VTHH NOTES: 2/8/23

Things have been quiet here since the 2022 Vermont Hip Hop Awards wrapped up; too quiet. Lately I've talked to a number of fine folks who thought that was because I have been busy working on my own music, but that's actually not the case. I have been having real problems with carpal tunnel pain and every single one of my day jobs and side hustles involve writing, so paid work has been my top priority and even that has been uncomfortable.

To be clear, I definitely do prioritize my own art over any of yours, but see, I've been doing that for almost six months now. Hell, I finished an album worth of songs in the middle of doing the VTHH Awards. Your boy has a high tolerance for work.

For the duration of 2023, though, the focus here is going to be on short & sweet: daily posts, quick reads, steady coverage on a manageable level. I don't have the bandwidth for longform content, and let's be real, neither do most of you. This is the age of Instagram, the era of one minute songs and five song albums. I am not going to fight that wave. (Well, not here, at least.)

The only exception is going to be artist interviews. There are a lot of great, important stories to be told right now, and that coverage is vastly more important than my old man opinions on your singles and videos. Art is very ephemeral these days, but the history being made in the 802 right now is not.

Speaking of which. The big news this week is the GUMBO record release party celebration concert show thing going down at the Double E in Essex, which is an extremely choice venue for such an august affair. To crank that hype up even further, the Equal Eyes Records team has dropped "Rewarmed Second Servings," a collection of remixes. It's been great to see Fattie B mustering so much momentum, and I'm curious where he'll take that from here.

Closer to downtown, Radio Bean will be hosting a damn fine lineup on Friday the 10th, but then again, if it's called "Charlie Mayne and Friends" you know it's going to be tasty. Joining him will be Flywlkr, who had a potent run in 2022, and Mysundrstood, an under-rated R&B artist with a small but strong back catalog. DJ Sobe will be presiding over the evening. Music kicks off just past 11 pm so, you know, feel free to pregame.

Some big shows on the horizon: Onyx is coming to Nectars on April 28th to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic LP Bacdafucup. Tickets are slightly steep at $30+ but with RA The Rugged Man opening up, you will absolutely get your money's worth there. Going to be a legendary night, props to the Elm Three Productions team for making that happen in the 802.

Earlier that same week, New England heavyweight Termanology will be headlining something called "Club Nights In Burlington," which is a pretty awkward and non-descript name for a hip hop show. It also strongly evokes a bunch of sweaty bears and coked-out real estate developers dancing at Red Square, but the goal for this deluxe evening is an all night party with a big city feel. Tickets are super steep but there are sharp discounts for students, health care workers and couples on dates, which is smart marketing all around. No details yet about who else in on the bill, but I'll keep you updated.

Finally: holy shit, Souls of Mischief is doing a 93-show run to celebrate their debut album, and sure enough, Higher Ground is one of them. This should sell out pretty quickly so secure them tickets well in advance.

It is fantastic to see big legacy names coming through Vermont this year, and it is important that these shows do well because talent buyers will always be comfortable falling back on popular rock bands and DJ nights. As hilariously tragic as it was to have Lil Pump's Halloween show go down in flames, or have big name viral acts rocking for mostly empty rooms, such failures leave a bad taste in the mouth when your money is on the line. And that has immediate downstream effects on the local scene when artists are trying to organize gigs, showcases and opportunities.

That said, of course: never let any of that hold you back. Keep building, keep hustling, and don't fall back on excuses that involve anyone else but yourselves. As long as you can get people into a room, any room, to listen to your music, the power is in your hands. Keep succeeding by any means necessary and promoters will start coming to you. I personally guarantee it.

Go forth and conquer.