Recently, underground hip hop infiltrated Mary Washington College. In a free
show sponsored by SteadyDiggin.com and several campus groups, including the
campus radio station WMWC, local underground acts joined headliner
[Akrobatik] bringing a great show to a few dedicated fans. The night started off a tad late, due mainly to heavy traffic on 95 (a
"sludge spill," I'm told) with local DJ, [DJ Ragz] spinning hip-hop for the
small, but loyal crowd. [Storm the Unpredictable], an emcee from Oxon Hill,
Md., soon took the stage as the evening's host. Storm has had some good
fortune recently, appearing on {Farmclub.com} on the USA Network as well as
BET's {Rap City}. Storm also performed a couple of his tunes between acts,
including the first single from his self-released EP, "Stop Lyin'." The first act of the night was a crew of Northern Virginia turntablists known
as [The Trooperz] (formerly the Stormtrooperz). All three representing
members were solid, running through some great flares and beat juggling. The Trooperz were followed by DC's own [Defined Print]. I had never heard
these guys before, despite the fact they're well-known on the local hip hop
scene, and I must say they were the surprise of the night. With DJ Dirty
Hands on the wheels, Chopsticks on drums, Jihad and Chris on vocals, and the
friendliest pit bull known to man (who responded to French commands, no
less), these guys brought some real old school energy to the stage. It was
clear that even with the sound problems, they all love to perform, as they
interacted freely with the crowd and broke into occasional
Kid-n-Play/Scoob-n-Scrap dance routines. It didn't hurt that they were nice
on the mic, too. I can't wait to hear more from these guys. After Defined Print came Fairfax-based [Team Demolition], a six-emcee crew
that proudly proclaims that they're from "The 'Burbs" (odd, since they were
the more hardcore act of the evening). These guys had a good stage presence
and worked together extremely well, something rare in a group with so many
vocalists. Team Demo has built quite a name for themselves not only as
performers, but with their recording studio and record label as well. With
them, they brought one of their new groups, a duo known as [Black Lung], who
performed a pair of tracks. The night closed out with Boston-bred emcee Akrobatik. It's clear that Akro
has performed more than a few times in his life. He knows his way around a
stage like few other underground emcees. Akro ran through most of his
well-known tunes, including the scalding "Internet MC's." Props of the night have to go to Team Demolition, who, at the last minute
(literally), came to fill in for Philadelphia's Mountain Brothers. However,
respect must be given to everyone involved with the show, as everyone
performed as though there were hundreds of people in attendance. Actual
numbers fluctuated between 35 and 60 people throughout the night, but
everyone that stuck around got a heck of a show from those involved. And,
really, isn't that the way hip hop {should} be? For more information about these performers check out these links: |