Hip Hop Hometown Heroes at Sullivan Hall – Event Recap, Photos

New York’s indie and underground hip hop scene is made up of many moving parts. Among the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of upcoming artists, there is a higher echelon consisting of individuals and groups who are progressing in a changing musical landscape. They are finding ways to book shows, create a buzz, tour and sell music and merchandise. While “hero” might be a bit hyperbolic, it is artists like these who can inspire those on the come up, demonstrating by example that with hard work, respect for your craft, proper networking and of course, a prerequisite level of actual skill, becoming a working hip hop artist in this town is not an impossibility.

On March 15, Hometown Heroes, a hip hop show with a lineup of just such artists, was held at Sullivan Hall. Hosted by a radiant Jessica Estevez (of underground favorite website IHeartDilla.com, Beatminerz Radio and the Independent’s Day Showcase Series), Hometown Heroes highlighted the talents of several NY-area artists.

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‘HOMETOWN HEROES’ AT SULLIVAN HALL

Sullivan Hall deserves props for their acoustics, so right off the bat, the efforts of leadoff act Top $ Raz (the ‘$’ is pronounced ‘Dolla’) and his backing band, The Minority Report, set a promising tone. Top $ Raz, the Far Rockaway MC who has been featured on BirthplaceMag.com on occasion, continues to enhance his stage show in a positive way, mirroring the conviction heard on his recorded material. The band was sharp and funky, a great example of live hip hop accompaniment, a growing trend in the indie NYC scene, and guests like Scienze (who would headline later) and J. Monopoly (of O.I.S.D.) aligned well, particularly on Raz’ bouncy “The Man.”

Following Raz, Duece Bug, a diminutive but high energy MC, worked the crowd for several cuts, a few aggressive headnodders among them. Though his style of delivery sometimes kept him from making eye contact with the crowd, Connecticut’s Duece Bug was still able to aptly hold it down for the proverbial away team. Hype man Chuck Nickelz, who also jumped on a track later in Duece Bug’s set, was helpful in keeping everything moving along.

Next up, Chaz Van Queen’s performance was noteworthy for several reasons. The inclusion of a talented trumpeter and saxophonist added a new vibe to the live sounds of the night, and along with an excellent drummer, enhanced his charismatic delivery. I’ve heard positive things about Chaz Van Queen, but hadn’t seen a performance yet. Many times, this can lead up to a letdown, but in this case, I was pleasantly surprised. The set took a particularly refreshing turn when Chaz Van Queen, strumming an acoustic guitar, donated a good portion of his set to allow MCs in the house an opportunity to spit a few bars as he and his crew played along. It was a stroke of hip hop chivalry seldom seem, and went on just long enough, with just enough talented MCs in the house, that it worked perfectly. Chaz Van Queen is an eclectic and talented artist whose performance made us, and surely others, vow to pay closer attention.

JohnNY U, of four man consortoium Operation Industry Shut Down (O.I.S.D.) hit the stage next, laying out some of his solo works. A clever wordsmith, flowing over jazzy and thumping tracks, JohnNY U demonstrated his ability to rock well without the support net of a crew alongside him. His latest project, the 20-track Thorned Roses is available on the O.I.S.D. Bandcamp site.

Dremur was next, a thoughtful MC who is out performing new material, as well as tracks from his last project. Whether by plan or innovated on the spot, Dremur took advantage of a slightly thinning audience (more due to the hour, certainly not due to the quality of performances) to forego music for part of his set, projecting acapella from the stage, then, in an intimate, poetry slam-style, on the floor in front of the stage, walking around sharing his wordplay face to face with the audience. It made for an interesting set, and allowed listeners to grasp and appreciate the introspective qualities of Dremur’s smooth flow.

Lastly, with King I Divine on the wheels, ScienZe hit the stage with a mix of nod-inducing tracks and sharp delivery. ScienZe’s latest project When Skies Fall is certainly worth your eartime, and even with no backing band, ScienZe’s tracks and enthusiasm left nothing to be desired, as the dredlocked Brooklynite rewarded the night owl crowd with a solidly entertaining set.

In all, as the hopeful hometown hero of New York hip hop journalism, we thoroughly advocate for shows like this, which present talented, progressive artists who are dedicated to crafting and perfecting tightly orchestrated and entertaining performances for loyal hometown crowds.

In a world where it is increasingly easy to create and distribute mediocre music and deliver sub-par performances, when these things are done right, as they were this night, it may not be “heroic,” but it is damn sure appreciated.

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‘HOMETOWN HEROES’ AT SULLIVAN HALL