Defiant Entertainment’s ‘The Juice Box: Hip Hop Edition’ Delivered A Tasty Night of Music

I hate independent music showcases. They never start on time. They usually have a shaky assortment of talent, at best. When hip-hop is concerned, invariably there are exponentially more forgettable performances then there are notable performances. Sometimes, the crowd is disinterested, or, in some rare cases, rowdy and annoying for no damn reason.

But, I love independent music showcases. Though they tend to start late, they give a social person time to work the room, meet like-minded music lovers, and determine who is there, and for what. Despite the low ratio of exceptional talent at these events (face It, it’s generally the case), discovering a diamond in the rough, or even an unpolished, but full of potential artist can be extremely fulfilling both for the typical music fan as well as this music journalist.

This love-hate relationship is what drives many music critics who pay attention to the up-and-coming set of any particular genre in any particular region. With the New York City hip-hop scene, there is such variety, so many different cliques and sub-genres, you could spend years immersed in the independent and underground hip-hop music scene in New York City, yet still find yourself discovering new talent, either new to the scene or simply an artist you haven’t yet stumbled across.

Defiant Entertainment delivered both of these scenarios with the inaugural edition of their showcase series, The Juice Box, held at the subterranean section of a Delancey St., three-level lounge, aptly named The Delancey. It was just the kind of showcase I enjoy going to, as there were both artists I was already familiar with as well as some I was not.

Bookending the lineup, were Ryan Notes and Nitty Scott MC, both artists I have come across in my travels documenting the New York City hip hop music scene. I previously witnessed Ryan Notes performing at a 2012 show at The Paper Box in Brooklyn and was struck by his cool demeanor and dual genre ability, adequately performing both as a rapper and singer. I was eager to see him perform again.

Nitty Scott, MC has been frequently featured on the e-pages of BirthplaceMag.com. Long before her appearance in the fan favorite BET Cipher, we interviewed Nitty Scott, MC, and have since highlighted several of her releases. Her every girl demeanor, pretty girl swag, reverence for hip hop history and straight up rapping abilities have kept her on our radar… Us and undoubtedly many, many others.

With these two I pretty much knew what I was getting. The other performers on the bill, Anik Khan (formerly known as K. Prime), Rilgood and Weekend Money, were unfamiliar to me, and because I enjoy that discovery, much like a DJ enjoys discovering new tunes to play, I was hopeful that I would walk away with something exciting to report back.

Ryan Notes open the show, and reminded me why I remembered him in the first place. Reminding me of bit of a more jovial, hip-hop influenced Nate Ruess of indie pop rock group fun., Ryan notes clearly knows how to connect with his audience, much of which at this early point were filled with his supporters. Though faltering a couple of times, Ryan notes still demonstrated flair for both rapping and singing, as well as charming his audience.

(To be fair, Ryan notes told me after his performance he had spent months on a writing spree, and hadn’t performed in some time. It was apparent, but not a big enough stumbling block to tarnish the performance as a whole.)

It will be interesting to see Ryan Notes rock again once he has better command of his new material. The results will likely be notable.

With the next artist, Anik Khan, I began to feel that the showcase would really be a memorable one.

Backed with instrumentalists and a digital musical technician, Khan delivered an energetic, confident and musically diverse set. It was the type of performance (and range of music) that stands out at these kinds of showcases.

The coordination between artist and his backing crew was obvious, and whenever an artist shows the kind of coordination and chemistry as was shown here, you simply must pay attention. I did, and will again.

Next up was Rilgood. There was definitely cohesion between words and music, especially after bringing out Brooklyn cohort B. Smith, but it might have served the show better had Rilgood kicked it off, as his performance just seemed to slow down the vibe just a bit, which might have negatively impacted the perception of his set. That being said, after listening and then later checking out a few of his joints including “Corruptor,” “God Bless America” and “Gun” it’s clear Rilgood has a lot to say. Definitely worth keeping an ear out for his Kingdom mixtape, due out soon.

Jumping things off next, with high energy and chemistry, the two-man crew called Weekend Money hit the stage. Consisting of beatsmith Baghdaddy and vocalist Ne$$, the duo took full advantage of the excellent sound system at The Delancey and displayed energetic and diverse tracks, satisfying their supporters and probably winning over a few audience members there for other acts. Look out for their project Lost In The Naked City.

Closing out the showcase was Nitty Scott, MC, once again displaying the charm, around-the-way girl appeal, lyrical ability and confident delivery that has won her many fans in the last couple of years. Becoming a seasoned performer, she introduced banter, short segues, and a varied musical selection into her set, finding common ground among all who remained in attendance.

All in all, Defiant Entertainment put together a small, intimate showcase with a good variety of hip hop artists, entertaining and effective hosting by artist and model ShesRYAN and a pleasant venue (the after-party on the rooftop lounge was a nice touch).

And it didn’t remind me why I hate independent music showcases. Score one for Defiant Entertainment.

For more from Defiant Entertainment, including future editions of The Juice Box, visit: www.defiant-entertainment.com | On Twitter | On Facebook | On Instagram

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