The previous night of Atlanta’s A3C Festival set the bar pretty high, but there was still a whole lot of hip-hop left to go. Plus, I personally had to switch from just being a fan to grindin’ producer/artist mode. I had my own 15 minutes of fame performing in the middle of the istandard producer showcase. The first act, ATL’s Lee Harvey Oswald presented a unique take on instrumental turntablism by wearing ski masks and having partially covered strippers dance with them on stage. I overheard the girls complaining about wearing the ski masks though.
The battle then started as aspiring beat makers went head-to-head in front of a packed crowd. The panel of judges included industry insiders and established producers like Diamond D and Bangladesh. I left my own live show set up on stage and the whole time I’m nervously watching people set their drinks beside and throw things on top of my laptop…not-to-mention the strippers that had previously leaned all up on my table. Sure enough when it’s my time to jump on stage, run some beats, and get on the mic my tracks won’t play. 5 minutes and quick reboot later I managed to pull through and still rock it.
After my performance (only a 7 out of 10 in my book) I networked, traded business cards/CDs, and received my props. I noticed one of my boys talking to this guy that looked really familiar. Maybe we saw him walking around Little 5 Points that afternoon. Someone whispers in my ear, “Yo, that’s B-Real from Cypress Hill.” I step to him, introduce my self and give him a pound. He complements me on my show and asks about some beats. I then hand him a CD and take a photo. My photographer/tour guide/impromptu road manager Case says to him, “I gotta get a photo with you. My girl loves your music.” He’s says, “cool”. I snap a photo and we part ways. Later on another member of my crew states that he has his card. I look at it and it says “Jamal”. This guy did not look like a Jamal. Was he B-Real and just didn’t want to give his number out? Was he really some guy named Jamal and just posing as B-Real? We May never know… We just laughed and called him “B-Fake” all night.
The battle completed and afterward top-notch performers like Insight (who rapped and sketched artwork at the same time), John Robinson (great breath control and songs), and Tanya Morgan (the ’08 version of LONS) took the stage and showed everyone what a hip-hop show should look like. I missed Aceyalone but caught some of Holly Weerd and the end of Guilty Simpson just in time to hear some J Dilla beats. Next up, The Clipse delivered club-banging coke-raps to a high energy packed floor. At that point my lack of sleep (less than 8 hours total over 3 days) and hunger (no dinner or food backstage) finally hit me. I rounded up the crew and called it a night before 3-6 Mafia got crunk. Overall it was a wild ride and I’m glad for the opportunity to play my part. A3C showed that hip-hop events could be fun, safe, and positive.
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