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.

The President, the Professor and the Police Officer

According to Yahoo News, yesterday's meeting between the President, Professor Henry Louis Gates and Police Sgt. Josheph Crowly ended in the men agreeing to move forward and focus on the future. The public has been shocked by the President's original response to the situation. Others were hoping for more discussion on race relations. Vesla Weaver, UVA professor and former intern of the Southern Poverty Law Center located in Montgomery, AL, comments that she does not blame the President for not pushing the "race" issue forward. What do you think?

See more about the meeting http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_harvard_scholar.

Birmingham's Southside

I have been hanging out on Birmingham's Southside since I was 11. I attended Ramsay High School which is a few blocks from Five Points South. I also attended John Carroll High School which was on Highland Avenue. When I returned home from UVA, I worked at UAB. So most of my academic and professional life were spent on the Southside.

There weren't any national coffee chains back then. There was a convenience store where Ruby Tuesday's sits. There was a different fountain in front of the Greek Orthodox Church. If we were heading downtown, it meant that we had crossed from south to north.

So when did the Southside become part of downtown? Was it always part of the downtown area? Several organizations will ask, "Would you like our "south of town" or "downtown" location?" When I look at the address of the "downtown" location, it is on the Southside.

When I volunteered for ONB, I recall hearing the term "City Center" to describe the Civic Center to Vulcan as the northern and southern borders. So am I alone in wondering when the Southside became part of downtown Birmingham?

Searching for Tea in Birmingham

A friend shared a post about Taiwan's tea industry. I LOVE tea. I am always looking for local places with diverse tea selections. Safari Cup is the top spot for me to find tea. Tea selections represent the far corners of the earth. One of my friends and I even attended "High Tea" which consists of a variety of teas and pastries.

Where is your favorite spot for tea in Birmingham?

Also see, Heavnly Tea in Chinatown.

A Taste of Germany in Downtown Birmingham

Looking for something to do on Friday? Join the Alabama-Germany Partnership for Stammtisch on Friday, July 31, 2009 at the FDSK - German Club 2318 2nd Avenue North 5:30 p.m. According to the AGP website, the Birmingham Stammtisch is an opportunity for networking with friends.

For more information visit the AGP website at http://www.alabamagermany.org.