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.

It becomes clear very early into Obey The Triangles! that it was only a matter of time before MC's Dr.Ooo, Mic Excel and Mario Bee joined forces to make an album that brings together the creative energy of some best talent from the Buffalo hip hop scene. The project, titled The Bermuda Triangle, features the Latin flavored Jazzy boom-bap production from Essential Vitamins Crew's Covert with cuts by DJ Your Mom's. As always, Dr.Ooo delivers countless quotable lines including a rant about silk robes on "El Backyard Fuego," which boasts one of the most memorable instrumentals from the record. Former Buffalo, now New York based DJ Mario Bee makes his presence known with an impressive lyrical debut that along with EVC rapper Mic Excel sounds well suited for the golden age hip hop era sound the project captures. 

By successfully drawing from the past and adding elements of their personalities, the album serves as an important reminder that the genre originated as street art focused on promoting urban culture rather than making club bangers. Other notable tracks include "Aka.the.two.piece.combo." and "crepe.recipe". The album can be streamed and downloaded on the Essential Vitamins Crew bandcamp page.

The collaborative nature of the Buffalo hip hop and DJ scenes always makes for an interesting blend of creative talent. Whether it be Dr. Ooo's recent banger, "Womb Raider.," produced by Mario Bee or MC duo Mic & Life's work with fellow EVC producer Cove, the convergence of these-like minded artists consistently results in some of the best tracks released locally.

The latest example of this type of project is The Bermuda Triangle, which brings together MC's Mic Excel and Dr.Ooo with producer Cove and DJ Mario Bee, who delivers a verse on the group's debut single "1983 Remix." The track begins an eerie sample from what sounds like an old documentary before going into the spacey "1983" beat from LA producer Flying Lotus' debut album. Highlights include Mario's verse which contains a shout out to Artvoice and Mic's quotable line "I wanna live my life, my family wants me in a cubicle," along with Dr. Ooo's signature dizzying flow that feels perfectly suited for the wavy instrumental. Listen and download the track below.

The vibrant culture that surrounds Buffalo hip hop will be on full display tonight at The Vault arthouse. Cuts & Breaks is a celebration of the four elements of street art and will showcase the city's finest talent in hip-hop, breakdancing, and graffiti art. Artists performing include Dr.Ooo, Mic Excel, Mad Dukez, Jack Toft, Shuteyes with Charlie the Butcher, Koolie High, Essential Vitamins Crew producer Cove, Keith Concept and Legal the Lifesaver.

The event will also feature a gallery show of the canvas work of various graffiti artists who will get a chance to enjoy the spotlight as much of their work is undeservedly overlooked. With all of the elements of Buffalo hip hop culture coming together, tonight will serve as an important opportunity for the scene to gather and acknowledge their contribution to the local musical landscape.

Doors open for the downstairs gallery at 7pm, with the music starting upstairs at 9pm. Tickets are $10 presale or $15 at the door.

At the Nickel City Blend, the crowd size isn't the most important aspect. Beat beautification and promotion is the goal. Inside the brightly lit garage tucked away on Colvin Avenue you'll find a few seats, some professional camera equipment, and a padded wall sprinkled in sharpie graffiti to your right. To your left is a wall covered entirely in records. Sounds like the perfect backdrop for a Pitchfork TV-inspired hip hop documentary, doesn't it? All that's missing is the cast, and this Buffalo crew is anything but ordinary. As they filter in one by one, the blend's creators, Ian Cochran and Nicholas Anderson, hype everyone up for what they anticipate to be an epic sixth session.

Just as Pitchfork TV is dedicated to "documenting independent music as it happens," the Nickel City Blend sessions were created in an effort to not only showcase the duo's personal fortes(Ian with his sound engineering and Nick with his video editing), but to promote local music and bring more exposure to artists yearning to shine through interview-styled recordings and performances. "We had the idea to do interviews and other things and Nick was talking about the old BBC Sessions. Jimi Hendrix and a lot of other famous artists would come and do a studio recording. They would talk about their songs and play something out, just to get the live vibe," Ian said, who goes by the emcee name "sparKmatiK." The project began not too long ago with its first garage session in January. Since receiving a positive reception online and in the streets from local area artists, it was evident that word quickly got around. Nick didn't mind lending out his garage every couple Saturday nights, and Ian didn't mind networking and corralling what fine talent he could find in the city, and so the sessions became a ritual production. A handful of groups have already come through to record, such as Orginality Lies Within, The Greys (sparKmatiK and Tre Ochoa), Mic Excel and Legal the Lifesaver of Essential Vitamins Crew, KamiKaze LTD, and hip hop collective Blackbelt Jones (emcee Spec-ill K, beat master Cove Blackbelt and DJ Optimus Prime of EVC).

The blend session experience is like no other. Expect a heap of absurdities and a lot of laughter. But don't ask too many questions. Well, at least to certain people, anyway. The mysteriously magnetic emcee Spec-ill K made his presence known in his signature black ski mask, which he claims he won't take off for anybody, not even for the cops. "I'm an anti-establishment dude," he said while huddled around the backyard bonfire before the blend commenced. This much is clear. But don't let the blase attitude fool you; the man has a sensitive side. Spec-ill K performed two sets with Blackbelt Jones at this past session held in the beginning of April, one as himself and another as his second persona, "Melancholy," which happens to be the name of his next album, set for release in July. It's also named in memory of his deceased border collie Mickey, who he adored with endless devotion. The cast list, complete with entertaining stories, doesn't end there. You'll run into some even more perplexing but strangely fascinating Nickel City Blend frequenters, like emcee Lelton Marsh, christened "Bagel Jesus" by his hungry and holy disciples for his spiritual journeys up and down Elmwood and Ashland distributing bagels to the needy. "People flock to Bagel Jesus...It's the free bagels, probably," Ian laughed. "I got cream cheese sometimes too," Bagel Jesus added matter-of-factly.

Muhammad Furqan, better known as DJ Optimus Prime, came to do business as usual, but stopped by the fire for a few minutes to chat about the latest Blackbelt Jones album he's working on and how he juggles the standard 9 to 5 job (He works at Tops as a receiving accountant). He puts in at least 50 more hours a week into mixing and scratching tracks for countless artists. Tunnel vision could be detected in the eyes of Cove Blackbelt, who said a few soft-spoken "heys" and headed straight for the garage to set up. Alhough a man of few words, Cove does an excellent job of letting the music speak for itself, and it did just that Saturday night. Friends were welcomed with a "Crispy" introduction from Spec-ill K, followed by some Godzilla city reppin' in "Gojira," a little Kung Fu action in "Ginsu Technique," and a special shout out in "F*ck the World." Spec-ill K packed each verse with ballsy punchlines and riotous party mantras. DJ Optimus Prime brought impeccable turntablism as he always does, and Cove dropped some wickedly crafted, heavy underground beats.

For Nick, that's what the blend's all about. Bringing people together for the sake of making good music. "This originally started out as a mechanism to try to get his (Ian's group The Greys) music heard," Nick said, who recently shot a music video for metal group Low Road Revival. "We decided that we wanted to invite more people in and get more people heard." Nick and Ian haven't got any complaints so far, including from their neighbors. The plan is to continue to soak up the positive feedback and expand the blend into a bigger and better production within the next few months, starting with the seventh Nickel City Blend session on May 4th with Koolie High. Check out the Youtube channel before you come and get a taste of the blend. Come party with this cluster of crazy characters at 612 Colvin Avenue at 9:30 pm. It's free for all, but donations are welcome.