FALL 2012 S.A.C.soul anchor collective Soul Anchor Collective’s blog is dedicated to serving the hip hop community through journalism that covers hip hop’s present and future, seen through the lens of her past, with authenticity, passion and tact. It is our hope that we, the community/culture, will mature as the genre does. A Quarterly Publication Issue No. 2 - Fall 2012 Letter from the Editor Album Spotlight: Collectively: Visual: Video Reviews Audio: Album Reviews Events: Concert Review Brother Ali is Mourning In America And Homeless Get Gone Macklemore and Ryan Dreaming in Color feat. K.Raydio and Lewis tour the globe to others... promote their debut LP, The Heist Passion vs. Duty - As Swerve - The life’s responsibilities SD’s Mr. Brady is Barrelhouse LP and mount, inspiration/ solidifying his more... desire to pursue our... legacy... Page 1 Pages 2-3 Pages 4-7 Page 9 Page 10 Pages 10-12 + extras PassionA Letter from the vs. Editor Duty 1:22 a.m. and my weary fingers frantically one of many possible catalysts that might dance among they keys of my keyboard push them over the edge of moonlighting as my mind juggles the SAC fall quarterly, thePiecemakers’ (Antonio emcees/producers to professional artists PAZ-1 and myself) first EP, my who are able to provide themselves, and sophomore album, my writing career their families, with a living in and which has been made manifest by God through their art. via GoodVibeSD and TRUE Magazine I suppose, though, that at that point the (and a lil dedication and hard work), not artist is then faced with the paradox of to mention my lovely wife, our one year finding fun and joy in your passion that old son and our family and friends, oh has now become your duty. For some, as yeah, and by day I teach high school we the listeners can attest, once this step English to 10th-12th graders. is taken, some of the life is sucked out of Now, I am not looking for a pat on the their music and their new job becomes as oppressive as their former. back in sharing this, rather I am merely Seems that I have been drinking way too much of painting the picture in which passion and this lately, to get me up and to keep me up! Peace and Love, duty coexist in a delicate tension that can be difficult to grasp peace in. The above intertwined in the hustle of a blue collar NathanAnthony title may be a bit misleading, as it pits artist. them against one another, when, in SAC typically covers the music of artists reality, the two are beautifully in a similar situation, in hopes of being Soul Anchor Collective Quarterly, Vol. 2 1 ALBUMCOLLECTIVELY SPOTLIGHT Album Spotlight: Brother Ali | Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color For his fifth full length album, Throughout his career, Ali has delivers gritty, personal, upper Brother Ali trades longtime not only proven to be echelon flows, while maintaining production partner Ant for fellow immensely talented but also the air of a southern preacher labelmate (and one of the most one of the most genuine, (albeit one that would swiftly slept on beatsmiths of the last introspective, and socially “rain knuckles on you” should ten years), Jake One, who has aware artists in hip hop. The you disrespect him). On produced for the likes of De La Minneapolis emcee consistently “Mourning in America and Soul, Rakim, MF Doom, 50 Dreaming in Color” Ali takes his Cent, and Ghostface Killah to trademark sound, steps to the name a few. The two previously pulpit and turns the message up showcased their chemistry back to 10. While he’s made a in 2008 along with Freeway on career of bringing the listener in the heater, “The Truth”. With with touching personal insight. “Mourning in America and he switches it up this time Dreaming in Color” they prove around as he takes the spotlight that chemistry was no fluke as off himself and shines it on the Jake is able to perfectly lay the nation. The result is a thought landscape for the journey Ali The album art itself tells a good provoking critique of our takes us on. portion of the story before you government, our struggles and even dip into the music. ourselves. Soul Anchor Collective Quarterly, Vol. 2 2 ALBUMCOLLECTIVELY SPOTLIGHT Among the bevy of heavy you want to rise up and join the subjects he touches on are fight with him. issues such as race (“Letter To My Countrymen”), While Ali is no stranger to institutionalized poverty (“Only controversial political messages Life I Know”), the hypocrisy of (“Uncle Sam Goddamn” and violence in U.S. politics “Letter to the Government” from (“Mourning In America”), and 2007’s Undisputed Truth as our history of exploiting prime examples) “Mourning in minorities in entertainment America and Dreaming in Color” (“Won More Hit”). However, as marks a decisive turn for the if to keep the listener close and Rhymesayers resident paying attention, intermixed with preacher. He appears acutely the weighty political topics, he aware of his new found position makes sure to remind us why and fully prepared to embrace we became fans in the first his role as political activist and a place and gets personal with voice for civil rights. On intimate stand out tracks “Stop “Singing This Song” he the Press” and “All You Need” encourages us to join with him as well as the hungry battle with the lines “when we raise mode bangers “Say Amen” and our voices we’re joining a “Dreaming In Color” (bonus chorus, you’re not a solo the track on the deluxe version). harmony is enormous”. Whether you’re on board with With a release just shy of two the message or not you can be months before the impending certain that Brother Ali will not election, the album seems be silenced. Regardless of the precisely crafted to challenge topic, he commands attention, our thinking and to encourage and with Jake One providing the us to recognize the power we beats the result is a powerful, hold through numbers. No track thought provoking addition to exemplifies this and captures his catalog. So do yourself a the overall theme of the album favor… grab a set of better than “Gather Round”, headphones, raise a fist and where the Brother’s sermon is gather round… service is about in full swing as he seems be to to start. calling us all to stand up, unite, and bring about the change we -Freedumb Fighter long for. Amir Sulaimon puts an exclamation point on the track, delivering a portion of his powerful spoken word piece “Danger” and hammering the message home with the lines “so I say down with Goliath, I say down with Goliath”, making Soul Anchor Collective Quarterly, Vol. 2 3 PERSPECTIVESCOLLECTIVELY Mr. Brady: Solidifying my Legacy In hip hop, as with any be - loyalty to the oral tradition, our history heritage is what ties all is passed from one real hip hop heads storyteller to the next. together. Sometimes stories are told with hands and San Diegoʼs Mr. Brady turntables, other times Mr. Brady’s hustle paid off in 2012 (there’s more too) (bboy/emcee/producer) is they are told with spray most definitely a purist, cans and fat caps, still but his laid back other stories are told with progressing culture. more of the elements. demeanor and focus on oneʼs entire body, and, Each member of the Purists stress the his craft prohibits elitism. often, hip hopʼs story is culture seeks, in some importance of using the Being one of told through voice. This way or another, to leave narrative that has been underground hip hopʼs collective story, this his/her mark; essentially passed down as the renaissance men, legacy, is comprised of he/she seeks to validate foundation for all “new” breaking, producing, the individual legacies of his/her place or role as a stories being told, no emceeing, and mixing members of hip hopʼs participant and matter how progressive tracks, seems to be dynamic, ever- contributor to one or an individual artist may treating Brady well. Soul Anchor Collective Quarterly, Vol. 2 4 PERSPECTIVESCOLLECTIVELY With three completed projects complete, itʼs when I take a few every day from school and set up already this year, he is on par to days off... Iʼm a work horse, [this] her record player and put my compete for Mursʼ self-given title is all I do every day... pretty much speakers on the porch of our as the “hardest working man in the my whole life is just music. apartment in east Daygo and I underground game”. It is mind used to break every day - bogglingly refreshing to see the NA: So now we have an cardboard and everything, rate at which Mr. Brady is understanding of the man here breaking outside. And also when I releasing new material, while not and now. Can you take the saw Beat Street for the first time. I becoming dry and monotonous. readers back a little bit, to when went to go see it after school one As Mr. Brady seeks to solidify his you first got into hip hop? day, [on my own], and it, um, blew niche in hip hop, you can feel the me away. I was sitting in the legacy of Rakim, KRS and Nas in Mr. Brady: In the early 80ʼs I had theater and after the movie the his lyrics and that of J.Dilla and DJ aunties (pronounced un-tees) that credits ran and everybody rushed Premier in his production, yet his danced and uncles that used to the stage and started breaking music maintains a unique sing; my auntie used to dance on right there while the credits were character.