Summer Hip-Hop Watch List for 2015

If your head is still nodding from the great spread of hip-hop shows this past winter, then it’s time to spread the cardboard boxes out for all the b-boys and b-girls to get moving. RI is bumping from Woonsocket to Westerly with great local hip-hop, bringing more rhymes in the summer than musty under-arms (credit to MF Doom).

Simon’s 677 – 677 Valley St., PVD

Jun 16; M.O.P is back on tour, hitting downtown PVD to celebrate their new album and tour-of the same name, Street Certified. M.O.P is sure to bring a healthy mix of classics, with a nice dose of fresh new material that screams M.O.P is still here bringing the real hip-hop straight oughta Brooklyn. Doors open at 7pm.

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Jun 20; Keynote Company Presents: CES Cru, Flawless, Organik Massachusetts, Kraeyzie K&PayN, Street Kred, Project 5 Star, Pathway Movement, #ThisGuy, Dark Matter, and Sacred Nation.  Hosted by Chuck Reeves and DJ John Gotem, this indie rap expo-like many held at Simon’s 677 is buzzing with young underground talent.

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CES Cru is the fast-growing hip-hop duo from Kansas City. Fully supported by Tech N9ne and Strange Music Inc., CES Cru is a must-see group. More local artists on the stage will be PVD native Flawless, who has also toured with Tech N9ne, and opened for Joel Oritz, Joe Budden, Wu Tang, French Montana and Waka Flaka. His latest album is RI Invasion – 2014. You can’t go wrong with this much hip-hop in one place — be sure to check it out. Show starts at 7pm. All ages.

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The Met Café – 1005 Hope Artiste Village, Main St; Pawtucket

Jun 25; DirtyDurdie & Sky King will be rocking The Met for their Golden Soul Comrade album release party, featuring Universal Disciplez, DJ John Got’em, and host, Bad Lad. DirtyDurdie has steadily been rocking the Ocean State for years, garnering two Motif Music Awards for best hip-hop act. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm. All ages.

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Jul 11; B. Dolan is bringing the killer bees with him to The Met. If you don’t know B. Dolan, you haven’t been paying attention, and if you haven’t seen him live, you are missing out on one of the best hip-hop shows you can see. His latest record, Kill The Wolf, is five years in the making, with a lot of momentum.

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Jul 23; Chase N. Cashe is bringing the bayou to PVD. Hailing from New Orleans, Chase N. Cash has been bringing soul to hip-hop for over a decade. He is coming off his latest album The Best There Is…, which may arguably be his best album yet. Be sure to geaux check him out at The Met Café with Neako, Spocka Summa, Jay Notes and host Lex Effects. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 8:30pm.

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AS220 – 115 Empire St, PVD

AS220 is known for their exceptional collaborative space for various arts and cultural events, including my first encounter with live hip-hop when I was a child. AS220 has served as a creative catalyst for so many artists and programs throughout the Ocean State (Sage Francis) and continues to be a beacon of collaboration today.

Jun 25; Rhythmic African Poetry/Rap Slam will be held on the main stage from 9pm – 1:30am. This event is an extension of AS220’s Free Speech Thursday Poetry-Slams. All ages.

Jul 10; Solo Sexx, Broads, Shane Hall and Gripp. Another indie-rap expose with a healthy blend of styles. Solo Sexx are two female rappers from Massachusetts with undeniably raw energy, and a female-punk voice that is mute in hip-hop right now. Broads are a PVD-based garage rock group with the kind of omni-directional millennial angst that begs the question, “How are we getting home tonight?” Shane Hall is, as his website describes,  “A Discordian rap star who balances the world on his hatred of the mundane. He’s also a songwriter/rapper/producer/performer/poet type of person who does things, and hopes that you like them or that you dislike them in such a way that it will bring you pleasure.” Gripp is a rapper/poet from PVD with three independent LPs including his most recent, Head In The Cloud.

Jul 11; The Hip-Hop Connection Presents: Ladies Night Out. We are lucky to have two nights of back-to-back hip-hop on Empire St. Enjoy Dari’on Lance, Adrian Rosario, Jahmal Brown, Young Fizz, and Medusah Black on the main stage of AS220 from 9pm – 1am.

Jimmy’s Saloon – 37 Memorial Blvd, Newport

Jun 17; Rhyme Culture Presents: Island Life-Live Hip Hop with performances by Everybody Luv Black, Kee Words, Sky Jones, Chox-Mak & DJ YRS Jersy, Aston Martin Piff, Mufasa, Dutty, Waylay and Vitality from 9pm – 1am. Free, 21+.

Ocean Mist Beach Bar – 895 Matunuck Beach Rd, Wakefield.

Jul 11; Kabaka Pyramid w/Iba Mahr. Touching feet down on both sides of the line between reggae and hip-hop, Kabaka Pyramid is a multi-talented musician from Kingston, Jamaica, who brings a soulful energy and unique sound to be appreciated by music fans of all genres. If hip-hop was meant to be rebel music, Kabaka Pyramid found his cause a long time ago. Show starts at 9pm.

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Jul 16; G. Love is back at Ocean Mist. G. Love isn’t necessarily a rapper, but hip-hop has influenced his music into a genre all its own, bringing hip-hop and blues to a place where everything just makes sense. Show starts at 8pm.