The Rap Underground North is about to Evolve

Our next showcase will take place at the the FIRE in Northern Liberties it will have performances by Friendly Fire featuring Bless, Side Effect, KingAmun.Re' and CI and we are certain to have walkons. But after some prelimnary conversation with potential partners it looks like some changes may be made in future which will change the way performers are selected for future showcases. Stay tune.

The RUN has been RESCHEDULED the NEW DATE is WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29th

Yes the Rap Underground North is on again and yes because of our current status in the world the club owners just want to push us around but we will not let them get us down right. This show will have some of the same performers who blessed our stage on September 21st such as Side Effect, The Freindly Fire Crew with the boy BLESS and Kingamun.Re but this time we will introduce our RUN with special guest series this show we will have CEE KNOWLEDGE(DoodleBug of the Digable Planet) performing with his group the Cosmic Funk Allstars. We are still trying to bring people out to the shows but since that was our first show we will see what happens.

Lets Unify the Philly Hip Hop Community
Hey all,
I just want to make a statement of what I would like to see happen on the local underground hip hop scene. Just a little history a few years ago I found that Philly had an abundance of talent circulating on the underground Rap/Hip Hop scene in the form of rappers, producers, managers and studio owners. As I also discovered all this talent was going unrecognized or under utilized and that for the most part the local players except for what was going on in their vicinity, were unaware of what was going on in different sections of our city. It was because of this that I started the Rap Underground North Showcase, it was through this showcase which provided a performance opportunity to anyone who believed that they could perform in front of an audience a vehicle to meet and network with other artists, producers, studio owners and other Music biz types. The RUN created a community of like minded individuals which inturn created a sense of unity in an atmosphere that was strictly about the music. Recently I have been performing interviews with some of the artists and producers of that era, some who have gone on to develop profitable careers in the music industry and to my surprise the most common comment I here about the Rap Underground North is that it unified the talent that was part of the Philly Underground scene of its time. I have also been told that although Philly has a vibrant underground Hip Hop scene that it is mostly dominated by different cliques and crews that very rarely cross paths, I think that as far as the cliques and crews are concerned they are necessary and good, but I also believe that in order for our scene to grow and compete nationally we have to stand together. So in comes the new Rap Underground North Showcase in which we will try to unify the very rich pool of talent that this city has to offer and at the same time introduce the crews/cliques to each other so that we can share ideas and benefit from each others knowledge in an effort to present a cohesive front and bring Philly Rap/Hip Hop to national attention.

In closing I just want to let everyone know that the RUN is an unsigned artist showcase we do not charge a performance fee to the artist who perform on our stage anyone with at least self produced product can perform on the RUN, and we do to the best of our ability and finances to promote the talent who appear on our showcases and we do so without bias and clique/crew affiliation we again hope to gain by helping promote Philly as a vibrant and cohesive Hip Hop community.

I would like to apologize if in any of my comments I have offended anyone but I usually say what I feel and sometimes it just doesn't translate well.

Peace and lets make Philly Happen

Rap Underground North next show will be
on 30 November 2006 at the FIRE

We are in the process of artist selection for the next Rap Underground North Show. We would like to bring back some of the artist who performed at our last show I think it would be good for all involved. This time around I will be creating fliers designed to promote the top three performers which will include a photo, by top three we are talking groups or individuals who understand what it means when you have product available for the masses, lets see how that works. If this blog is being viewed by potential performers drop us a line or a link to your website or myspace and we will get back. Just remember the RUN wants real Hip Hop for real Hip Hop Phanatic.

RAP UNDERGROUND NORTH SHOWCASE
21 September 2006 @ The FIRE in Philly

Well despite all of the efforts to present roadblocks the RUN was unscaved. Because of scheduling conflicts we had to tell the performers at the last minute that we would be starting one hour earlier and that we had to be out by 9pm. No problem all of the acts were there by 7:45 and the first act went on by 8PM. The first act was a poet by the name of Ransom I think wasn't sure even though he tried to tell me a number of times, I guess I'll ask Andrea tha Gr8 I believe he was a friend of hers. But the boy had a flow and provided the audience with thought provoking verse. Then KingAmun, re' took the stage with his message driven hip hop I am sure we will hear more from this brother in the future. I was most impressed with the Friendly Fire crew you know the boy Bless, Air Smooth and Shizzy not sure if I got shizzy right by in time I will have put it together. The boys had some stuff that I believe will set them apart from the crowd so check them out where ever their performing you will not be disappointed. Then there was Terence (Side Effect) Woods (pictured) it sounds like this brother has been around for awhile his flow was real like in real hip hop if you check out his myspace "Sideeffect88" you will see that he has put out three independent CDs, I am glad to say my man gave me a copy of his latest effort "Dirt Hustlin". Side Effect takes it back to the days when hip hop was fresh and gave us something to look forward to when you knew all you wanted to do was rock the M.I.C. this is one cd you should check out and also check him out. I am sure I will be able to get Mr. Effect to come back to the RUN we like what he does. All in all for our first effort in some time it went well and it looks like it sparked and new interest in the people who bought you DA BUZZ magazine. Stay tuned....

The RAP UNDERGROUND NORTH ROCKUMENTARY

Well this past weekend I had the privilidge of viewing a documentary about Women in music here in Philadelphia particularly hip hop. This film was not only filled with information on female rappers and break dancers it also contained a great deal of footage of the local playas, it was cool but who wants doobie in your hip hop. Any I want everyone to know that the Rap Underground North is on for next Thursday September 21st at the FIRE. We have scheduled to perform KingAmun.RE', Side Effect, and Bless. It looks like these crews not the deal. I met with Kingamun.Re' last night and he seems like he knows what he is doing lets see. Also I have been filming interviews for the documentary and I gotta say I have been very suprise with the responses. It seems that the RUN was a major influence in most everyone that was touched by it and the interviews have been very emotional especially for me I would never have thought in a million years the impact the RUN has had in paving the career path of so many now succesful people. I am very glad and honored that so many have benefited from these showcases and are willing to express this to me thankyou. I only hope that we can to the same for the next generation of artists. See you Thursday.

Rap Underground North Showcase Response
Well the response to our request for performers to our showcase has been overwhelming, athough I would like to be able to add everyone who inquired I am sorry I can't but I surely urged everyone to support this event.

I would just like to say to all who submitted material for review for the most part it was what we at the RUN wanted to represent but still there are those who feel the know what the kids in the street want to hear. Well that's fine but I have another take on it we at the Rap Underground North are looking to showcase that which is Fresh, Original and void of all the BS Thug/Drug/Female degradation references. I am not sure if some of you are aware but this even though we have the right to free speech continues to perpetuate the stereotypes that we have been trying as people to move away from and those that want to keep you down continue to profit from. Don't get me wrong making known what is going on in you hood through you art is part of the process of righting the wrongs but clamorously murder, the drug trade and its related activity is counter productive. I think that if we knew what was going on in the board room of these major labels, those of us with any intelligence would have to stop and think, is this what I want my children to remember me for I mean getting rich by perpertraiting the stereotypes and encouraging our young men to engage in illegal activities because we tell them that's how its done.

Hip hop was once an underground thang that is now mainstream and can be heard in every teenagers IPOD across this country and around the world, can you imagine the images that are created in the mind of some kid in some remote area of the world about the lives of the people who create this music. Just think, we at the RUN will not be a part of this, sorry there is already to much damage done I just hope we can correct this before its to late for my son.

If its FRESH, ORIGINAL, and has a beat let us hear it.