Tag: Memphis rap

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The Secret Weapon: Big Scarr’s Posthumous Release Dazzles

The Secret Weapon by Big Scarr

It was just back in November when Memphis rapper Big Scarr, whose releases on Gucci Mane’s The New 1017 Records had already been making major chart waves, announced that he’d be extending his tour into 2023. “I am adding more dates so I can hit every city and pull up on the whole Grim Reaper Gang … Love, Big Scarr aka Big Frozone, aka Big Grim Reaper aka The Secret Weapon. P.S. This just the warm up. I’m in album mode now. 2023 is mine.”

Those words ring bittersweet now. On December 22, the 22 year-old rapper, born Alexander Woods, died of a prescription pain medication overdose. But his words may yet ring true, as the album he mentioned has just been released.

The Secret Weapon was clearly aiming for the stratosphere, continuing the move to bigger sounds signaled by Scarr’s full length debut on the 1017 imprint, 2021’s Big Grim Reaper. That album offered three full versions of a single tune, “SoIcyBoyz,” which, taken in succession, track the changes Big Scarr was undergoing as he ramped up to the big time.

The song’s first version, featuring his cousin Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, was a masterpiece of hip hop invention, pairing hazy acoustic guitar chords with relaxed rhymes touching on the joys of swigging cough syrup and Fanta in the yard with one’s steady mobbin’ crew of choice. Its sound is a standout in the trap music roster by virtue of its almost folksy ambiance, yet is practically stamped with the phrase “Memphis AF.”

As he noted in a statement after his debut album, “It’s rough out here. What I’m rapping about is what’s going on where I’m from. It’s the slums. It’s the trenches. It’s the hood. It’s tough. It’s real.”

With Version 2 of the song, producer Tay Keith, also from Memphis, was brought on, and the track took on a more percussive atmosphere, while retaining a certain lightness. With Version 3, which added Gucci Mane to the mix, the soundscape seemed to grow even more cinematic, and more in keeping with the horror-film aesthetic of Three 6 Mafia.

Cut to last week, when the The Secret Weapon revealed Big Scarr’s first full album since his debut (not counting 2022’s deluxe mixtape, Big Grim Reaper: The Return). And the soundscape somehow splits the difference between all those versions of “SoIcyBoyz,” invoking cinematic spaces even as the vocals and assorted jangled sounds stay perched on the edge of your ear.

Take track 2, for instance: “Trappin n Rappin (feat. Gucci Mane),” begins with orchestral sounds seemingly run through a broken tape player that nonetheless lend an epic sweep to (Gucci Mane’s?) invocation, “Long live the legend, my secret weapon.” The otherworldly swirl of sound is an effective contrast with Big Scarr’s dry, laconic delivery, surely the most Southern of the diverse dialects in today’s hip hop world.

Yet, in his own gruff way, Big Scarr’s rhymes are mighty nimble as well, as he reveals later in “SKRT SKRT,” the title signifying the song’s hook, sung in falsetto. “That’s what ya hear when I come through …” he sings in between rapid-fire verses that deftly paint a portrait of the neighborhood life.

It turns out such throw-away choruses, thrown out as if afterthoughts, are a specialty of Big Scarr. “Toe Tag (feat. Key Glock)” also features the two title words, evoking the morgue, in a brief quip of a “chorus” that’s over before you know it. The offhand delivery is almost maniacal in it’s casual glee.

Perhaps cutting a track like “I’m Him” was Big Scarr’s subtle shout out to the mega-platinum world of Kevin Gates’ smash album of the same name. In any case, the Memphis rapper is sure-footed in defining a new sound for himself, equal parts cinematic gloom and toy-instrument lightness. Now that Memphis — and the Magnolia community of South Memphis where he grew up — mourns his loss, that sound still stands, and may yet be New 1017’s secret weapon.

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Webbstar: Rapper Hooks Up with CCDE to Deliver Reggae

CREDIT: Raven Wiseman

The singer, songwriter, and rapper Webbstar has one message for music fans: Expect the unexpected. Over his years of music making, he’s skipped across multiple genres, sometimes in a single song. Starting as a young rapper, his first record, Cuffing Season, also showed considerable melodic and R&B chops. The dawn of 2020 saw him introducing serious rock elements into his sound, especially with the single, “Shine,” which could be a collaboration with Gary Clark Jr., but it really springs from his partnership with Micah Wilshire and Ryan Peel. Peel has been integral to Webbstar’s most recent work, further broadening his production palette this summer in having him record with local reggae masters Chinese Connection Dub Embassy (CCDE).

That stroke of genius yielded two hot summer singles, “Bad Bad Ting,” a tribute to a certain woman’s hotness released under Peel’s name, featuring both Webbstar and CCDE, and the politically woke “Dem A Callin (Flodgin),” credited to CCDE, featuring Webbstar. Now, under his own name, Webbstar has released a new single created by the same collaboration, the hypnotic reggae soul of “South Memphis Woman.”

Raven Wiseman

Webbstar wants his fans to expect the unexpected.

The stylistic shift might surprise anyone who’s known Webbstar as Derrick Webb, a rapper since grade school, when he had a partner who’s since gained considerable acclaim. “I also work with Memphis Track Boy,” Webb explains. “He produced a lot of stuff for Moneybagg Yo, BlocBoy JB, and other big-time guys. And a lot of Cuffing Season was done with Memphis Track Boy. He’s had a lot of success. But I’ve known him since third grade! Then we started doing music when I was a sophomore in high school. By 10th grade, I had already recorded a mixtape. And he was doing beats already. He had a studio in his mom’s house. So we linked up, and the next year, I created a song for my football team. I was a junior at Whitehaven High School.”

Football fed his rap talents, but also opened up new perspectives when he got a scholarship to play with the University of Colorado Buffaloes. “I did all that rapping in Memphis, then I went to college in Colorado, with a whole different scene, a whole different culture. I started to really explore different music styles at that time. And I’d say that made me a songwriter. It gave me the ability to move between genres. There’s a lot of different ways into the game.”

“South Memphis Woman,” for example, first grew out of Webb’s other great musical love. “My granddaddy used to always play the blues,” he says, “taking me to football games on Saturday mornings. So I had the blues feel, like most Memphis children do.” And that’s what he had in mind when writing the song. “‘South Memphis Woman’ had been in the works in my head, only in my head, for about a year. And I imagined doing it as some kind of soulful blues … a kind of hole-in-the-wall type of feel.”

But then came his sessions with CCDE. “We started getting in the studio together, and Ryan brought it up. And when we created it right there on the spot, with Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, they took it in a reggae direction, and it was perfect. I think it was just meant for them to be on that song. They’re so talented, as soon as Ryan told them the idea, we made it immediately. Right there on the spot. That’s all it took.”

The track sports CCDE’s trademark groove with subtle atmospherics, Webbstar’s soulful singing, background vocals, and horn punches, adding up to a sound evoking reggae from decades past. As Webb notes, it may not be the direction of most music coming out of Memphis, or anywhere, these days, but he’s undeterred. “Because of the modern thing, some of the better reggae groups today are just not noticed. It’s not in the pop culture right now. It’s its own lane.”

He seems to relish surprising music fans with such twists and turns. “It can be hard for people to grab a hold of it at first, until they see the consistency. I’m gonna rap, I’m gonna make some melodies, I’m gonna give you lyrical content, but I’ve been keeping people guessing. I want people to know they can expect the unexpected. But whatever I make, it’s going to have my DNA in it.”

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Music Music Blog

Classic Pimpin: 8Ball & MJG Bring It All Back Home

The distance between Orange Mound and Midtown is mere blocks, but the Railgarten appearance by Memphis rap duo 8Ball & MJG, slated to take place Sunday, September 2, is more of a metaphysical journey. Just two weeks ago, Premro “8Ball” Smith and Marlon Jermaine Goodwin celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their nine-song studio debut Comin’ Out Hard, a funky, bluesy hip hop masterpiece.

Recorded in Houston, Texas by producer Tony Draper, Comin’ Out Hard is a lyrical marvel: On it, the MCs drop one juxtaposition after another: In one verse, they rap about running drugs on the corner and in the next, they’re ruling high school talent shows. There was truth to their lyrics, but there was also a lot of fantasy. The song “Armed Robbery,” MJG explained to me during an interview in 2007, is “a broke motherfucker’s fantasy, to be able to rob a bank and get away with it.” Laid over the hook from Lalo Schrifin’s “Mission: Impossible Theme,” the riveting story-song helped solidify 8Ball & MJG’s legacy on the top tier of Memphis rappers, right alongside the city’s other heavy-hitters, Three 6 Mafia.

While the members of Triple 6 covered more ground, 8Ball & MJG rapped specifically about Orange Mound, the first Black neighborhood in the U.S. to be built by Blacks, established on the site of the former Deaderick Plantation in the 1890s. 8Ball was raised by his mother on Lamar Circle and was bussed to Ridgeway Middle School, where he met MJG. The two attended Middle College High School, and, in their downtime, hung out at a pool hall across the street from the Lamar-Airways Shopping Center. MJG grew up a few blocks away, on Sample Street, where he absorbed the country music his grandmother loved alongside the jazz and R&B his father preferred. Each had formidable talent, but together, they gelled into a single unit that left lesser MCs in the dust.

Their music transcended the boundaries of Park Avenue and East Parkway, reaching audiences of all races around the world. Today, 8Ball & MJG don’t just serve as the prototypes for classic southern rap music: they are often rapped about, with their names popping up in the lyrics on songs like E-40’s “Record Haters.” Even National Public Radio has sung their praises, devoting a 2014 segment of “Morning Edition” to the group. Now, 8Ball & MJG are putting the finishing touches on a film biopic, also titled Comin’ Out Hard, written, produced and directed by the Superwoman Squad, a multicultural collective of creative women and female entrepreneurs. The duo is releasing a new live album, Classic Pimpin, this fall. They’re also slated to make an appearance at Atlanta’s A3C Musical Festival in October.

8Ball & MJG’s Railgarten concert, which also includes performances by Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Unapologetic’s Weird Maestro, and DJ Witnesse, caps off a loose series of local appearances, including 901Fest in May and a listening party held at Memphis Slim House last February. Next, the duo hits the road for a fall tour, which includes stops in Birmingham, AL, Grand Prairie, TX, and DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The Railgarten show is slated to take place on the outdoor stage, with the first act appearing at 7 p.m. Admission is $10.

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Music Music Blog

Get Hip to the Hop: Where to Hear Live Rap in Memphis

CREDIT: Travis Whiteside

Travis Whiteside

Moneybagg Yo at Minglewood Hall

For some world-class hip hop, keep your eyes on the festivals. This city boasts several, often featuring the superstars of rap as headliners. This year’s Beale Street Music Festival presented, among others, Tyler, the Creator, Ludacris, Al Kapone, renowned Three 6 Mafia producer/artist Juicy J, and Young Dolph, currently riding high in the charts. That’s a high ratio of local rappers.

This October’s Mempho Music Festival will bring Juicy J once again, as well as other Memphians from way back, like Project Pat and Frayser Boy (with the Hi Rhythm Section, no less). Brooklyn’s legendary Nas will headline the October 7th lineup, supporting his new album, Nasir. 

Juicy J

Memphis is also host to a good many single-artist hip hop concerts: grand affairs in roomier venues like Minglewood Hall, the New Daisy Theatre, or the Hi-Tone (where Cities Aviv plays June 29). And then there’s the FedEx Forum, in a class of its own. On June 28, the latter will feature one the country’s biggest hip hop extravaganzas, Yo Gotti & Friends Birthday Bash 6, which always includes top-tier guest artists in addition to Gotti. It must be satisfying for Gotti to survey the landscape of his youth and reflect on his triumphs from the Forum’s stage.

Yo Gotti

Beyond concert and festival appearances by the mega-stars, hip hop shows are experiencing a renaissance in Memphis—for the first time since the 1990s heyday of clubs like the Complex, Fantasia and Precious Cargo, which closed its doors in 2006.

These days, Brinson’s Downtown (340 Madison), Height Lounge (6135 Mt. Moriah Ext.) Midtown Crossing Grill (394 N. Watkins) and CANVAS of Memphis (1737 Madison Ave.) are all places you can catch live hip hop on a regular basis. For DJ battles, keep an eye on the calendar at Memphis Slim Collaboratory (1130 College Studio), where Kingpin Da’ Composer hosts Let’s Get LOUD, a semi-annual beat battle and producer showcase. When Slice of Soul Pizza Lounge (1299 Madison Ave.) opened for business in January, they celebrated with a performance by famed Bronx duo Camp Lo that felt like the days of Precious Cargo revisited. Slice of Soul is also the current home of The Word, Neosoulville’s monthly open mic night, which features MCs alongside jazz divas, soul singers, poets and comedians, all set to the backdrop of Chinese Connection Dub Embassy.

Get Hip to the Hop: Where to Hear Live Rap in Memphis (2)

The Word is probably the city’s longest-running hip hop salon, but it’s hardly the only one. Look out for Dope on Arrival, a quarterly rap showcase held at Height Lounge, Pressure World, a DJ showcase usually held at Growler’s, and the Kickback, an eclectic, funky DJ and live music mash-up hosted by Devin Steele at the Hi-Tone. And every third Sunday of the month, two of the city’s top creative, Brandon “Eso” Tolson and Siphne Sylve, curate a musical salon called Artistik Lounge at Minglewood Hall. Over the last six years, they’ve brought in a wealth of local and national talent, running the gamut from Three 6 Mafia’s Gangsta Blac to NPR darlings Tank and the Bangas. On July 15, Zephaniah headlines Artistik Lounge.

Get Hip to the Hop: Where to Hear Live Rap in Memphis (3)

My favorite spot to catch live hip hop is, hands down, House of Mtenzi Museum (1289 Madison Ave.). The low stage and DIY atmosphere reminds me of the hardcore scene that captivated me in high school. And when local MC Jason Da Hater is running the microphone, you can expect hijinks like four-bar mic battles where the losers are forced to do push-ups before they can regain their mic privileges.

Iron Mic Coalition

Social media is the best way to find out about underground hip hop shows. Be sure to join the Rhyme Writtaz & Rhyme Lovaz Discussion Forum on Facebook. Moderated by Roy Dickenz, aka Milk, one of the MCs in Iron Mic Coalition, the forum offers a plethora of information about the local scene. While you’re at it, download the UnApp, created by the team at Unapologetic, who are hosting their own don’t miss event, the Stuntarious Vol. III EP Release Show, at Railgarten on Saturday, June 30.

It’s a banner month for hip hop at Railgarten—this Saturday night, the venue is also hosting Memphis Massacre, a skateboarding, jookin’ and rap extravaganza put together by VHS storeowner Luke Sexton. The line-up includes instrumental garage rock band Impala, Billboard charting rap duo HippySoul, Unapologetic’s Weird Maestro, and headliner Tommy Wright III, a Memphis-born rap legend of the 1990s who has resurfaced as a skate culture hero.

Currently, it’s easier to catch Wright onstage at SXSW, or in New York or Los Angeles, than it is in his own hometown. Wright’s last local appearance was during Gonerfest 13:

Get Hip to the Hop: Where to Hear Live Rap in Memphis

Parse through his YouTube channel and you’ll see him performing at L.A.’s hipster sneaker store Undefeated, or at the Circle Bar in New Orleans, surrounded by young white kids who know every syllable of his 1994 underground hit “Meet Yo Maker.”

Sexton sees Memphis Massacre as an opportunity to take VHS beyond the brick-and-mortar storefront. “We’re promoting the culture of the Dirty South,” he says. “Tommy really brings out a raw essence that skateboarders love. What he raps about isn’t glamorous—it’s the raw and dirty side of things.” Admission for Memphis Massacre, which kicks off at approximately 6 p.m. with DJ Hush and a skateboarding demo, is $10.

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Music Music Blog

Young Dolph at the New Daisy

Young Dolph will perform at the New Daisy Theater Wednesday as part of his “Royalty Tour.” Young Dolph- Real name Adolph Thornton Jr.- released his debut album King of Memphis in February, and the rapper has been making waves since then, most notably appearing on the O.T. Genasis track “Cut it.”

Check out the video for “Cut It” below and get to the New Daisy by 8 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $20-$30 dollars and advance tickets are available. 

Young Dolph at the New Daisy

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Cities Aviv at the Brooks Museum

This Wednesday night Cities Aviv will perform at the Brooks Museum. The performance will feature unreleased music and video from the Memphis rapper, and is in correlation with the ongoing exhibit “Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars,” organized by the Newark Museum and on view through September 4th. 

Cities Aviv (real name Gavin Mays) is back in Memphis, but stays busy performing on the East Coast frequently, including a recent jaunt with underground rapper Antwon. Wednesday’s show is his last appearance of the summer. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is $10 or $5 with a student ID. Watch his latest video for “Walk” below. 

Cities Aviv at the Brooks Museum

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Cities Aviv Tonight at the Hi-Tone

Cities Aviv is officially back in Memphis, meaning there are more and more hip-hop shows cropping up that are worth your attention. Joining Cities Aviv at the Hi-Tone tonight is the Show Me the Body, the New York City trio that borrows from hardcore, hip-hop, and blues.

Show Me the Body have been making waves with their track “Body War,” and the band is currently on a lengthy tour taking them across the country. Rounding out this Tuesday mega show are local MCs Hotel and Goodboy Jones, along with DJ’s Quinton Jevon Lee and C Selekta. If you needed a reason to get out of the house on a Tuesday night. look no further. Check out music from all of the artists performing below, and get to the Hi-Tone by 9 p.m. tonight with $10 in your hand. 

Cities Aviv Tonight at the Hi-Tone

Cities Aviv Tonight at the Hi-Tone (2)

Cities Aviv Tonight at the Hi-Tone (4)

Cities Aviv Tonight at the Hi-Tone (3)

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Yo Gotti Lands #1 Rap Album in the Country

Yo Gotti

Yo Gotti, aka the King of Memphis has the hottest rap album in the country on the Billboard Top 100, coming in at #4 behind only Justin Beiber, Rihanna, and Adele. His latest album The Art of Hustle features cameos from some of the biggest names in the rap industry, and the album moved 61,000 units in the first week it was available. To celebrate this historic achievement, here are a few favorite Yo Gotti videos from the past couple years. Congratulations Gotti!

Yo Gotti Lands #1 Rap Album in the Country

Yo Gotti Lands #1 Rap Album in the Country (2)

Yo Gotti Lands #1 Rap Album in the Country (3)

Yo Gotti Lands #1 Rap Album in the Country (4)

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Yo Gotti Premiers “Designer Party” Video

CREDIT: Cole Wheeler

Cole Wheeler

Yo Gotti performing at Mud Island last summer.

The King of Memphis has been on a tear lately, dropping new music at a rapid pace with major hits like “Down in the DM” and “Rihanna”. Go on a personal tour of Yo Gotti’s closet in his brand new video “Designer Party,” featured below. I think most of us would be content with a single pair of ANY of the shoes Gotti brags about owning. 

*Fair Warning, the song does feature explicit lyrics*

Yo Gotti Premiers ‘Designer Party’ Video

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Al Kapone’s Christmas Jam

Al Kapone plays the Hi-Tone this Wednesday night.

Al Kapone will host a Christmas jam this Wednesday night (December 23rd) at the Hi-Tone. Performers include Al Kapone, Lil Wyte, Frayser Boy, Lil Riah, Key Money, Ashton Riker, Young AJ Do It, Tune C, Wala Wyse, Tre$, Tori Who Dat, and Hillboy. That’s a pretty stacked lineup. The show kicks off at 9 p.m. and admission is $12 at the door, or bring two canned good items and get in for $10. Check out the classic Frayser Boy track from the Hypnotize Minds album Me Being Me below.

Al Kapone’s Christmas Jam