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Anyways, something big happened in Austin rap at the end of ’07, and I was negligent and didn’t cover it then. So now, with Nas’s father as my witness, I will.
Matt Sonzala has been documenting Texas rap for as long as I can remember on his blog HoustonSoReal. And it really is “documenting” – there are plenty of opinions and jokes and slang in there, but Sonzala’s photography, journalistic pedigree, breadth of coverage, and access make his work prime for historians writing about Devin The Dude in 50 years. After Pimp C's death, for example, Bun-B did his first interview of any length with HoustonSoReal. (Late addition: Sonzala just launched AustinSurreal, his new blog.)
Sonzala also throws a lot of quality concerts and, until recently, hosted a late night underground show on 90.1 in Houston. He knows everyone in rap and everyone loves him and for some or all of those reasons, SXSW hired him last November to officially come on board to book some hip hop for them.
He's actually been doing their rap for a few years now - just last year, the HoustonSoReal/SXSW shows brought 100 or so rappers to Austin stages, and there’s no reason why there should be less in ‘08. Our latest list shows Bun-B and Midwest mainstay Tech N9ne, and to that you can probably add the Whut It Dew guys, Trae, Lil Keke, Swishahouse, Sparkdawg, etc. Consider this one of those SXSW leak posts: I am almost entirely guaranteeing the presence of any big name, quality rapper within driving distance!
I’m excited to see what else Sonzala puts together for SXSW (especially since I’m about to start leaving voicemails at their office that consist entirely of Shawty Lo choruses). But what I think is the best part of his relocation to Austin is not the benefit reaped by a week-long festival, but the effects of such a unifying mover-and-shaker in a city that, let’s be real (real real), could use a few more rap shows.
Sonzala pledged to start with monthly shows and then ramp up after SXSW. The first one is in two Sundays, at Flamingo Cantina, and features Dallas’s PPT and A-Town’s own Zeale 32, Grimy Styles, and, yes friends, the great Gerald G. I am almost entirely guaranteeing my presence there. Bavu Blakes, who’s on tap to host, also said Chalie Boy might perform with Gerald. No offense to anyone else on the bill, but if Chalie shows up, that’s the best rap show you’ll see in this town, maybe even through March. This statement is completely biased and entirely uniformed, and I’m standing by it.
Before next Sunday, you can hear the two rapping together on Rapid Ric’s kinda new Whut It Dew Radio mixtape. I meant to review it for today, but in the interest of brevity and discussing all things equally, it will run next week (to where, I don’t know – perhaps Round Rock?). You can and should order it off Ric’s myspace for a ten dollar bill. Also on the docket next week: Bavu’s releasing a song-a-week to his email list, and PPT is somehow not getting booked at Budokan and Royal Albert Hall, despite having the chops of a De La or a young Kanye, minus the salt. Apparently, salt is necessary to be a superstar rapper/producer these days.
Finally, a free-association, to Gerald G’s “Sleeping Giant Freestyle (Chopped and Screwed)”:
Sandwich. Beer. Telephone. Sleeping Giants.
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