Where is Charleston Hip Hop Headed?

  • 7
    #1244
    killdoji
    THE MIGHTY DOJ
    Local Scene: Charleston
    Rank: Droplet
    Points: 28

    Yo it’s doj. I wanna hear some opinions on the direction of the local hip hop scene. Also, Any advice?

    2
    #1246
    chubes
    HMFIC
    Local Scene: Austin, TX
    Rank: Flurry
    Points: 21019

    Hey man thanks for joining!

    I think the local hip-hop scene overall is trending in a positive direction. It is way more visible now than it was just a few years ago. Venues that never booked hip-hop are doing it now on a regular basis.

    Advice-wise, just generally speaking. I’ve talked to the boys in Rhodium about this, and Kaizer. I think a lot of local hip-hop artists could benefit greatly by being more calculated about the moves they make.

    For example, instead of making as much noise as possible about each individual release, I think it is better to have each release, show, and everything you do be just one piece of an ever-evolving puzzle.

    If you have a solid song, use it as a vehicle for promoting your career, and start a chain reaction. The song can be the driving force behind getting people to show up at your concert, and you can use it to roll the momentum forward after the show to release a music video, which you promote for several weeks with a series of photos or stills from the video.

    I see a lot of spontaneity in the hip-hop community, which I really think has a lot of value in its own way. But looking for sustainable growth, and creating an overarching story that surrounds yourself as an artist, is the way to truly make an impact.

    3
    #1367
    Indigxld
    Participant
    Rank: Cooler
    Points: 1753

    Truth.  The more calculated and intentional the hiphop community moves here in Charleston, the more we get closer to being able to function like Atlanta, Texas, New York, and even Florida. They have made their underground circuits the premiere mix in these areas , and have come together to turn them into funnels for artists to really pop out of the city. There’s so much unconscious segregation in charleston hip hop, but i slowly see it starting to shift. Things like Cultura coming back in to the yearly circuit of hip hop festivals, has definitely added to that sauce. Hip hop is everywhere in Charleston now, from DT to Summerville, its receiving engagement like never before. However, we have to keep it special and not oversaturate the system with it-this is where that intention plays its part

    1
    #1704
    QRiSG
    Moderator
    Rank: Ice Cube
    Points: 295

    I think the local hip-hop community is doing an amazing job of being a community, displaying perseverance, and unity, and innovation. It seems like a lot of other artists are concerned with the business side of things – or the bottom line being a huge factor in decisions they make – and rightfully so, but the primary objective – or priority – of the hip hop community right now seems to be putting on the best show possible, regardless of the money.. And I think that’s pretty dope.

    3
    #6679
    killdoji
    THE MIGHTY DOJ
    Local Scene: Charleston
    Rank: Droplet
    Points: 28

    Coming back to this post, I think a lot of the recommendations y’all gave have been kinda coming to life. Y’all agree?

    2
    #6757
    chubes
    HMFIC
    Local Scene: Austin, TX
    Rank: Flurry
    Points: 21019

    @killdoji I think some of it is coming to life for sure. @kaitheczar has been taking his time promoting his I Exist album, with multiple music videos released from it. The show we just did at the Music Farm with the Wu-Tang / Rage tribute was epic and UnHeard did a great job with promotions for it, especially with showing up at Wu Wednesdays to cross promote. That said, it was a Wu-Tang Tribute, and marketing originals would have led to a much smaller turnout.

    Nowadays I think the problem with our entire music scene, not just hip hop, but all original music being played at the local level. We struggle with a small community of people who care. We need to find a way to reach a lot more of the people who live in Charleston and get them interested in what’s happening.

    Otherwise, the scene will remain small.

    Part of this is absolutely building a story behind yourself as an artist, but some of it also has to be done in another way. Social media becomes an echo chamber of all the same voices sharing the same things, but there aren’t as many new faces.

    One example of how to do this is what I’ve seen the local rock band Easy Honey doing. They’re sponsoring Beach Cleanups in cities they stop through on tour, including here in Charleston. This exposes them to an entirely new group of people who would have never known they existed if they didn’t hear about the beach cleanup.

    They’ve also set up on the site of the road during a busy traffic day and jammed, with a sign in front of their setup that reads “Traffic Jam” with ways to follow them.

    This kind of stuff can be adapted for other genres of music and types of events, it’s just a matter of finding the ways to do it. I’m trying to do it for Extra Chill as well, but it takes some creativity and lots of effort.

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