Since 1973 KAOS 89.3 FM has been a forerunner in the realm of independent, creative and democratic public/community media.  As an 11-year-old boy I had the opportunity to listen live as KAOS continued that trend and expand it into the world of hip-hop as DJ Nancy G graced the airwaves with her beautiful pioneering lips and voice.  She would play Rodney O and Joe Cooley, Total Choice – a group produced by legendary Bay Area pioneer, Khayree (of Mac Mall and Mac Dre fame) and this was all in 1987.  Along with Nasty Nes’ work in Tacoma and Seattle, KAOS laid a foundation for hip-hop radio in the 1980s and more than two decades after this foray into the culture of street life and street knowledge music, KAOS has done it again.

With The KAOS BLOCK PARTY (3-5 p.m. weekdays on KAOS (89.3 FM), the South Puget Sound now has a weekday source for primarily independent, local and original hip-hop music that will NOT be heard at the commercial outlets.  The KAOS BLOCK PARTY will air Mondays through Fridays from 3-5 p.m. with a original hip-hop programming format for public/community radio not duplicated anywhere in this great nation. Nowhere will a consistent stream of independent hip-hop radio be exemplified at this point (hopefully other stations will duplicate this format responsibly). 

The shows are hosted by a team of talented DJs/journalists/voices in no particular order of status: Mondays (The Jump Off) with DJ Kalambre; Tuesday (KAOS Experience) with DJs La Pointed and LUVVA J; Wednesdays with Lisa Light; Thursdays (Pump Ya Fist Like This) by DJ La Pointe; Fridays (Live From I-5) by yours truly, LUVVA J.  The KAOS BLOCK PARTY format made a soft launch at the beginning of October and re-launches this week.

KAOS 89.3 FM can be hard as far south as Centralia through to the Tacoma Dome and in between places such as Shelton, Puyallup, Spanaway, University Place and Yelm. Tune in to 89.3 FM, www.kaosradio.org, Comcast Channel 982 and Thurston Community Television Channel 22 and support your hip-hop radio. 

South Central Cartel 20th anniversary

Loved up and down the West Coast the South Central Cartel were one of the first West Coast acts signed to Def Jam (the debate is between them and legendary producer/MC Warren G) — actually, their fan base spans the globe and they repped the hood of South Central authentically and without hesitation.

I spoke with OG Prodeje, the legendary producer/MC and leader of The SCC this week. He said that he has a film in works that will tell the story of The South Central Cartel that relatively disappeared in thin air in the late ‘90s after a stellar career. 

“I want to tell the story of SCC,” said Prodeje.  “We have a lot to say — the fights, the fun, the money. I want to help educate some of these youngsters about our experience and how they can avoid some and learn some lessons about how our career has gone.” 

The film, which is as yet untitled, will chronicle the lives of the members of South Central Cartel and cover their perspectives of how the group exploded with originality and potency as lyricists and producers in the early ‘90s and fizzled in the late ‘90s.  Group members include Prodeje, Havoc, Havikk, Lil Prod, LV (of ‘Gangstas Paradise’ fame), DJ Ace and DJ Kaos.

Welcome NWGrafitti.com

The creators of 253hiphop.com have launched a new Web page dedicated to the promotion of graffiti art in the Pacific Northwest.  The page nwgraffiti.com has been met on its community discussion with mixed reviews and confusion from visitors. Some visitors have exclaimed that the site’s art promotes violence and gang activity and others have consumed the art for what it was created for — an outlet for expression and a way to communicate — and honestly an outlet for the daredevils of hip-hop. Everybody knows writers have the biiiiigggggest bawls of all hip-hoppers — no debate necessary. Check the page for yourself:  www.253hiphop.com.  More to come.

West Coast Classic

You may want to shift your schedule around to attend The West Coast Reloaded Show on Saturday, Nov. 21 at The Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar in Bellingham.  The lineup is a West Coast hip-hop “who’s who” featuring Kurupt (DPG), J. Wells, Tash (Tha Liks), Roscoe and the Flowmasters.  Also, on the undercard, The 360 North is repped by Dubbz, Big D, Ced Dogg, J-Walk, Juss B and Elete. 

If you can make this show it will include two of hip-hop’s best lyricists in Kurupt and Tash and some other dope MCs who hold their own on the mic like J. Wells and Roscoe. With a long-line of local artists holdin’ down The ‘Ham, The 360 North will be in full effect. I just want to make the afterparty!

Mo shows, ohs and 40oz

A lot of shows in the Puget Sound and surrounding 25360 areas. Here are few to ponder:

Thursday, Nov. 5
THE KAOS BLOCK PARTY presents: A HELLA HYPE HIP-HOP SHOW
TC Izlam, Afrok, Canary Sing, Rajnii Eddins, E-Real (Black Anger), DJ La Pointe & DJ LUVVA J at 8 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge (311 Capital Way, Olympia). Admission is $5.

Friday, Nov. 6
SAVE THE CHILDREN BENEFIT CONCERT (FOR DARFUR) featuring Josh Rizeberg, Interstate Trio, Alexander The Great, J. Bre, Little Horses & Speakeasy at 7 p.m. inside The Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound (1500 N. Warner, Tacoma). Admission is $1.

Saturday, Nov. 7
Jay Barz, Motamouth Jones, Strik & Krusal, Sawchosiz & Coogie at 8 p.m. inside the Spunk Monkey (124 2nd St. SE, Auburn). Admission is 5.

Winners Train, Losers Complain… Do Yo’ Thang!!!

Peace & Love
 
Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. aka DJ LUVVA J is an award-winning editor, writer, producer, educator, music director and consultant.  A graduate of Washington State University and student at The Evergreen State College, he writes and edits the Pacific Northwest section of Ozone Magazine and hosts and produces Live From I-5 Radio (since ’89) every Friday at 3 p.m. on KAOS 89.3 FM (www.kaosradio.org / Comcast Ch. 982 / TCTV Ch. 22) in Olympia.

hiphop@theweeklyvolcano.com
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