Save Money

As part of Red Bull's ongoing Sound Select series (BrooklynVegan just held an SS show in NYC), Fake Shore Drive will be presenting Gunplay, Save Money, Lil Herb & Lil Bibby, and Tink at Double Door on May 30. As per all Sound Select shows, advance tickets are super cheap ($5 a pop, including fees).

Save Money, which is actually a large crew and not just a solo artist, should be a very interesting thing to catch live. SM includes but is not limited to Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Caleb James, Joey Purp, Kami de Chukwu, and Tokyo Shawn. We're not entirely sure which members will be making an appearance aside from Tokyo Shawn, who's currently prepping an album for French label White Colours. You can take a listen to the soulful, laid back "Wonder" from that project at the bottom of this post.

A poster for the upcoming RBSS show and a few song streams are below...

Continue reading "Gunplay, Save Money & others playing a Red Bull Sound Select show at Double Door"

Chicago's Chance the Rapper is riding high off the release of his great new mixtape, Acid Rap, which dropped last week and has already garnered quite a bit of critical acclaim. Have you checked it out yet? If not, Acid Rap is available to stream at the bottom of this post. Today, Chance has revealed "Paranoia," a collaboration with L.A. producer Nosaj Thing, as part of Yours Truly's "Songs From Scratch" series. It might sound familiar if you've already heard the mixtape, as "Paranoia" is the secret track // second half of "Pusha Man" (it starts at 2:48). A stream of Nosaj's slightly different version and footage of the pair in the studio can also be found at the bottom of this post.

As discussed, Chance will be celebrating the release of Acid Rap with a hometown show at Metro on May 26. That show is now sold-out, but he's just added a second performance on May 25. Tickets go on sale this Friday (5/10) at noon CST. You can also catch him at Lollapalooza and/or on tour with Mac Miller this summer.

Streams of Acid Rap and "Paranoia" are below...

Continue reading "Chance the Rapper adds second show at Metro, listen to // watch his collaboration with Nosaj Thing"

photos by Cory Dewald

Big Boi // Killer Mike at Park West on 5.01.2013

On Wednesday night (5/1), Big Boi brought his Shoes For Running tour with fellow Dungeon Family member Killer Mike through Chicago for a performance at Park West. The show was originally set to take place at the Vic Theatre, but was moved to the smaller and nearby venue at the last minute. Aside from his great solo material, Big Boi's 25-song set also featured many OutKast favorites, including "So Fresh, So Clean," "Ms. Jackson," and "The Whole World." He brought out Killer Mike for the latter of those three, which was fitting as the track threw much attention Mike's way when it was released in 2001. Did you make it out to Park West? If so, how was it? A set of pictures and Big Boi's full setlist from the 5/1 show are in this post. More below...

Continue reading "Big Boi & Killer Mike played Park West (pics, setlist)"

Chicago rapper ShowYouSuck has had a busy 2013 so far. He polished off his three-part One Man Pizza Party mixtape series with the 26-track Rest In Pizza, performed at SXSW in Austin, TX, and has played many hometown shows. He's got another Chicago show scheduled for later this month, on May 17 at Double Door with theWHOevers, Que Billah, Shayna Love, Kidd Tha Chicagoan, FM Supreme, Jay 2 "The Kidd Classic", Cadillac Duke, and Robbie B the Name. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (5/4) at noon CST.

ShowYou's newest song is called "Rap Game Karate," and appeared on the AEMMP Records' compilation The Prerequisite. On the track, he flows nicely over an unconventional beat and drops one of the funniest lines I have ever heard in hip hop: "Welcome to my dojo, take your shoes off." Take a listen to the track at the bottom of this post.

All known ShowYouSuck tour dates and a stream of "Rap Game Karate" are below...

Continue reading "ShowYouSuck playing Double Door w/ theWHOevers"

Young Chicago MC Chance the Rapper has just shared his second mixtape, Acid Rap. It serves as the follow-up to 2012's 10 Day, which was well received throughout the country and not just in Chicago. If you can get down with his high-pitched, raspy voice (it's a stylistic thing, and we certainly can), Chance's verses are tightly knit and he can definitely carry a track. Download Acid Rap HERE. Check out the music video for Acid Rap's "Smoke Again," featuring Black Hippy's Ab-Soul, at the bottom of this post.

In celebration of Acid Rap, Chance will be headlining Metro on May 26. Advance tickets for his hometown show are on sale now.

Chance's video for "Smoke Again" is below...

Continue reading "Chance the Rapper released 'Acid Rap,' headlining Metro"

To quote our own 2012 post:

If you weren't aware, Turquoise Jeep, the YouTube rap crew behind viral hit, "Lemme Smang It," actually play shows (like the New Year's Eve show with Big Freedia in Austin this past December).

Have you incorporated the phrase "lemme smang it" into your vocabulary yet? If so, you'll be psyched to hear that the group Turquoise Jeep, who have an Internet hit of the same name, are currently on tour throughout the US. You can smash, bang, and/or smang it with the crew-- whose tour vehicle had better be a turquoise-colored Jeep....

Continue reading "Turquoise Jeep want pie, on tour (HighDive tonight, Lincoln Hall Tuesday)"

Queensbridge twosome Mobb Deep (aka Havoc and Prodigy) are set to tour the U.S. in celebration of their 20th anniversary (congratulations, gentlemen!). They'll hit the Paid Dues Festival in California later this month, and then will kick off their U.S. tour at the Double Door on May 9. Advance tickets for the Chicago show are on sale now, and special guests are TBA. All dates are listed at the bottom of this post.

In related news, Havoc will release a solo album, titled 13, on May 7 via Nature Sounds. He's just shared the album track "Gone," which hits really hard. Last month, he revealed "Tell Me To My Face" featuring Royce Da 5'9". Take a listen to both tracks and check out Mobb Deep's full tour schedule below...

Continue reading "Mobb Deep beginning 20th anniversary tour at Double Door; listen to a new Havoc track"

Danny Brown at Roseland, October 2012 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Detroit's Danny Brown is set to head out on a West Coast tour after SXSW with Baauer, and has just announced that he'll be playing a string of North American dates with Kitty (formerly Kitty Pryde) after that. A performance at Bottom Lounge on April 25 is included in his schedule. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale this Saturday (3/9) at noon CST.

Danny also recently shared a new track, called "#Hottest MC," which will appear on his forthcoming LP Old. It was produced by Harry Fraud, and you can take a listen to it at the bottom of this post.

All Danny Brown tour dates and that song stream are below...

Continue reading "Danny Brown playing Bottom Lounge with Kitty in April"

Big Boi @ North Coast Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Big Boi and fellow Atlantan Killer Mike are slated to embark on a large spring North American tour together. That tour kicks off in Athens, GA in April, and will reach Chicago for a performance at the Vic Theatre on May 1. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (3/9) at 10AM CST.

Big Boi will also be performing at the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL on May 26. The Chicago-area festival kicks off on May 24, and features Sir Lucious L. Leftfoot himself, Diplo, Maps & Atlases, and many more acts. Three-day passes are still available, and individual day tickets will go on sale sometime next month.

All Big Boi // Killer Mike tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Big Boi & Killer Mike playing the Vic Theatre on tour"

photos by Milos Markicevic

Aesop Rock at Metro on 3.04.2013

Alternative hip hop heavyweight Aesop Rock brought his tour with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, and Busdriver through Chicago on Monday (3/4) for a performance at Metro. As per usual, Aesop and co. put on a great show and a lucky fan got a haircut. We've got a set of pictures from the 3/4 concert in this post.

Though Aesop released 2012's great Skelethon a meer eight-months ago, he's already set to welcome a new LP. It's a collaborative project with Kimya Dawson called The Uncluded, and their album Hokey Fright is due out on May 7 via Rhymesayers. The duo have a brand new video for Hokey Fright's "Scissorhands" and have previously shared a clip for "Earthquake." Check out both videos and more pictures from Aesop's performance at Metro below...

Continue reading "Aesop Rock played Metro with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz & Busdriver (pics)"