Last night, CMPtv had exclusive access to a rehearsal to one of the hottest show this week. Thursday, June 17th @ Martyrs in Lakeview the Just For Laughs comedy festival presents The City That Works. The is a collaborative effort between the critically acclaimed Chicago comedy ensemble Scadenfreude, and the Soul/Funk/Hip Hop band The Jordan Years.
Instead of me explaining to you what this show is......just check out the video below. It's sure to be a great night with appearances by:
Rhymefest Radio Personalities Eddie and Jobo The Walter E. Smith Brothers (Yes the guys from the commercials) and many more....
This Wednesday, Chicago Music Project will premier Singer/Songwriter Natalie Oliveri's first music video for her hit single, "Never Too Late."
We've been reporting on Natalie's career since her first appearance with us during our INTERVENTION days @ Moonshine in Wicker Park. Since then we've been amazed with just about everything she's been a part of. Besides releasing her EP "Electic Soul" she has collaborated with Chicago Hip Hop artists 1773, Keith Masters, and even Italian Electro Lounge Group Silenzio Assenzio.
So this Wednesday marks another milestone in her music career as we share her music video Directed by myself, CMP C0-Founder Leo A. Flores, with Jordan Campagna adding his masterful work as Director of Photography.
So join us.....Details Below.....
Wednesday, June 16th Butterfly Social Club Doors open @ 8pm First Showing @ 9pm Followed by a Live Acoustic performance by Natalie Second Showing soon after.
Drink Special | $4 beer with a free shot Resident DJ Seano
It was overall a great night with the performances, and the other Chicago artists in attendance. CMPtv and Klip Art will be releasing video and pics very soon.
Enough talk.....its time for you to download the mix tape. If you've never heard Visual before, this is a good chance to sample his work. In a sea of rappers talking about "jukin hoes" and "Party Party", Visual brings a positive message to his music. A message of believing in yourself and not just following your dreams, but making them a reality. Since Thursday, the mixtape has been blowin up the internet on various music blogs. It's hot!
Click on the pic above to download the mixtape. Below is a video for Visual's "We Gonna Fly" by our hommies @ Kilp Art.
One of the things people look forward to most during Chicago Summers are the festivals. Whether it's the shopping, quick eats, beer tents or just being able to meet up with everyone you know - summer festivals in Chicago have become huge events with new one popping up every year.
And at Chicago Music Project, we're happy to see that summer fests are supporting more and more local artist by booking local talent for their shows.
Check out the Taste of Randolph this year with local legends Califone along with Mucca Pazza, Superchunk, and one of our favorites, Matthew Santos and his band. See you there!
All right, this city has had it's share of boy/girl electronic duos in the past. But Kinky Notti's "Ghetto Love" is here to let you know that none of those other guys (and girls!) matter.
Smart video, funky grooves - I can't get this track out of my head. Check it out!
CMPtv got together with Derek Berry and Rick Carrico of Team Bayside high and created a SPOTLIGHT segment for them. It's been featured on lollapalooza's website!
At fourteen, Lupe lived on the west side of Chicago, in “the ‘hood,” as he said, “like the ‘hood ‘hood, the real ‘hood. Prostitutes on the corner, gangs, drive-bys, blood stains in the hallway.” He’d been a black belt in karate for four years. He skateboarded the lakefront and was raised a Muslim, as he still is today. His dad taught him about African music and his days in the Black Panthers. He hated hip-hop.
“The ‘hood was the environment,” he said, “But it was juxtaposed with a really strong family. As kids, we couldn't curse. We got whippings for cursing. Girls were taboo then, and [in some hip-hop] they were talking about doing all this wild, outlandish stuff with girls. Quite honestly, it was embarrassing.”
But around that time he heard Nas’ 1996 album “It Was Written,” and his distaste for hip-hop vanished. The parallels ran deep: Nas grew up among the harshness of Queens but was raised on the teachings of Islam and by his famous and worldly musician dad, Olu Dara.
Enter: Music (noun)
1. a most immediate art form, resistant to theories and generalizations
2. a long-standing refuge for the creative
By 25, Lupe had a second album out, had been produced by Jay-Z, Kanye West and the Neptunes, and was rapping about how “hip-hop saved [his] life.” Now at 28, he has the power to lift new talent from obscurity, helping to launch the careers of Matthew Santos, Chicago’s Hey Champ and GemStones.
There appear no limits to his ideas these days and the directions he’s willing to take. He created a persona called “LupE.N.D.” in 2009, the name he said he’d give his newest album, the last one before he quits music forever. Going back on that, he then said he’s sticking with music and titling his new album “Lasers” — which is due out soon.
Creativity is like that. Everything seems like a good idea at the time, and usually because it is a good idea at the time. Even if it contradicts itself.
What’s next for Lupe is anyone’s guess. He’s currently climbing Mount Kilamjaro with Kenna and Justin Timberlake for charity. He and Kanye have been planning with Pharrell to put out an album under the pseudo-group name the Child Rebel Soldiers for at least half a year. He’s also said to have a novel in the works, which is, interestingly, about a window-washer.
Angela Chase of My So-Called Life, a veritable philosopher of our times, once said, “It just seems like personality is something you agree to, just to make things easier on everyone else.”All that we can say about Lupe for sure is that few are less predictable and more interesting to watch. Only, he’s somehow doing it more quietly than his peer stars. He’s not grabbing microphones from Taylor Swift — nothing so tasteless. It makes it easy to forget (or not to realize) just how big he is.
Check out the latest in Chicago's local legend - Lupe Fiasco:
CMPtv contributor Cam Be (camera/editor) did a segment on local singer/songwriter Taylor Mallory at the Vocalo.org radio station. Taylor Mallory - whom we had the pleasure of opening for a Claire Stahlecker acoustic set a couple months back - performs his single "Sunni's Outside" in the radio station's studio.
Check out the video and give us some feed back . . . we hope to see more from this rebel at large.
Time has passed since the devastating earthquake that rocked a small nation and captured the hearts of America - but time has not forgotten the people of Haiti. At risk of repeating myself, the Presidential Palace left in ruins has been chiseled into my mind as a haunting representation of the destruction that was wrought upon the Haitians that fateful Tuesday afternoon. If the single most powerful effigy of a nation is reduced to rubble and debris, imagine the death, destruction, agony and pain that was inflicted upon the rest of the nation.
Haiti was in dire need and a small group of artists came forth to answer the call. Utilizing the power of social networks, Aja Monet and Ferrari Sheppard were able to hook up with the World Water Relief organization and put together one of the most impressive hip hop bills ever for this humanitarian cause. Marco Lopez of Black Market Caviar was generous enough to allow his store to be the hub of the operations, as well as providing T-Shirts and other printing services for the event.
With a lineup set and most details locked in, it didn't take long for a buzz to begin among social circles for weeks prior to the event. Despite any obstacles and internal disagreements that may have occurred - which is just the proverbial nature of the beast when trying to organize such a large scale event - while planning, all were overcome and the final product was one huge music event that will be spoken of for years to come.
We had the privilege of attending the Every Drop Counts benefit that brought out every single important hip hop artist in the city of Chicago for an evening of motivational speeches, cohesion, love and selflessness. The atmosphere was filled with inspiration and the performances truly did rock the sold out crowd at Reggie's Rock Club. Aja Monet was the most gracious of hostesses for the event, while Ferrari Sheppard ensured that the operations ran smoothly. Clayton Hauk of Everyone Is Famous captured the event best - check out the gallery.
We were given the opportunity to interview most of the local artists that performed and the general consensus seemed to be in unison across the board. There was no hesitation to put forth a helping hand for this cause and everyone's efforts paid off - this event raised close to $7,000 from ticket sales and auction items. And this monetary value was matched by the World Water Relief organization, enough to buy several water filtering systems that can reach out to thousands of people in need.
After all is said and done, however, the tragedy is still not over. There are still tens of thousands of Haitians without enough sustenance or even a shanty to call home for them and their families. Relief and aide is still needed. If you'd like to donate or volunteer or become a part of the movement, please visit Every Drop Counts website.
Check out the video, and watch it in it's entirety. A lot of passion and dedication went into organizing the event and we hope that this video does the benefit justice in capturing the essence of what went on and the feelings that were felt from all of those present.
Thank you Aja, thank you Ferrari and a special thanks to all those of you who supported and made this event such a huge success. Events like this show the world what Chicago is about and capable of. All it takes is one person to care enough, and the rest will follow.
Last week, the guys from Chicago Music Project teamed up with revolutionized ARTS and Natalie Oliveri for a weekend long music video shoot for her hit single Never Too Late off of her latest EP Eclectic Soul.
Coming off of a short string of performances in Italy and an international collaboration with Rome's Selenzio Assenzio, Natalie was eager to come back (despite the fact that Chicago's on it's last legs of winter) and get working on this latest endeavor.
Green Velvet (a.k.a. Cajmere) has been a notorious Chicago mainstay in the club/house scene ever since his first serious hit most commonly known as "It's Time for the Percolator" (released on Cajual Clubhouse Records 1992). Well into the new century, the famed DJ/producer has continued to create club jams and high profile collaborations that have effortlessly been shaking asses* throughout Chicago and beyond.
Check out his latest collaboration with Santiago and Bushido for "Turn It Up" with multiple cameos from various local DJ's and underground house socialites.
Chicago Music Project got exclusive access to February's ONE NIGHT STAND to check out what the craze was all about. This month's theme was appropriately called "Heart Attack", decking out the Metro to look like a high school dance, keeping in step with the month's Valentine celebration.
Live performances from "vinyl vixens" turned legitimate peformers Moneypenny and Gemini Club as well as DJ sets by Kid Color, Only Children and residents Team Bayside High highlighted this monthly 18+ event, drawing in hundreds of kids from the Chicagoland area for a night of beats, sweating and dancing.
Check out our exclusive recap video where the brains behind ONS talk about the iconic venue that hosts One Night Stand, sweaty 18 year old kids (take it from me, DON'T google this, like I did trying to find a funny picture) and a blossoming man crush with a said "Chris Baronner".
We got a chance to meet Mic Terror at the Every Drop Counts benefit at Reggie's Rock Club at the end of February and got a chance to check out his performance with Hollywood Holt and Million Dollar Mano by his side.
We hope to bring you an interview with him in the near future, but for now enjoy one of his music videos:
Last night, CMPtv had exclusive access to a rehearsal to one of the hottest show this week. Thursday, June 17th @ Martyrs in Lakeview the Just For Laughs comedy festival presents The City That Works. The is a collaborative effort between the critically acclaimed Chicago comedy ensemble Scadenfreude, and the Soul/Funk/Hip Hop band The Jordan Years.
