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Local musician shocks Fox Valley hip-hop scene to life By Ryan Benson For hip-hop heads, Northeastern Wisconsin can feel like a sweltering sweatbox, stranded in a desolate desert of country music, cornfields and cheese. There are no hip-hop radio stations; no one is holding their breath to see Jay-Z at the Resch Center; and, with gas prices, Chicago is just too damn far of a drive. Thank god for free streaming. But a local rapper, Knowledge Moves Constantly, is trying to kick down the door of the sweatbox and lead Fox Valley to an oasis of top-shelf, underground hip-hop talent, starting in July with Aesop Rock and Eyedea & Abilities.  “I go by ‘Mark’ when I’m talking business,” says the built, jovial MC. Business is steady for Mark, who has put out three CDs since 2004. This year he took a big step by making his label, Lost Voice Music, an official business venture, which he manages full time. “I can’t complain about 2010,” says Mark. “2009 was rough – so I was a little worried – but I put out my third record in February, I started my own business, and I’m working with some great talent…I’m all smiles this year.” The uncharacteristically humble rapper is quick to change the subject when it’s too focused on his successes. “I don’t want the article to be about me, man. I want it to be about bringing music to the Valley, ‘cause that’s what’s important: shocking the hip-hop scene in Fox Valley to life…I think people are ready for it. We need this.” “Shock” seems to be the appropriate verb; Mark is not ambling into his quest with cover bands or rookie talent. The first headliner, Aesop Rock, is performing July 17 with Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. Aesop was on the front lines of the underground hip-hop revolution in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His abstract, back-flipping metaphors coupled with a fast flow are his trademark, leaving fans of Soulja Boy in a cloud of bewilderment. Most recently, Aesop produced Felt’s third album, a hip-hop duo featuring Slug from Atmosphere and MURS from Living Legends. Also performing on July 17: The Wine Thieves (New Jersey), The Cranberry Show (Milwaukee), Ecid (Minnesota), and hometown artists Derril Pounds and DJ JB ILL (Oshkosh). “Of course I want to bring in musicians from all over,” says Mark. “But I also want to showcase what we have right here in Wisconsin.” The Wine Thieves are signed with Lost Voice Music, and they are traveling all the way from Mark’s home state of New Jersey for the event. The duo (Emcee Hype and Party Picasso) was voted Artist of the Week on mtvU in 2007, and they went to the finals for a shot at a $1.5 million record deal with Epic Records. On July 23 Eyedea & Abilities will headline, with special guest Kristoff Krane. Eyedea earned underground fame as a ferociously witty battle rapper, taking the number one spot in HBO’s Blaze Battle in 2000. He hooked up with DJ Abilities, winner of three DMC (Disco Mix Club) awards, in 2001 for their first album, First Born. After a five-year split, Eyedea & Abilities reunited in 2009 for their highly anticipated third album, By the Throat. Eyedea’s lyrics are complex and his themes are often deep; he feeds off DJ Abilities’ beats, which, according to the DJ’s own Myspace page, sound like “cut up brain chunks plopping on a plate of divinity.” During the past decade, Eyedea & Abilities grew artistically before the eyes of the underground community, and the evolved product is a treat for any aficionado of hip-hop.  Also performing on July 23: DJ Kid Cut Up (Milwaukee), Nate Fate (Oshkosh), Birds of Prey (Appleton), Hench with DJ Scotty (Oshkosh), and Derril Pounds with DJ JB ILL (Oshkosh). “This isn’t just going to be a summer event, either,” says Mark. “I can’t give any specifics yet, but I’m working on getting some other big names all the way into the fall…Like I said: The Valley needs this.” The oasis is in sight; hopefully it’s not a mirage. The July 17 show (Aesop Rock) will be at the Time Community Theater in Oshkosh. Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m. Cover: $20. The July 23 show (Eyedea & Abilities) will be at the Algoma Club in Oshkosh. Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m. Cover: $18/$23. Tickets for both shows can be purchased online at: lostvoicemusictix.blogspot.com |
