Ann del Llano on Police Accountability in Austin

This is severely real. One of my favorite people in this here town here hands down, and the woman behind one of the most important websites to pop up in Austin in recent years - TheSouthernShift.com - Ann del Llano speaks to Austin City Council about police accountability.

You will trip right the hell out when you hear some of the facts she kicks. Three cheers for Ann. We need more people like you who are NEVA SKED!



WATCH IT!

WIN TICKETS TO THE INFALLIBLE TOUR!Marcia Griffiths & Tanya Stephens!Thurs. July 8 @ Aces

That's right! Two incredible and legendary reggae voices gon' grace the stage at Ace's on July 8th.

And you can win a pair of tickets to the show (2 pair to give a way on this go round) by shooting me an email at austinsurreal@gmail.com with the answer to this question:

What's the name of the group Marcia Griffiths is in with Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley?

First two correct answers win 2 tickets. Hit me up.

Classic Austin Rap: 2.5 MafiaIs Reality A Dream?Year 2000

I don't normally do this (upload full CD's to the blog), but I found this one as I was going through a box in my garage of a ton of CD's I had on my shelf in my office in Houston. I remembered it as being pretty jammin', so I popped it in and was like MAN, yeah, this was the year 2000...



2.5 Mafia - Is Reality A Dream? KRAIGWOOD - A.K. Records - Click here to DL

And if anyone involved in this project has a problem with this being uploaded, let me know and I will take it down. I just feel like it's a good document of Austin hip-hop, from a period just before eyes started peering in on Houston. Texas rap back then was like, really it's own thing. Records even I may have not heard of right away were selling in the streets for real. Every city/region had their break outs on all different levels.





The track list is actually one of the more thorough Texas indie rap track lists I've ever seen, but alas, while it gives credit to all the artists/writers, it only lists their real names, so I am not totally sure who is who on here. I mean I know who MC Fatal is and who Black Mike is, but I don't know everyones real names. Peep the tray card below to see who all is featured and give this one a listen.



Austin Got Tight Music For Real.



Anyway, jam out to this Austin rap classic and if you feel it and want to hear more classic Austin, lemme know and I'll see what I can get up.

DJ Brandi Garcia Breaks her Silence on being fired by KBXX

OMG, SMH, as the kids say. Brandi we got your back for sure, this is insanity. Thank you for speaking up and keeping it professional as always. People need to see this, it's real.



If these powerbroker fuckers would untie the hands of their DJ's across the country and globe, they might not have to worry about going under every freakin' day.

CLICK HERE TO READ ANOTHER EDITORIAL ON THE SITUATION BY A DAY AND A DREAM!

Houston Press Cover Story on Trae Tha Truth!By Shea Serrano

The man Shea Serrano really went and did the damn thing. This is the real deal story on what Trae is going through right now in regards to his situation with the Box. You done heard a lot so far, but this really breaks it down.



Love to hear the Box's side of this for real though.

CLICK HERE TO READ OUT THE BOX - Banned from KBXX 97.9, Trae tha Truth takes his case courtside.
By Shea Serrano

DJ Eleven - Table Manners Crew & MORE!At Ace's Thursday Night!

The brother DJ Eleven comes to Ace's Thursday night So Real lets kick it. Table Manners Crew, Hobo D and way more will be reppin'! COME THRU!

And Be sure to download DJ Eleven's exxxclusive Devin the Dude Mix:





As said Dude will be at Lamberts with DJ Mel this Friday night. Like 200 capacity. Ssssh just go get your tickets...

Scion Music(less) Conference in Los AngelesLakers WinBoyzinadaze

I love stepping off a plane in Los Angeles, or any west coast city for that matter. I love taking off from Austin at 7:30 a.m. and arriving in LA at 8:30 a.m. If you fall asleep on the flight, you barely miss a beat.

And it’s always sunny in Los Angeles. I don’t know if I’ve ever been there when it’s rained at all but so much of that whole region is super lush and the air, while dirty has a certain life to it.

Blown in from the Pacific Ocean I suppose?

Anyway last week I rolled out to the Scion Music(less) Music Conference in Los Angeles, at the super fly Renaissance Hotel right there at Highland and Hollywood, next to the Chevron. More on the Chevron later possibly.


I haven't really kicked it in this part of Hollywood since I first visited UCLA with my mom in the winter of 1988. I rarely get to just go check out the tourist spots in most of the cities I go to so it was kind of cool to just wander out there.

You know like, to behind the Chevron to pretend what I was doing was semi-legal.

In California.


Anyway man the Scion conference started out pretty strong with the What Is An Image Worth? Panel. I'm of course a big fan of Sacha Jenkins (who says he has a band with Murs and Darryl Jennifer now???) and also Vivian Host. So they put it down along with Geeta Dayal, Shirley Halperin, Chris Weingarten and Mikael Wood.


I'm not gonna pontificate too much on the panels. I'm just gonna give you a gang of photos. You can download the Conference Guide Here and see all the names on the respective panels and such. I think all this is gonna be presented online so I don't want to go all letting cats out of bags. Shit was dope though for real. And that's coming from a guy who generally does not want to sit and listen to panels all day.




Tommie Sunshine!


Atrak participated in a couple joints on the first day.


I did however have to run upstairs for a cool 15 minutes to check on the Mexico vs. France game and yes I did see the Mexico goal and yes that shit was dope. World Cup Fever going strong over here.


Hines Buchanan of Project Blowed seenhere with Austin's DJ Nick Nack. His new album Dearly Departed is amazing and you need to hear it. Google it or hit that CrowdControlRecords.com right now and also that Gigacrate.com too. You need this one in your life.


Lyricist Lounge in the hizzle. How did I not get a pic of Ant? He was there too.


Catchdubs holding it down.


Hines with Prince Paul. Paul says he has an album coming out with him and his son next year...


Richard Henry and Pyramid digging in.


The panel on Pro Tools was real.


Eric Ducker interviewed Atrak and then a dude in the crowd interviewed Atrak during the Q&A. I hope they don't cut that out.


Todd C. Roberts interviewed Suroosh Alvi and that was dope as well.


Bryan Herweg from Pelican and Adam Shore!


Man, the view out the room was no joke. LA LA Big City Of Dreams.

And a certain haze.

Anyway yeah.






Tight ass hotel I tell you whut.

So anyway after the first day of conferencing, Richard Henry, Pyramid and Nick Nack and I all hit the streets in search of food and a place to watch the Lakers game. We ended up at some lil Mexican spot for decent burritos and front row access to the big screen, somewhere down on Hollywood, but then we hit this bar called Essex for like the last 10 minutes of the game. It really went down man. So glad I could be there for that shit.

Drinking a round of Shiners with my dudes.


So then I think we hit another bar, then went back to the room for some beers and to regroup and figure out where to go, and ended up getting stuck watching all the local TV stations riot/celebration in the streets footage. Much from helicopters.















Yeah so it looked pretty cool out there so we decided to hit the streets, and didn't really have to go too far to feel the excitement.

It was just real cool to be out there. But Go Spurs 2011.


The State of Music Journalism.


Do You Need a Manager?


Yes, to become like the Jonas Brothers and rule the LA with their new series LA. My 8 year old daughter Eva told me that she thinks they are stupid and ugly and their music is stupid and she was all like "ElLaaaaay EllLLaaaaay, whatever," rolling her eyes and shit. So I took this one for her. Go World Cup.


This right here was the dopest talk for me though.


David Wm. Sims of the Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid/and ahem, Rapeman - gave instructions on the principles of music business accounting. I'm telling you this blew my mind for real. Always admired the dude and his bands. For a long rant about this, check out my last radio show on Radio KAOS by downloading it here.


So then on Friday night we made the plan to hit up OG Chino's Birthday party at the Blu Monkey (Also Rakaa's birthday!) down by Hollywood and Western so I showed Richard and Nick this video of Charles Bukowski riding in a convertible down Hollywood and Western.


Hollywood and Western didn't really look like that no mo'. But the Blu Monkey is a dope ass bar.


And Chino is the bro for real for years and DJ Synapse and DJ Ruri!

Killer night, incredible music.


Nick Nack and Bavu Blakes in the place. Bavu is living out in Long Beach now. Get at him!


And the picture just got that much realer for Austin hip-hop heads, Arson Optics, Nick Nack and Bavu Blakes!

Anyway, it went down.

Download Last Nights AustinSurreal ShowTracklist Below

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND JAM LAST NIGHTS AUSTINSURREAL SHOW! And all the other shows as well. The whole archive is on THIS page.

So yeah, that's a lot of music to jam, free. Here's the tracklist, lemme know when you done heard it.

NickNack Skuff
Baths 3 (Daedelus Shorelaxed Remix)
The Cloud I'm Under Get To Leavin'
Yoko Ono Give Me Something (Morel's I Gave You My Heart Dub Remix)
Drop the Lime Sex Sax (Sinden Remix)
Jesus Lizard Gladiator
Jesus Lizard Then Comes Dudley
Jesus Lizard One Evening
Lil B Drop (Prod by Travis Barker)
Phranchyze Popeye Jones
Hollywood Floss She Said
A-Train, Worldwide Highway
Worldwide, Lil Star Rock Wit Me
Guilty Simpson Mic Check 313
Darryl Moore She's My Everything
Gary Clark Jr. Bright Lights
Checkmate Meet the Man
GT Mayne, Propain, H Dash Kane, Dee Wreck, HIG, Delo Starz Are Out
GT Mayne, Dorrough, Fat Pimp Feel Real Good
Jadakiss They Don't Know
League 510 When the Chips Don't Fall
Inertia, Tum Tum, Lil Will Beddy Crocker
Health Die Slow (Tobacco Remix)
Highly Dangerous Rock Hard
Dub Police Bionic Dub
Liveola, Chalie Boy, Magno Mashed On

Adventures of Trae da Truth

Trae tha Truth Speaks to Angela Yee about the Ban

Ellay Khule aka Rifleman & Riddlore? live at Jovita’s (Austin, TX) Saturday June 19th

Ellay Khule aka Rifleman & Riddlore? live at Jovita’s (Austin, TX) Saturday June 19th
By Robert Gabriel

Innovation in rap music goes a long way. When the 90’s hit and emcees started chopping their rhymes, in a syncopated, accelerated pattern, an entire school of aficionados ran with the concept. Longtime teachers of the chopped style, Ellay Khule and Riddlore? persist to pitch lyrical sidewinders 20 years beyond first becoming widely known as regulars at LA’s famous Good Life Café.

There is longevity in carving new paths. Ellay Khule aka Rifleman continues to deliver earth-shattering tongue lashings in jettison, but an older, wiser Khule just might surprise you as well with some poppa large, laid back. Then there’s Riddlore? of Chillin Villain Empire, forever on his earthuristic bebop note and only getting better with time. From Project Blowed to Jovita’s, these two medaled veterans of the rap wars crush with a passion.

Ellay Khule aka Rifleman & Riddlore? live at Jovita’s (Austin, TX) Saturday June 19th

This is an early show that begins at 7:30 and ends at 12:30

All ages event with a $5 cover and ladies free before 10pm..

Jovita’s is located at 1619 South 1st Street.

Opening acts include Riders Against the Storm, Storm Shadow and DJ Aspekt.

Watch Ellay Khule – Rock On video here…



Watch Depth Affect featuring Riddlore? – Else’s Vision video here…



Watch Riders Against the Storm – In the Light video here…

League of Extraordinary G'z - Concealed Weapons Vol 2Review by Robert Gabriel

League of Extraordinary G’z Concealed Weapons 2 mixtape
By Robert Gabriel

The League of Extraordinary G’z presents one of those cases where albeit feisty brothers unifying instead of fussing and fighting pays clear sustainable dividends. This has happened before in Texas rap, what with the likes of Houston’s South Park Coalition, Street Military, and the Screwed Up Click in tow. Austin’s League continues the brash-in-numbers tradition bringing self-supporting groups Dred Skott, Southbound and Da C.O.D. together for an onslaught of unequivocal street rap.

The second mixtape in the Concealed Weapons series, session begins with “Ha Ha” and four ravenous emcees, Tuk-da-Gat, S.Dot, Greezo and Esbe, running verses back to back, the “evil genius” way. Wrecking instrumentals courtesy of Sade, Erykah Badu, and Drake, the League’s affinity for Andre Benjamin-esque neo-soul softens the blow of their harder-knock tendencies with a pimpadelic touch. On “We Gone Make It” Reggie Coby sums up the League’s splendid mix of the brazen and poignant with “my nigga riding around with a hundred years worth of time in his backpack…the look on his face said pray for me.”

Esbe leads the lifelong struggle between good and evil right “Home” reflecting “hope my sons don’t want to be like pops, this ain’t the life to hand ‘em, but this song that I done showed ‘em, what I picked up from their grandpa.” Greezo reiterates the consideration of regret on the “Window Seat” remix proclaiming that he’s “been trying to change since Obama got elected.” Bolstering his quest for a new start on “Soulja Shit,” Greezo delivers “y’all think we’re out doing felonious stuff, I’m at the crib reading Homer, banging Thelonious Monk.”

Bouncing between borrowed beats and adept original production, Concealed Weapons 2 teems with sharp rhyme quotables. On “Truth” Reggie Coby posits “life is a totem pole, it must suck to be the low one, ‘cause when you at the bottom, they gone treat you like a no one.” S.Dot deposits his two cents on “Satisfaction” throwing shots at “these internet thugs throwing internet slugs, give the cowards a voice, that’s all the internet does.” Positioning themselves alongside Trae in his public battle against mismanaged corporate radio, the League revs up “Trae Day” like a black Shelby Mustang overtaking a fleet of pink Vespas.

As the League puts it, “it’s not always a pretty picture, but it is beautiful.” Truer words couldn’t apply to Concealed Weapons 2 as its 21 tracks build anticipation for a proper League of Extraordinary G’z album come autumn.

By Robert Gabriel

Trae tha Truth interview by Sketch the Journalist - Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays

More from Trae showing the man behind the music. And the ban...

New Video: Snap - Bottom Line

Since I opened the radio show with 2 songs from The Niyat this week, that heavily featured the man Snap (you did DL the radio show right? You can get it right now by clicking here), I figured I'd post this video as soon as it hit my inbox.

He's got a message for you all out there. Slackin' on the rappin' and such.

Snap - "Bottom Line" from kinetikcinematix on Vimeo.

Peace to Wraithe and Kinetic Cinematix!

G-Baby from Austin - 3 Wins Deep on Freestyle Friday!

Aw man it's so dope to see her wreckin' every week. She is killin' em all with real freestyles.

Keep them wins coming G-Baby!

More Footage from Trae tha Truth's Town Hall Meeting

Keep spreading the good word.

WORD TO CLINT DEMPSEY!aka Deuce

In honor of Clint Dempsey's MONUMENTAL goal against England today, we present this throwback to 2006.

Deuce aka Clint Dempsey featuring Hawk and XO - "Don't Tread"



RIP BIG HAWK! One of the truest greats ever to touch the game. The rap game, not soccer.

Devin the Dude Live in Copenhagen

This video is 2 hours long. Hour 1 is all reggae, and it's really jammin'. Hour 2 is a hip-hop show with Devin the Dude in the house, drinking a Carlburg, mouthing the words to a few of his hits, going outside for a Coughee Break, etc. It's really dope, check it out!

New Video: Latasha Lee - Fresh Out Of Jail

From the producers who brought you everything from "Barre Baby" to "Still Tippin'" - Salih Williams and Carnival Beats present the latest single from their first lady Latasha Lee - "Fresh Out Of Jail."



I love this woman's voice, and love even more to see her live. Check out the video and leave me a comment below. This is another example of how dope the music we have coming out of Austin in 2010 is.

I Missed Trae's Town Hall MeetingBut the City of Houston Didn't

CLICK HERE NOW TO SIGN THIS PETITION TO LIFT THE BAN OF TRAE THE TRUTH ON HOUSTON'S 97.9 THE BOX.

I'd say it's a long story but really it's not. I headed out of Austin this past Thursday to attend and to also speak at Trae's Town Hall Meeting, and well, just past Giddings, about an hour outside of Austin (though it took almost 2 hours as it was rush hour and it was raining - I swear I'ma open a driving school in Austin) my car began to stutter, and then just died. It was raining and there was traffic so for almost two hours I was running my wipers, my headlights, my radio, and my ac and just starting and stopping the whole way. Finally it just gave out and instead of standing up in Houston supporting my man Trae and a cause that I feel is really real, I sat in a town truck and a small garage reading Twitter posts about the meeting and the hip-hop honors taping in New York.

I'd say that I hit a new low that night, but to be real with you, the past couple weeks have been pretty trying on a couple different levels that I won't write about here, and that situation almost felt right. Like "Yep, this is about right. I'll just miss the event that means a lot to me and sit here in the drizzle and read Twitter and spend money I don't have on a new alternator. Feels about right."

I felt like a walking, breathing Trae song. Lol?

So apologies to anyone I haven't been in touch with this past week or so. I'm getting it together. Also my phone messed up this weekend so I probably missed even more people that I was hoping to see... Anyway, whatever. This is about Trae, not me. The video below shows how it went down at the meeting. The people really came out to support. I am especially impressed to see Reggie Reg of the Go DJs, and some of the other Go DJ's in the spot, as it seems to me like a DJ might want to aspire to spin on a station like the Box. It's good to see some DJs with some real nuts coming out to stand up against the evil empire.




Trae is doing everything right in this situation. If you for some reason are not familar with the situation, go back and read my Open Letter to 97.9 The Box for the whole story.

Well, the whole story from OUR side, the corporate line towers at the Box aren't saying a thing.

Though they should. The end result of this Town Hall Meeting was the resolution to institute a one week boycott of the radio station. All in attendance were asked to not tune into the Box for one week, and to ask their friends and family to do the same thing. Now fact is, a good number of folks in Houston turned off the Box a long time ago, we've just got to get the rest to follow suit.



Brother Derric Muhammed led the meeting.


SHAPE Community Center Director Deloyd Parker also spoke up. The City of Houston really is behind Trae. Deloyd Parker is one of the most major voices in Houston for the streets and the people in general and has been for many, many years.


Trae's attorney Warren Fitzgerald Jr.


EZ Access in the place


The two rappers in Houston who aren't scared of the goofballs at the Box - Troublesum and K-Rino. They may never get played on the Box again, but they'll always have my support.

Which bring sup a great point. K-Rino was "banned" from the Box 10 years ago when after hearing DJ J-Mack say something unsavory about Muslims, he made a song about the Box and the offensive DJ. And got banned.

But fact of the matter is, K-Rino never really got any airplay anyway. He's never been on MTV or BET. Never been featured in The Source or XXL (though I have personally mentioned him in both magazines) but 25 years into his career and he's still standing. He's not starving. He has a home. He releases two albums a year. He's performed all over the US, in Europe and in Australia. He's got a genuine career that has literally SPANNED 25 YEARS!

Can you say that about any of the dudes in rap who have followed the hype machine? No, you can't. Some of the biggest sellers in the history of rap, are broke as hell right now. Some of the Houston dudes who appeared to be on top of the world in 2005, well, that's another story. K-Rino is still standing, 100% independent. 100% real. I'm so happy to see he and Trae sitting next to each other, alongside one of the dopest females in the game.

THIS MY FRIENDS IS WHATS REALLY REAL. Not the Box, not the hype machine, not the papparazzi, not the VH1 Dirty South Hip-Hop Honors, not any of that shit.

Though I honestly have nothing to say either way about the Hip-Hop Honors thang thang.


Butthe fact remains that above and beyond the radio station not playing Trae's music, they are getting in the way of his business on other levels that they have no business meddling in.

And Trae standing up for himself is in turn, Trae standing up for the entire city of Houston. At the very least, the hip-hop community in the city of Houston.


Who came out in full force, en masse.




Including Devin, a young Trae fan who exemplifies the reach Trae truly has.


Peep the video right there and see the smile on young Devin's face, and more footage of Trae in the streets of Houston, with the people.






Mama Trae!


Optimo Ram is putting it down hard on his internet radio station playing ALL REAL JAMS!







Straight up the boycott of 97.9 is in full effect right now. They say its supposed to last a week, I say make it last forever. The Box is showing its ass right now. They are showing YOU exactly how they feel about YOU. By not talking to Trae, and working this bullshit out, in my opinion they are making a big mistake. And by not speaking publicly about this situation to the people, they are really slighting Houston.

Do you really want to support that?

CLICK HERE NOW TO SIGN THIS PETITION TO LIFT THE BAN OF TRAE THE TRUTH ON HOUSTON'S 97.9 THE BOX.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A SONG FROM TRAE'S NEW UNDERGROUND CALLED - You Can't Ban Tha Truth - Entitled "Light Up." You need this one in yo life!