Since their inception in 2010, local independent culture firm EKL has specialized in visual production, music, and clothing, creating a unique brand designed to cultivate all things creative, aiding clients in the pursuits of their passions. Tonight, Verve dance studio hosts the collective's fourth anniversary party, featuring music from Kinda Like Dreamin', Wza, Goodman Brown, Shuteyes, Hooizzy, and Rada Rada. Buffalo MC's Sammy Booms and Dr. Ooo of Kinda Like Dreamin' will also have solo sets at the event which will include free drinks, photography, clothing giveaway and a copy of the EKLephantz Volume 2. mixtape with $10 admission.

The lineup features some of best local hip-hop talent, a group of artists committed to keeping the founding cultural ideals of the genre intact with individual style, thoughtful lyricism, and soulful instrumentals full of personality. As new producers and rappers continue to emerge on a consistent basis, Buffalo hip hop is a growing scene, full of creative, innovative and deeply passionate artists. Head down to Verve at 10pm and catch the EKL's celebration of the inspiring work they do to help build our strong sense of local culture. Watch the video for the new Dr.Ooo single below, "Primetime," produced by Goodman Brown, which appears on the EKLephantz Vol 2. mixtape as well as a new EP, Canary Yellow, due out this summer.

The boys of Prime Example are back at it again. This time, they're spreading their wings and flying the coop, but not permanently. Each artist is pursuing their own solo projects, and making the first debut is Iron Mic's The Mic Check. Known as an encyclopedia of hip hop knowledge to his comrades, Mike "Iron Mic" Kane puts together a list of seemingly harmless track names such as "Jedi" and "Raw,",but the punches come from the hard-hitting lyrics and powerfully pounding beats, making the project, produced by Marc Mostro Coppola and Ian Riquelme Olivos, a guaranteed knockout. Watch out for this one. Copies of the album will be available for $5 tonight at McGarret's. The party starts at 10 pm and will feature instrumental stylings from the live hip hop band Type Relevant. DJ Optimus Prime, who provided cuts for the album, will also be spinning. Cover is $5.

Iron Mic performing at the Cretaceous Sunday Cypher:

Even if you haven't heard any of his music, you'll remember the name. Just don't call him "Bogie." Brooklyn-born MC Bogustice Tundra Kidz has probably undergone as many name changes as Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, but his flow remains consistent. Steady and unwavering, Bogustice shows us why perseverance pays when you forge your own path in his latest single, "Walk Alone," from his forthcoming mixtape The Gustice Legacy. Leaning on a laid-back baseline, Bogustice swerves in and out of city traffic with assertive lyrics, a heartfelt mantra, and a kick back to the days of what he calls underground "theme music," soundtracks to our lives. Priding himself on being a freestyle rap artist, Bogustice (Born Original Genetic Uniqueness Structured To Isolate Cerebral Excellency) is sound in both mind and rhythmic flow. He also gets the prize for most creative rap name from this writer. Enjoy.
 

Pop out to one of the many hip hop showcases or events going on in the city and you'll find yourself mingling among a host of nightcrawlers--scenesters, musicians, MCs, and the usual bar dwellers fraternizing, flirting, drink spilling, and networking. With attention on everything but the stage, intention of support becomes partially an artificial cause. Investigate the scene a little more and you'll probably find him -- producer and UB college student Jamie "Jacebeats" Catania, plunging through the crowd straight towards the performance, withdrawn from all the distracting clutter only to be caught up in the rapture that is art. If the feeling behind music was rendered on canvas, Jamie would be its easel, sturdy and unrelenting, the support holding up an underground hip hop scene to Buffalo and beyond beckoning,"Hey, look at is being created. Look at what it could become." He is actively the onlooker, the protector, and the server of such a cause. In a city where artistic support appears fickle and stubborn and tensions are petty, individuals like Jace are needed to point us in the direction of faith.

Lazyrus happens when you pair spoken word influences with shrilling guitar melodies and alternative rock roots into a weirdly experimental and exhilarating chorus of sound. Buffalo slam poet Thomas "Lazyrus" Panzarella and Erie, PA producer Nick Price are the mad men behind this cohesive and kinetic rap rock machine. Each brings to the table elements of expertise that fit comfortably into this marriage of punk and hip hop. Panzarella has frequented local mics and poetry slams, including the city's more recent monthly-run competition, the Pure Ink Poetry Slam, for almost a decade. He has won twelve head-to-head slam competitions and was a member of the city's National Slam Team in 2008. The singer songwriter has worked with several Buffalo-based acts and names including Bogustice Tundra Kidz, Wise Mecca, and Taariq Abdul Salaam. His partner, sound engineer Nick Price, a digital media arts graduate of Canisius College, has assisted in the mixing for high profile artists such as Ciara and Nas and in 2005, began his own multimedia company, Northstar Media.

After joining forces in 2010, Lazyrus released their first project, 13, which caught on to international airwaves and earned them overseas acclaim. 2012 saw the independent release of N.O.M, an album which included the video for their debut single, "IRock." The video was filmed by ThreeGloves Productions in Erie, PA in a vacant space above The Crooked Eye Bar. Technical rigging and lighting transformed the buried treasure of a basement cave into a warehouse of artistic impulses pawing at the soul. What keeps this duo current is their ever-evolving mode of being and unbiased attitude toward experimenting with different sounds and emotions. Panzarella's lyrics project images of wild metal head mayhem in one song, and in a different song, they emit aromas of an acoustic jazz set in a coffee shop. The team is currently working on their next album, which I'm sure will be nothing short of spectacular.

Local rapper Coleman J Brahski premiered the Malt Disney-directed video for his track "Pixel Party" last summer, in which the fiery MC posts up in a recycling container, a parking garage and other places around the city with former Buffalo DJ/producer Mario Bee. Fans of Odd Future might recognize the Weird Eye produced instrumental from Earl Sweatshirt's "Molliwhopped," which has been edited by Malt Disney. With plenty of nostalgic 90's references, including a shout out to Dunkaroos, combined with the warped, scatter-brained vision of Malt Disney's production, the clip captures the raucous artist firing off random commentary in his eccentric, socially-conscious manner.

THIS JUST IN: DRAKE WRITES SONGS ABOUT LOVE 'SHAKE AND BAKE,' RELATIONSHIP BAGGAGE, BUT RESENTS 'EMOTIONAL RAPPER' LABEL...STILL

A few months ago, Drake sat down with Canadian broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi of CBC Radio and broke it down for the people: “I’m so sick of people saying that I’m like lonely and emotional, and associating me with this like longing for a woman,” he explained. “I hate that, it bothers me so much…’cause I do make music that makes you feel something, but I’m actually not that guy in real life, I’m happy…I’m very excited, my life is constantly exciting, it’s not some sad depressing story.” He went on to say that, “As far as the soundscapes go,” Drake continued, “That’s just the music I chose to make. I make music strictly for the purpose of driving at night time.”

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the plethora of memes on Facebook, and the websites dedicated to their creation--Drake holding random baby, Drake striking a model pose, Drake hunched down against a wall with big brown puppy dog eyes, Drake forlorn. Accompanying each photo is some sort of emotionally mocking, tongue-in-cheek quote action. All I can say is...haters gon' hate. But I'm a hater, and I love to hate to love Aubrey Graham, because, he's made a fortune off of being the "soft guy." But in a world of gimmick-ruled hip hop, isn't everyone going "soft" nowadays? Drake is one of the few "newcomers" who has at least managed to maintain the same image over the course of his success (Hopefully he isn't mentored by Snoop Dogg who "found the light" all of a sudden and became Snoop Lion or P.Diddy who went through like, five name changes and just continues to hop on other artists' steezes instead of stitching out his own). Who doesn't love a kid in a wheelchair. What woman radio listener is going, "He cared too much and shit!" No woman, I have yet to meet, anyway (though I'm sure they still exist).

Negativity initially poured in from the masculine hip hop perspective, because pride is something to be cherished--they're all keeping up on who's getting the most ego boosts per day and who's crown jewels are getting polished by which video vixen at the moment. Which brings me to another question: how does one acquire "street cred" in the industry, is it meaningless within the scene now, with all the Tygas running around making pop tracks with Justin Bieber figures and Mileys shaking their ass next to Mike-Will-Made-It and Juicy J? It just seems like an overly obvious route to take in order to increase numbers. It's clear that, today in mainstream hip hop, you need a game plan. One can't rely on talent alone; you must have a back story, an oddity, a controversy.

Drake has all of the above. You also must stay current on all new trends, hip hop and non-hip hop alike, or you will get devoured. Hip hop has made it's way into all aspects of private and public life, from lingo to dress to movies to philosophy and mannerisms. People on the outskirts yearn for that very street cred that has been lost within the scene. It's the cross-genre chameleon transcending racial and socioeconomic boundaries, a force twerked forward by singers like Miley Cyrus. And the hip hop world embraced her. It is the new dirty pop; it fits into whatever context/trend relevant at the moment. The genre's reputation has undergone several face lifts over the years, and so has its mainstream fan base. With the idea of "street cred" out the window,the line of distinction has faded. If all hell is breaking loose, why can't Drake continue to shed a tear or two in a song without people accusing him of "emasculating" the entire game? Leave Aubrey alone!

I wanted to reflect on this whole Drake meme craze that has been going strong on the internet for about two or three years now. And by "reflect" on I mean make fun of...for funsies. Nothing more, nothing less. These “Drakeisms” have been going on since 2011/2012 (Complex mag’s got 15 hilarious ones right here). Drake memes also made it to the number 15 spot on Complex’s list of Biggest Internet Sensations of 2013 (Miley Cyrus makes the number two spot, that’s a post in itself (I could name the top five twerk incidents that should never happen in public again. She would be on the list, not because she shouldn't do it, but because she's doing it wrong, but shall refrain). I decided to play around with the "Drakeism" thing myself. I have no meme powers, but I DO have an indulgent mind, and Drake just happens to be my muse of the minute. I therefore posed the question to fellow hip hop friends: can you feed my Drake habit and send me your corniest, emotionally nauseating Drake bars? Responses did not flood in (Guess "street cred" matters in the underground of talent (Lil Wayne doesn't count, already checked). My really good writer friend, however, was all for it (We share this Drake meme fetish...and a love for the outlandishly spontaneous). She was totally down for some senseless fun. And so it started off as a battle of girl-on-girl wit:


She came with a second round of heat seconds later:


A random Facebook scroller was astounded by our amazing Drake lyric quick draw and blasted us away with his social commentary:


We were so damn hyped we just couldn't help but drag some local rapper elites into the whole deal...Chaotik Stylz goes in...#CYPHER!!!!:


After a few exchanges it was evident, that, one really can't take Drake too seriously. He's as soft as a snuggie (And knows quite a lot about feminine hygiene products):


BUT THEN Kevin "Frigid Giant" Delgado smacked us in the face with a more realistic portrayal of the rapper in song, a verse Drake himself would be highly proud of, and could actually use:


I suppose if Drake cared about street cred, he could toughen up his image, zipper up into a deadmua5 suit and start twerking on stage at the Country Music awards, which would arouse excitement in any and every country artist who has ever had the devil on their shoulder taunting them into incorporate a rhyme or two in one of their songs. Hey, Drake's all for it (#streetcred). But he's doing him right now...



Last name Ever, first name Greatest, like a sprained ankle boy, I ain't nothin' to play with, started off local, but thanks to all the haters I know G4 pilots on a first name basis, UH

Released back in October of last year, "Mosquitoes," the first single by local MC INDIGO//AMADI, managed to fly under our radar here at buffaBLOG. An initial listen to the track reveals an artist capable of bringing a unique vision to the Buffalo hip hop community, with an immediately captivating, breezy instrumental that brings to mind Los Angeles producer Flying Lotus. The rapper's mellow flow comes across as effortless and well developed despite having no other known releases to his name. Listen to the track below and hopefully this year will see more material from the artist who presents one of more intriguing sounds to emerge from our local scene.

Just call Jacob Freeman, known to the Buffalo hip hop world as producer and MC Jake Sabers, a big ol´ rugged teddy bear with a cool beard and a flawless sense of clean, crisp fashion. Lover of 80s speed metal and skeptic of The Illuminati phenomenon, Jake Sabers has a lot of be proud of. Last year, the producer brought a grand idea to fruition when he shepherded artists within the Buffalo music community and opened Nickel City Records, a hip hop recording studio in downtown Buffalo. The industrial space, which doubled as an old garment factory and elevator manufacturing building back in the day, was transformed into an urban fortress of social networking, beat ingenuity, and artistic flowering in a matter of months. Currently on the horizon is an idea Jake calls a new hip hop type of marketing, which will include cypher events and other social gatherings to be held at the Nickel City Records building.

His forthcoming project, an emo-type parody album called The Cutting Party, is set to be released within a few months and will include guest verses from The GreYs and fellow members of his hip hop crew, Natural Ingredients. "It´s going to be ultra offensive. The first track is called, 'Don´t Be So Sensitive,'" Jake said. "It´s a project making fun of all of the BS in the scene that happens around here...Plus we rap over trap beats so it keeps the people moving...It´s joking with purpose." Razor blades, tears, and trap beats--sounds like Kid Cudi´s idea of a wickedly twisted time and it might make Drake step his game up a little. In the meantime, tissues and knives aside, give this flourishing producer's Acres of Diamonds beat tape a listen, and check out the spin-off track featuring Buffalo MC Alexander Anonymous.

22-year-old entrepreneur Zach Patton, owner of Cretaceous Buffalo Clothing on Elmwood, is pushing the presence of an ambitious underground production to the forefront by combining his two favorite passions: street wear and hip hop. To the thirsty MCs swimming all across the city: this is your chance to shine. The Cretaceous Sunday Cypher--“cretaceous,” as in belonging to the age of the dinosaurs and “cypher,” as in a freestyle battle of rhyme and wit---began in July as a small, modest, and informal way to bring together some of the burgeoning talent the city has to offer under one roof. “Skateboarding in the community I grew up in was kind of dying, and I was an avid skateboarder when I was younger, so I thought, what can I do to start getting people motivated to skate again?” the Kenmore native said. “So I figured the best way to do it was to start some kind of brand. We got into the whole t-shirt thing, and ever since then it has snowballed into so many other things, currently, the biggest thing being hip hop right now. That’s a scene that we chose to attach ourselves with because it has grown so fast.” Now on its fifth run as a permanent, monthly-scheduled event, the cypher has created some buzz among the Buffalo music community. The last event, held in November, garnered about 27 registered MCs from all over Buffalo and a crowd of more than 100 people.


This month’s cypher will work like this: A roster has been hand-selected by the Cretaceous crew of standouts from cyphers past and posted on their website. There are two rounds. Each MC gets an average verse of 16 bars or, whatever they deem appropriate for their turn. There will be an open mic beginning at 5 p.m. before the official festivities commence for those who didn’t make the roster, but have the urge to spit. “Some of these people have an agenda when they’re saying things. A lot of the people that do these…they’ve got something to say, whether it be about the government or how they came up, they’ve got something to say,” said Paul Boal, the master of ceremonies, who lent his exquisite skill of beatboxing to this past cypher event, bursting out into “In Da Club” and “No Diggity” rhythms on whim. When Ali ABishai gripped the mic, the holy sermon shook his soul—and the entire room of MCs. The native from Niagara Falls and one of the original founding fathers of “God hop” in Buffalo finds that the message of Christ is well-received through unorthodox means. “When you embody what God hop is, it’s hip hop. …I could sit here and preach Christ to you all day long, would you listen? But do it the right way, and you walk away with a message, you walk away with raw beats, and you walk away with a person that cares,” the spiritually-rooted MC said. Since participating in his third Cretaceous cypher thus far, ABishai has learned that the time one has with the mic is short, so each moment better be memorable. “Detail is important especially in a room full of MCs. Stand out as much as possible, even with the way you hold the mic. First impressions sometimes might be your last,” ABishai said.

According to Tre “Ocho” Marsh, when you’re an MC in the underground scene, you have to put yourself out there to get a taste for what’s out there. “Hip hop in itself is competitive, and you have to see where everybody’s at. You kind of have to know hip hop in order to stay relevant, especially when you’re talking on the mic, and in that, you get to see everyone’s thought process basically: pieces of their albums, pieces of everything that they’re doing outside of the cypher itself. So you get to see everyone’s development,” Marsh said. As the underground hip hop community gains more notoriety within Buffalo, it is Patton’s hope that so too will the Cretaceous Buffalo clothing brand. “The image of our brand has improved. People who wouldn’t necessarily buy our clothes, or know who we are, suddenly you hear them saying, ‘Cretaceous’ because of the cypher,” he said. “We all grow together. As the hip hop scene grows, we grow too. We help the artists, and the artists help us out.” Although there are a few other cyphers in the area that ABishai is continuously invited to, he feels that presently, the Cretaceous Sunday Cypher is where he wants to carry his message. “(The cypher) is about us coming together and creating, hopefully, a real brother-sister relationship and unity in hip hop,” ABishai said. “This is home right now.” This month’s cypher will take place today at 6 pm at Cretaceous Buffalo on Elmwood. For more information on Cretaceous Buffalo, visit their website. The event is free and spectators are welcome.

As a woman in a predominantly male-driven arena, some might think that Jamie “Jay Mf G” Gugino is playing with fire. But when you’ve got her kind of credentials, who could blame the femcee for walking straight into the flames? Jay G is a revolutionary, a mother, a student, a chef, and a self-published author. She’s also one hell of a lyricist, packing just as much force as her male counterparts on any given day. As the female stand-out of Essential Vitamins Crew and the only real feminist voice representing the local underground hip hop scene, Jay G proves she is the true first lady femcee of Buffalo hip hop. She has gathered all of the brilliant facets of herself that give truth to this under her first official LP, Food for Thought, a project that took two years of planning and producing to complete.

On this project, Jay G dishes out a mouthwatering collection of masterpieces inspired by her Sicilian roots and the traditional 8-course Italian meal. She starts with the savory “Sauce on SunJay,” a track with cuts complimentary of DJ Optimus Prime and Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message.” In it, the femcee delivers her own message, a constructive critique on the state of today, through swift cadence changes and a call out on “idiotic ideologies.” Next she dips into the “Duck Sauce” featuring Keith Concept. Concept humbles those living the wack MC lifestyle by serving them up a raw platter of “vagina meat,” while Jay G throws a flaming pile of “my shit don’t stink” in the faces of haters everywhere. The pair boasts a tenacious spirit and a tag team lyrical approach, proving they have nothing to hide in this game. 

And just when you thought you were full, love comes to bite you in the ass in “Burnt Toast,” a menu item that comes with a side of lies and a glass of “fuck you.” The lady MC attacks with venom in this frightfully scrumptious treat produced by EVC’s Cove Blackbelt, steering us through the trials and tribulations of a tumultuous relationship. It’s a track any woman could feel the fury of and also feel devilishly empowered by. Lastly, we get served some steaming hot “Va Fangool & Pasta Fagioli” featuring Legal the Lifesaver, a rap rock dedication beat that tantalizes the taste buds in every way.

This album is unapologetic, intelligent, fearless, and audacious, just as every woman should be. You don’t have to dumb down, sell out, or put out to get anywhere in life—especially as a woman in hip hop, and Jay G is proof of that.
 

Local MC and Essential Vitamins Crew affiliate Mic Excel recently dropped a new video for "Dear Prudence," a tribute to the late Beatles singer John Lennon and "every brilliant mind that passed away before their time." With guest vocals from Melissa Coccionitti and a gritty, melodic beat from EVC producers Cove and DJ Optimus Prime, Excel delivers lines about his past, getting older, and wishing he could sing in his typically self-reflective manner. The Mouse Media productions video for the track includes the Buffalo landmark North Park Theater and a vivid reenactment of Lennon's tragic death as Mic Excel is gunned down walking home to end the clip. While it serves as a painful reminder of the loss of a brilliant artists over thirty years ago, the honest lyricism and evocative instrumental make for a fitting tribute to a legendary songwriter.

Level 1: Fantasy. Level 2: Ecstasy. Level 3: All the Way Turnt Up. If I had to describe Joe Locus's latest project in stages of a video game, that is how I would categorize the 26 tracks on his latest project inspired by virtual play, Long Swords and Sine Waves. As 1/4 of the 716 hip hop crew Prime Example, Joe Locus is an integral part of the production and direction of the group's wistful sound. In this solo project, he focuses the listener's attention on his gaming wizardry and the all-consuming pastime of his childhood by completing each track as if it were a stage in a video game. According to the producer, that is how he best works. Joe delivers the popular motif softly to the ear through nostalgic sounds of the '70s and '80s in "Party People," and "Listen" even brings to me a different kind of nostalgia. Though not a video gamer, I was a mallet percussionist all throughout middle and high school (cough NERD cough), so the xylophone vibrations and marimba grooves in "Listen" got my heart all a flutter for a few minutes. Anyway, enough about me. Listen as this gifted emcee throws down the funk and ride the sine waves.
 

The more poetic half of Dead Trash Mob Records' alternative hip hop duo The Greys and scholarly older brother to his precarious younger sibling Bagel Jesus, Trè Marsh, also known by the monikers Trè Ocho and Trè Guevara, is an emcee of a different feather. The 28-year-old Lenny Kravitz look-alike (when his hair is in au naturale mode, of course) is implementing a different strategy to stay ahead in the game: read up on the greats. I'm not only talking Biggie Smalls, Rakim, and Public Enemy, but literary greats like David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon, and James Joyce. "A lot of the music that I do make is literary, and that’s only because as an emcee, you have to step away from what everybody's doing. If I have to separate myself individually from any other artist it's going to be the fact that I read a lot," he said while hanging out downtown with me at the Nickel City Records studio.

The former New York University attendee is a slamming sensei of sorts. His love for spoken word and zest for knowledge both musical and literary provides context, balance, and satirical stylings to an odd genre that The Greys have creatively carved into, trash hop, alternative rap. The musician thanks a mix of musical influences for contributing to his creative salivation. "It was wrong for me to listen to a lot of music growing up because my mom was very religious at one point and she heard a line from Michael Jackson saying, 'Even sell my soul to the devil' in regards to talking about a girl and she was like 'Hell nah!' It was really bad for me to listen to certain things and that made me want to listen to it even more...Like at one point, I was like nine or ten years old and I was big into The Smashing Pumpkins, which pretty much got me into rock."

On his latest solo album, Trècubessence (due for release in April but can be heard in pieces on Soundcloud), the savvy master of wordplay fiddles with the English language while we float into the stratosphere of his mind. He dreams up his perfect mate, a woman as dark, seductive, and dangerous as Morticia Addams in the gothic fairytale, "Filthy, Fishy Dreams of Persephone." He states his belief in not compromising himself for anyone else's tastes in "Arthur Miller," another personal favorite of mine. "Nothing that I do is really personal, but the feelings that I do have about things are relative. Everyone feels that when you're talking about people trying to crucify you, who literally in the game, doesn’t feel like they’re being crucified for how they feel or what they say," he says of the song. Each track so far being released on Trècubessence is a piece of lyrical madness. The emcee is the Phantom of the Opera behind his words, inventing the plot as he goes, taking the story through climactic twists and sinister turns until insanely lost in the drama. 

Whether his head's in the clouds, in a book, behind a camera (He's also an assistant manager at The Nickel City Blend project), or listening to Madonna behind his mother's back (Yes, he's down with Madonna), Trè Marsh is continuously learning, always astute, and forever the rebel.

San Francisco native rapper Rich Rocka, formerly known as Ya Boy, has been consistently releasing mixtapes as well as two full length LP's since his 2005 debut album Rookie of the Year, which featured elements of the west coast's hyphy movement that included artists like E-40, The Pack, and Mac Dre. His latest mixtape, Road to Rocka, is available as a free download and the rapper is expected to release a self-titled studio album in the near future. The West coast MC will perform at the Waiting Room tonight along with local rappers Chae Hawk and Ando, hosted by Team Radio. Rocka has somewhat of a Buffalo connection as his cousin is Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson. 

Be sure to arrive early enough to catch one of our city's hardest working MC's in Chae Hawk, whose album Dance Party for the Heavy Hearted, is a progressive blend of electronic production and skilled lyricism and one of the most unique hip hop releases in recent memory. Also opening tonight's show is local rapper Joe Ando, who has an ear for a memorable hook and killer flow judging by the single "Want That." Doors open tonight at 9pm for a 10pm show. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. The event is 18+.

The latest mixtape from Buffalo rapper L-Biz, Ya Heard Dat, is yet another solid addition to the impressive year that the local hip-hop scene has been having with releases from EVC affiliates Cove, Short Moscato, Mic Excel, and The Bermuda Triangle as well as newcomers Network. The tape's opening title track is a confident first statement delivered over a jazzy beat that feels effortlessly smooth. With clever wordplay and infectious flows, L-Biz presents himself as an artist comfortable with his style, never having to press or resort to gimmicky hooks for attention, instead relying on a well-crafted, soulful sound that quite simply speaks for itself.

Other standout tracks from the mixtape include "What Must I Say," which features one of the more memorable, soul-sampling instrumentals. It's a sound that the genre has seen more than its fair share of, but still manages to sound timeless when carried out with the authenticity that makes this tape such a rewarding listen. "Cuffin Season" includes one of the more memorable choruses along with "Be My Lady," which together display a keen melodic pop sensibility made possible by incredibly close attention to detail. You can purchase the mixtape for $5 at the artist's Bandcamp page along with Ya Heard Dat, the album.

When hip hop duo Network released their debut album back in July, their experimental, highly lyrical style brought an interesting flavor to the local scene. With sparse production and samples that range from eerie to highly melodic, combined with the fiery delivery of lyricist Quinton Brock, the pair have captured an ambitious, melancholic sound that stands out even in this progressive era of rap.

Their newest EP, Wake Up, is a purposeful progression for the project, both lyrically and sonically towards a defined identity with Brock sounding more resolute than ever before on tracks like "Loon" and "Tarred and Feathered." Producer Derek Sullivan's instrumentals range from abrasive to mellow and reflective with a distinctly analogue sound that captures the gritty nature of early hip hop production. Not surprisingly, a lot of ground is covered in just 5 tracks for a duo that cites indie rockers Sonic Youth and Deerhunter as influences.

From the distorted ambient intro, "Aestivation," which brings to mind Kid A-era Radiohead and the paranoid, industrial sounding "Hypnic Jerk," Network continue to break ground in a genre that has seen the lines impossibly blurred over the last few years as seemingly disparate influences come together in true hip hop fashion. Download Wake Up on the project's bandcamp page and check them out live as they open for Domo Genesis and MellowHigh of Odd Future at the Waiting Room December 7th.

I take a sip of coffee and scroll through Facebook on my phone inside Cafe Aroma on a cloudy autumn afternoon. 12:30 pm approaches and I patiently await the arrival of my interviewees, Mic Excel and Short Moscato. 12:45 approaches and still, a no-show. Seconds later my phone rings. "Hey, It's Mic calling from Short's phone. We're running late. But we're like five seconds away," the voice says in a laid-back demure tone. "OK!" I say professionally, trying to disguise the irritation in my voice. "Wordddddd," Mic replies "cooly." He hangs up. Two minutes later the guys walk in with a swagger step that would put Shaggy to shame, and stuntin' with some gold chains and baggy Sean John pants sagging down to their man jewels. I instantly perk up. My panties drop at the sight of this fine, fresh-lookin' hip hop collabo. "Can I be in ya'lls video?!" I scream like a school girl. "Hey girl, we got a list goin.' We'll put you up at the top though if you do a little somethin' for us, shawty," Short Moscato whispers in my ear. I drool all over the counter.

That's how the scenario would have gone had I met two typical hip hop meatballs into over self-promotion and Black Panther rap. In actuality, the gentlemanly, humorous, and free-spirited duo, whose latest project The Ren and Stimpy Show, is a not-so-serious project that avoids the divisions and collisions of overly serious hip hop, is nothing of the sort. I spoke to them about their music, Batman, and much more during our not-so-serious rendezvous.

JB: How did you guys meet?

ME: Mutual friends. A promotional company called After Dark put on an event called the Hip Hop Hybrid at Broadway Joe's. I was hosting it for a few months. They put his act on the bill (Short Moscato's), and that's how we first met. We didn't really start hanging out until like four or five months ago, when he started mixing up stuff with EVC crew and he was leaving Koolie and trying to do his own thing. And I was trying to do my own thing. And for some reason it ended up us doing something together, and that's really how R&S came about. LOL.

JB: Let's get to The Ren and Stimpy Show. Tell me about the concept behind it.

ME: The real push behind that was that Short and I were just talking about hip hop and seeing people being super, super serious about it like, "Oh I'm gonna put out this album and it's going to change the game. I recorded it in my garage, this shit is real...we gotta unite as a people... and everyone starts to gets so serious, and because of that level of seriousness they become easily jaded and that how enemies form in hip hop.

SM: And they made it (hip hop) corny.

ME: And corny. They made it corny because they made it so serious. If you listen to like DeLa, their just having a great time. Jay Five. Great music. But...we were like these dudes are real serious right? LOL. No, we hope this album doesn't change the game, But with R&S it was the beginning of the summer and we just wanted to have a lot of fun and we needed a reason to record. SM: I think the album is a satire theme. It's real brash. Half the stuff we're saying is pretty horrible.

ME: Womanizing and degrading. And thats not how we are.

SM: We're just trying to take ourselves less seriously. Just superficial, stupid stuff stuff. Like girls, drugs...

ME: We usually just write it on the spot, record it, and it just kind of stays with us....That's why Short and I got along so well. We have the same mentality of recording music. It's not like mega preparation... For me, when I first hear the beat, I write whatever I want to write, but it has to be the day off, or else I'm not going to feel the same way tomorrow and I'll write something completely different. And a lot of people don't like that about MCs like me. they're like, "Oh you didn't prepare for it?"...I'm not knocking them but...

SM: No I'm with you. Like back in the day when Miles Davis and Coltrain were playing together they...sending each other emails. They were getting together and doing it. That's how real music's made. With this generation its so easy for everyone to be a hip hop star on their Facebooks and record in their closet.
Where do you usually record?

ME: All over...Usually we've been recording downtown at the Nickel City Records studio downtown.

JB: Jamie Catania (producer at NCR) he's a nice guy.

SM: Super nice guy. He's got two beats on the project.

JB: Ian (Ian Cochran, Nickel City Blend co-creator), has some beats on R&S two. I really like (the track) "Untamed World" he produced. It's really weird, but the beginning of it sounds like some Moulin Rouge-like stuff on there...like I could see a burlesque troupe doing something to it...I'm a dancer so when I heard it I was like, I could really make this work.

SM: You wanna be a dancer in the video?

JB: Yeah, I'll do it. DROOLS.

SM: Tighhhhhhht.

JB: So Short, are you in love with Iggy Azalea?

SM: Yeah. A lot of things about her amaze me. She's Australian. She's a model.

ME: She's got the baddest ass.

SM: And the best thing. She has this accent right. And when she talks, she tuhks like thees. And when she raps she sounds like a black chick.

Then we segwayed from accents to Christian Bale in Batman....what.

JB: I'm not into Batman.

ME and SM: What?!?!

JB: Yeah...or Superman.

ME: I hate Superman.

ME: It's like being Bill Gates, its not fair. You can do whatever you want. That sucks. You should have some limitations. It affects my day. I think about Superman. I'm like, "I hate you, Superman."

SM: Yeah you gotta have limitations, man.

Last question, favorite track you've recorded off of R&S?

SM: My favorite song is "City Hicks" with Jake Freeman.

ME: I like the one with GoGev.

SM: That one's good too. Anytime she sings is great.

ME: "Space Madness," just because it was the first one. It was our defining moment that we were going to keep recording to that criteria of stuff. Like we knew R&S would be funny, and we don't know what the hell it means yet. Then we recorded that song, and then we just kept it going.

SM: If you know Mic and I and the music we've put out...the project isn't really us at all. It's a left field-type project.

ME: It's us when we're out drinking. (Laughs)... a lot of people stress out about lyrics. I don't get it.

SM: You can say whatever you want.

ME: You just got to stand by it.

The 4-piece hip hop sensation Type Relevant hit the studio this summer and came out with one of the best Buffalo hip hop albums I have heard thus far writing for buffaBLOG. Pure Speculation, a title Type Relevant front man Brian Herlihy says was inspired by the darker side of the music industry, the side of all business, image, and preconceived notions about what hip hop artists are suppose to sound or act like, is an album seasoned with multi-genre flair. The guys bring together jazz, bluesy rhythms, rock, and Latin-influenced sounds to produce a global flavor I have yet to hear from any other Buffalo hip hop artist.

Surprising tempo changes and skillfully rendered lyrics, such as in "Mint Chips" make no track boring. Classical instrumentation such as in "Breaking Through," featuring cellist Charlie Bennet, add to the group's multi-instrumentalist appeal. Each track contains an inspiring message, especially for those looking to break into the music industry. "Elevate" contains a simple but right-on message, "Elevate to a higher level." Be yourself, get to where you want to be with hard work, and things will fall into place. The milky vocals in "This Road" provided by songstress Rachel Palumbo provides judt enough sexy feminine edge. Herlihy freestyles like a quick change artist; his lyrics are fast and to the point, because extra verbage is unecessary when rhyming what you feel. The album's phenomenally done. Make sure you give it a listen.