SXSW Day 4: @AudibleTreats showcase at the Half Step @JarrenBenton

Sir Michael Rocks was followed on stage by Jarren Benton, a Decatur, Georgia rap artist whom I had first seen at South By Southwest 2 years ago.

SXSW Day 4: @AudibleTreats Showcase at the Half Step @SirMichaelRocks

After I left out of the Lustre Pearl, I walked down Rainey Street to the Half Step, where Audible Treats was having a hip-hop showcase. Sir Michael Rocks of the popular rap group The Cool Kids was on stage when I got there.

SXSW Day 4: Houston Rappers Kream Clicc in Downtown Austin @Maxokream @KreamClicc

While walking near the Convention Center on my way back to Rainey Street, I ran into a rap group from Houston called the Kream Clicc who had just arrived in Austin and were on their way to perform at a showcase.

SXSW Day 4: Running Into the Swish Gang/BMF Family @CalicoJonez

When I left Rainey Street, I knew I had only a little bit of time to walk down to South Austin for the St. Paul and the Broken Bones show at the Hotel San Jose, but I figured I could make it if I walked quickly enough. On the way, I ran into a group of guys from Calico Jonez‘ camp. Jonez is a former Memphis rapper that like so many others decided to move to Atlanta to further his career.

SXSW Day 4: Running Into @BGIMoneyMafia from Memphis in Austin @RealYoungWoods

After the Wanton Bishops show was cancelled, I started walking down Brazos Street, heading for Rainey Street where one of my favorite bands, the Autumn Defense was scheduled to be playing, but just outside the Austin Convention Center by the Moonshine Patio, I ran into a rap group from Memphis, the BGI Money Mafia who were in their shrinkwrapped van and stopped to talk with me. It’s funny that I had never run into them in Memphis, but I ran across them at South By Southwest in Austin!

SXSW Day 4: Black DaVinci Rapping In Front of @LitLoungeAustin

After breakfast, I walked east down Sixth Street, on my way to see the Lebanese blues band The Wanton Bishops, who were scheduled to play at noon at the Symphony House on 11th and Red River. But on my way there, I encountered a rapper named Black DaVinci who was performing on the street in front of the Lit Lounge. I wasn’t familiar with him, but he wasn’t bad at all.

SXSW Day 3: At the @SoSouth @ThaFixx Welcome to the South hip-hop showcase with @Doubhbeezy @KillaKyleon

The band that was going on after Kashmere ThunderSoul at the Palm Door was more rock oriented, so I left out and decided to walk back to the Welcome to the South showcase at the Scoot Inn in East Austin, getting there as Houston artist Doughbeezy went on stage. His performance was followed by Killa Kyleon, another Houston rapper that started out as part of the Boss Hogg Outlaws. After his performance, thoroughly tired, I decided to call it a night, and made the long walk up the hill back to my car, hearing a whole bunch of sirens from the other side of I-35.

SXSW Day 3: Walking From Rainey Street to The Welcome to the South Hip-Hop Showcase @ScootInn @SoSouth

When I left the Container Bar, I walked down Cesar Chavez toward East Austin, and considered stopping by Cenote coffee bar for a latte, but decided against it, and walked on down to the Scoot Inn, where Houston-based So South Distribution and ThaFixx.com were sponsoring a Texas rap showcase called Welcome to the South. I didn’t know the artists who were performing, but I did see Go DJ JB on the turntables, whom I had seen earlier in the day at The Eastern. I originally planned to probably hang out at this showcase for the rest of the evening, but I suddenly saw on my SXSW schedule that the Kashmere Thunder Soul Orchestra (an all-star group of former Kashmere Stage Band members) was playing at the Palm Door, which was just beside the Austin Convention Center, so I left out to walk the 15 minutes back to downtown.

SXSW Day 3: Enjoying Lyrical Hip-Hop at @EasternATX @ughhblog @GoDjJB @GuuruSagod @Nemonics1

On Wednesday March 12, the Underground Hip Hop Blog sponsored an unofficial showcase during SXSW called the 2nd Annual Hip-Hop Pow-Wow at The Eastern in East Austin. Go DJ JB was on the ones & twos, and there were performances by artists like Guuru Sagod, Skrypture and Nemonics.

SXSW Day 1: Downtown NOLA Party at The Lucky Lounge with the Stooges Brass Band @StoogesBB

The Downtown NOLA Party was held at the Lucky Lounge, which I seem to remember being Antone’s at one time, and as soon as I walked in, I ran into members of The Stooges Brass Band, one of my favorite New Orleans groups. The place was somewhat crowded, but not uncomfortably so, and the Stooges had been hired to provide the music which they did, with a more indoor version of their group featuring a set drummer and keyboard player rather than the street style they typically display outdoors. Still it was upbeat and fun, and was apparently being sponsored as an opportunity to lure tech businesses to downtown New Orleans. Toward the end of the evening, an unexpected guest appeared, the legendary Bushwick Bill from the Geto Boys. He joined the Stooges on stage for a freestyle before the end of the evening.