall Paul and the High School check-in!

OK… What does that have to do with hip hop? Around 78 The Rapper’s delight hit the airwaves and exploded!!! It was the BOMB ditty! Tall Paul had the brilliant idea to allow callers to phone in and “rap” with the song as it played! Callers from all over the city would take their chances at emulating Big back Hank and the rest of Sugar Hill! I submit that it was this little nugget that was the genesis that germinated and eventually exploded into the sequoia like phenomenon that hip hop became in Birmingham in the 80s.

When I went off to college in the fall of 1980 I was shown just how far reaching the Birmingham genesis was. At Mississippi State University, as soon as someone learned that I was from Birmingham I was questioned about the call-in, about WENN, and the Djs in the area; Johnny Austin, Michael Starr, and of course SHOWBOAT!! It turned out that the radio waves were far reaching into Mississippi and surrounding areas! I was always asked if I could get tickets for the Prince concert, or The Time, Gap Band, Ray Parker, Obryan!!! I made so much money selling bootleg Whodini and Run DMC albums that I never needed my family to send meal money! LOL

As to a thread that my friend Bettina offered I have to challenge! She mentioned the fabulous skate rink days of yore! She mentioned Skate Haven and Holiday Skate on Valley avenue. I forget the name of the rink on third avenue west. But, I offer that the crème de la crème of skating rinks in the 80s was Skate Palace in Irondale!!! The building that is now Salvage whatever it is, across from Sam’s club in Irondale was the place to be in the Bham area! Cars were stretched all the way down to Montclair road! On Sunday nights the doors opened at 7 and closed at………WAIT FOR IT!!!!!! Four AM in the morning!!!! We partied and skated every minute till they kicked us out! Chris Talley was the venerable master of mayhem spinning the ones and twos!! This was the birth of the video era! Skate Palace had a HUGE screen on the far west wall.

Long live Skate Palace in Irondale, long live WENN 107.7, long live the Birmingham Genesis of Hip Hop… Paul Dudley White!!! TALL PAUL!!!

Surin West Cultural Center, and the Food is Great Too

In the previous post, I barely mentioned that Surin is a Thai restaurant. In addition to great food, what is the draw of Surin? For an interculturalist, the fact that one seems to step into an entirely different world within a few feet is transformative. The large photos of Thailand on the walls, the staff, the music and of course, the food, take me into another space.

If I am by myself, I sit at the bar and eat the usual. Since having my son, I usually grab 'to go' items. I frequently run into new-old friends meaning we developed a relationship after I graduated from college. One is often greeted by someone from Thailand, India or Nepal. I also meet new people from Birmingham, visitors who are residing at the Pickwick, or people who like Thai food. 'To go' often leads to eating at the bar from the 'to go' box as I attempt to multitask--eat and catch up on their lives.

Surin's Martinis and desserts were good enough for them to open a late night cafe where the Sushi Bar is now. Only one of my desserts remains--the ginger lime square. I love just about anything with ginger in it.

Although Surin pipes in satellite radio or something like that, I refer to all funky, electro, techno, fusion music as Surin music. I developed a love for Six Degrees compilations as a result of Surin's background music.

So for the people that have a Cheer in their lives, I have Surin. What is your favorite Birmingham restaurant or waterhole?

Surin West, A Staple of Birmingham's Southside

So one of my friends asked, where should we meet for lunch? Why Surin of course. When I used to say that, unless you lived in Atlanta, there was only one location-- Surin West on 11th Avenue South. I believe it was named Surin West since it is west of the location in the ATL. Then came Nirus, Surin Mountain Brook, Surin & Co. on 3rd Avenue North, Surin 280...Not familiar with Nirus? It was another Surin incarnation. It was Surin spelled backwards. It was located in the old Rube Burrows suite across from the old Texas Taco suite in the Pickwick Plaza. Yes, I am talkin' in 'Birminghampastspeak' again. I can't help it. I frequented both places back in the day.

Anyway, there was only one location. I discovered it when my colleague was the advertising director for the UAB student newspaper. I went with her to Surin to sell ad space and to try to develop a campaign to introduce the business. They wanted Surin to not just be a restaurant for people who liked Thai, but a restaurant and bar where anyone could meet and be comfortable. The 'buy one get one half off or get one free' coupon with your UAB ID was born. At the time, the catfish came whole. I miss those whiskers and little eyes looking at me as I tried to navigate the bones. Sushi was nowhere to be found. The berry crumble made me cry when I ate it.

I used to refer to Surin as the old Clyde Houstons and/or AJ's. When you are sitting in the window, to the left as you enter, you are sitting in the area that used to be a patio for previous establishments. Now, if the unspeakable happens and Surin were to move, I would refer to the space as the old Surin.

So what makes it so special? Since I am not there three times per week anymore, I don't see the owner and his family as much as I used to. However, the managers and the bartenders and some of the wait staff are familiar faces. I can still show up on certain days of the week and run into old friends. I can call in my order and most of the time, the person on the other line recognizes my number. I rarely have to identify myself when I pick up food.

Anyway, what makes Surin so special? Are you a Surin patron? Why do you like it? What is your favorite location.

In the next post, I will discuss Surin's South Asia connection.

The B'ham Hip Hop Scene According to Jona Crooner

I was invited to the Onyx a few months ago to support Tee Huffman who was the featured poet at 'Afterwords'. Jona Crooner, 'Afterwords' organizer, was leaving town for an opportunity to promote his latest venture. I caught up with him last week. He took the time to draft his thoughts regarding the Birmingham Hip Hop Scene.

According to Jona Croner...

The Hip Hop Scene is alive but not well....From time to time you can see glimpses of what could be if the Artists,Poets,and supporters of the Culture would come together and actually build it up, but I personally hold each contributor accountable for the upkeep and cultivation of Hip Hop in the raw form..I am a music lover so to point the demise of Hip Hop to the now trendy "Rap" scene of today in my opinion is a Cop-out...Music is about expression and it just so happened that the Hip Hop Artist paints the picture on a canvas and many of today's rap artist only feel the need to crayola on a track... nevertheless...As a Artist I never judge (often criticize) but when its all said and done, as far as Birmingham is concerned, I celebrate the musicians and talents on any level.

I first was introduced to Hip Hop and Rap in the days of WENN and later experienced the actual culture that is Hip Hop while living in Japan for some years. The break dancing battles at the train-station, the weekend rap battles that changed clubs more than I care to mention pulled me into a totally new yet vibrant practice I use from time to time in my music though the lifestyle is far different than in Nippon.

I noticed the emergence of Soul Artists and troops of Poets as I toured throughout Alabama in early 2005, I often would run into many of the Artists that I grew up listening to as a young beatbox toting youngin'. My older cousin, Cano, was very vital in me truly respecting the art of beatmaking and I contribute a large part of my musical prowess as it pertains to rhyming to him and others such as S.Fly and Red Light District.

Fast-forward...you can see the rise of Birmingham artists such as Jaafar, J.Gray and many others that I feel if collaborated with a Hip Hop feel in mind could create some dynamic music as well as aid and assist in Birmingham attaining the level and respect musically we deserve. I appreciate all the contributors who keep the flame of what the essence of Hip Hop is about alive and I am never surprised when I hear the talent being displayed by anyone from Bham because I always knew the city has a "Magic"--foreal--that if used often can spark some genius sounds in any genre especially Hip Hop.

I would address the role that the radio station plays in the strangulation of Real Hip Hop talent in Birmingham and the genre as a whole, but words can't get passed the disgust I have for how "real" Artists are treated by the "powers that be"...

See posts by Chris Coleman and Jon DJ Supreme Malone.

B'ham's Own Hip Hop Historian

DJ Supreme is known around the Birmingham area for his Classic Hip Hop Show on 107.7 FM. Every morning from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., Birminghamians and on-line fans are taken back to the '80's and '90's with old school hip hop music and history. Below he shares little known facts about Birmingham's Hip Hop History.

The Birmingham hip hop scene seemed to lack trendsetters. I noticed this when I was an artist (yes, I did and occasionally still do rap) on the B-ham scene in the mid to late '90s. I officially arrived in Birmingham via Butler County, AL via Detroit, MI in '96. Prior to that year I spent 4 years at the University of Montevallo.

My first Birmingham hip hop experience was at a Luke (Campbell) show at Mama's and Sons where Legion of Doom was the opening act. Didn't get to see them perform because the members of the group got into an all out bar fight with a rival group.

While at UM I met and bonded with Patrick "S-Fly" Johnson. (His future wife also attended UM.) At the time we were still trying to gauge what our place would be in the hip hop world. His group was still known as Southern Comfort and hadn't officially become Red Light District. I was part of a group known as Joint Effort. They were working on "I Know" while I was crafting "Supreme's Lounge" (my first solo LP) in my dorm room.

Patrick and I pretty much forged a friendship that is still strong to this day and we reminisce about our humble beginnings in this game. Our triumphs always seemed to parallel each other. "I Know" became a Birmingham anthem long before the BA Boys (no disrespect). At the same time, I obtained a considerable amount of fans on the talent show circuit, namely Chris Coleman. He may not remember this but when we first met, I had won a talent show he was judging. I congratulated him for his appearance on KRS ONE's album that year. It caught him off guard because I don't think he thought anyone in Birmingham would appreciate that accomplishment let alone pay attention to it.

From there my demos were forwarded to folks like Kori White, B-Brian, and Dwight Stone and subsequently I ended up doing intros for those jocks. There was a time when I actually had an intro on every jocks show. 5 times a day, 5 or 6 days a week, my raps would be the first thing you hear before a DJ popped the mic. I utilized that recognition to secure a career in radio.

In '99, I realized it was time to fill the void, and The Eargasm was born. As Chris said, most of the emcees in B-Ham emulated what they heard from our neighbors in ATL. We didn't play that at The Eargasm. You either had to be original or get booed off the stage. That's how serious it was. I still take pride in the fact that The Eargasm was the only place you could get real hip hop culture. We had emcees and crews like The Metaphizx and Abstract Chemistry. We also introduced the city to DJ's like F/X, Heron and Rahdu, as well as b-boy crews like BMW Crew. It was a proving ground, a battlefield of sorts, and it came naturally. When we chanted "Who's next? Who's next?" and it was your turn to rock the mic, you better have all the showmanship, rhyming ability, and crowd control in your arsenal. Lack of any of this spelled disaster, but if you came with it, prepare for ghetto stardom. Just ask Attitude or R-Tist, two of many emcees to sharpen their skills on The Eargasm stage. Two emcees with styles all their own.

I often boasted that we were the "world famous" Eargasm, simply for the fact that out of all the national acts we featured (peace to Ishues, Lacks, and Onebelo) nothing made me more proud than when we got a visit from the New York City Breakers and they battled our very own BMW Crew. That was a memorable night and NYC Breakers enjoyed the experience.

I often dream of bringing it back like it was, but that will never happen due to the climate of the game right now. I attempted to bring back the Eargasm last year. I even got Akil The MC from Jurassic 5 to perform. No one showed up, only a few of my old Eargasm fans who were nostalgic for the old times.

I think the hip hop fans of today are so stuck on everyone sounding alike that they are numb to it. There was a term used back in the day for this cardinal sin: BITING. Back in the day biting was a serious no-no and if you were caught doing this the repercussions were often times severe. Nowadays it's commonplace to use each others sound, even rhymes. So much to the point that some of our pioneers like Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J succumb to this by having T Pain or The Dream on their records so they can be relevant to today's fickle hip hop audience.

I interviewed Biz Markie last year and in this conversation he recalled an incident where an emcee was caught biting and ended up getting robbed and catching a beat down. Maybe we as authentic hip hop practitioners need to go back to this type of severity, at least by addressing it. Nowadays though, you can't be critical of today's hip hop without being labeled a hater. Jay Z made a valiant effort by dropping "Death of Autotune", but it's sort of contradictory because he still works with Kanye West, one of autotune's poster children. I have yet to hear Birmingham's artists embrace the autotune trend, but give it time. Like Chris said Birmingham is usually late on everything.

For more info on the history of the career of Supreme, check out:
http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Supreme

also check out:
http://www.the-eargasm.blogspot.com

Remember when the DJ was featured in songs? Ever wonder where Missy gets her intros? Click here to listen to Request Line.

B'ham Hip Hop: Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

Homegrown and transplanted members of the Birmingham area responded to the post Birmingham's Hip Hop Scene. DJ 'Warm It Up' Chris Coleman shares his thoughts below.

Wow!! What defines the hip hop scene for Birmingham? Hmmm that's a good but complex question because the Hip Hop artists here in Birmingham have not defined themselves...Besides Patrick Johnson(S-Fly in Red Light District) NONE of the Hip Hop Artists stand out. They all sound like Atlanta to me, I am being truthful, I am not stepping on anyone toes and I'm not calling anyone out, but I am an OG in this game...one of the GODFATHERS of hip hop here in Birmingham so I can speak on it.

I don't think these artists know what the essence of Hip Hop is...now lets get one thing straight if you think that Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive..then you got to be 14 years old...Lil Wayne is not in the top 20 of the greatest rappers of Hip Hop. A lot of our Hip Hop artists gauge their careers off what's out today and what's out today is NOT a good look at all. One thing that made hip hop stand out is that every artist had their own sound and brand. You could tell the difference from Run-DMC and Whodini, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 to the Sugar Hill Gang, Kurtis Blow to LL Cool J...they all sound different but they stood out! Nowadays...EVERYBODY is T-Paining except Jay-Z(thank god for JIGGA!), and maybe Common, Talib Kwelie and Slum Village!

I had a conversation with some people in the industry and I told them that I don't think there is an artist out today that I'll be able to play 10 years from now and pack the dance floor..But If I play Peter Piper, Friends or 5 minutess of Funk at a party this weekend (oh by the way these are hip hop CLASSICS) I bet I'll pack the dance floor.

I bet there's not a Hip Hop artist in Birmingham that can tell me the MOST important element of Hip Hop...and I'll give you a hint...None of them HAVE ONE!

Now there are some artists here that have potential..like Modesty XO...that's my man...got a lot of heart and talent, just got to channel that energy in another direction. A lot of you guys might not know this but I am a core DJ..one of the originals...Tony Neal is my DAWG!! I had it fixed up where we were going to do a Birmingham night at his conference(where about 700 DJ's attend). The cost was 5g's, I contacted some of the well known artist here and all but about 3 of them backed out. I was like, maybe being heard by 700 of the top DJ's in the country wasn't appealing to them. If I would've gave Supreme, Red Light, ROA and PTG that deal 10-12 years ago it would've been on!!

Just getting your record on the radio in Birmingham is not the answer...Birmingham is ALWAYS late on everything, it's time to tell your story to several millions. Once you make it away from here...Birmingham will have your back...just ask Reuben! I might sound hard on our up and coming artists here in B'ham but y'all know that it's out of love and I love every last one of ya'll and you know it, keep in mind..we got a Soulja Boy, we got a Lil Wayne, we got a Lil Jon...Just be you and define yourself as an original...

Peace to Supreme, Red Light District, Dirty, ROA, PTG, Pop Boogaloo, The MC Crew and ALL the Pioneers who remained true to hip hop..it's essence and it's elements..so Bettina in a nutshell the Hip Hop culture in Birmingham will remain stagnant until one of our up and coming artists git up get out and get something!!

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Indeep.

Also this week: DJ Supreme, Thed Weller, S-Fly and more....

The Birmingham Hip Hop Scene

Lately, I have been getting a lot of announcements regarding hip hop music and spoken word events in Birmingham. There are several cafes and night clubs that are hosting events. Malcolm's Reading Room is holding events. The Birmingham Museum of Art has even gotten into the game. So when one thinks of the Birmingham Hip Hop Scene, what comes to mind?

What is hip hop? So many people think of hip hop as rap music only. You betta ask somebody. If you ever attended the Hip Hop Summit at UA, you would know. Most people don't think of the poetry, the graffiti, the moves and the gear. Since I was living in Birmingham at the time that popular hip hop music hit the radio, it started with Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Kurtis Blow for me. My uncles liked to DJ so we listened to music all of the time. I also recall my cousin Ced performing "Rappers Delight" at all family fish fries and card games.

The Original Homeboy, Chris Coleman, 'Soul Night' DJ at Holiday Skating Rink on Valley Avenue, always had a spot for rap. He was always featured at the 'blue light in the basement' parties in the Thomas' basement in Fairfield too. Holla Fairfied, Ramsay and John Carroll! Since I had cousins on the East side, we also hit Skate Haven from time to time.

Eventually, Rap City and Yo MTV Raps made hip pop more visual. Hip hop is considered a New York creation. New York urban life portrayed through video was emulated all over the country and eventually the world. The dancers, the graffiti artists, the rappers and the DJ's were imported to us on a daily basis. Movies such as Beat Street, Krush Groove and more recent flicks such as Brown Sugar and Love Jones made additional imprints of hip hop.

The Hip Hop Diaspora, mostly rap music, exploded in other large urban centers such as Los Angeles, Oakland and Miami. Chicago, Atlanta, and even St. Louis would claim some well known rappers. Each region had a distinct sound. LA became known for Gangsta Rap. Oakland had an eclectic mix in my opinion ranging from MC Hammer to Digital Underground. The Miami scene was known for 2 Live Crew. You may recall their beef with Tipper Gore. The southern scene, known as the Dirty South, gave rise to a group of young rappers. T.I., Ludacris and even more mainstream R & B artists like Usher and TLC grew out of the southern Hip Hop scene. Missy Elliot and Pharrell were representin' the Tidewater area.

In the mid-nineties, as a result of a connection to the Seventh Sun, I recall going to spots such as the Cipher in Fairfield and the 22nd Street Jazz Club. Daagye Hendricks opened her family's doors at Harambee Room where many poets were introduced to a broad Birmingham base for the first time. I still remember a call and response poem, "Can I Kick It." Daagye also opened her doors and forced some of us to show up to hear Just a Few Cats featuring a local singer by the name of Ruben Studdard. Perhaps that will appear in another post.

So how would one characterize the Birmingham Hip Hop Scene? Stay tuned for local rappers, poets, DJ's, musicians, artists and fans to share their perspectives--past and present. In future posts, you will hear from Chris Coleman, Real Life Poets, DJ Supreme, Jona Crooner and more...

What characterizes the Birmingham Hip Hop Scene for you?

For more information on the history of rap, check out Kurtis Blow's History of Rap Music.

Click here for more posts on the Birmingham Hip Hop S

UAB fosters cross-cultural interaction

A friend sent a copy of this AL.com article last week regarding student perceptions of their colleges and universities. UAB ranks highest among universities where students interact across cultures. It defies some of the stereotypes of Birmingham. Check it out. What do you think?

Soul Food in Japan, India and the Middle East might interest you as well. It is about some of the international students at UAB taking advantage of local culture.