HellaCappella, the most highly anticipated a cappella concert of the year, will take place Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 7:30pm at the ARC Pavilion on the UC Davis Campus. Hosted by UC Davis’ amazing, all-female a cappella group, The Spokes, HellaCappella is an exciting collaboration between a cappella groups of all shapes and sizes. Hailing from various northern Californian universities, this year’s dynamic lineup includes show-stopping performances by two-time champions of the International Competition of Collegiate a Cappella, The Men’s Octet from UC Berkeley, Cloud Nine from UC Santa Cruz, NBC’s The Sing Off a cappella competition finalists On the Rocks from University of Oregon, and

A musical phenom is making his way to Sacramento to perform live Nov. 23, 2011 at the Sunrise Event Center. Coming off the recent release of his album "Ambition"; Wale, Ralph Folarin, is leaving his mark in Sacramento just before Thanksgiving. Folarin's tour is promoting his new album "Ambition" in a semester where the Hip-Hop industry is releasing a ton of competition. You can be sure that Wale will present a show like no other. Folarin uses poetry and intertwines it into his hip-hop. Those planning to go will hear this first hand in Wale's hit single "Lotus Flower Bomb". The song is a perfect icon of Wale's musical abilities .  Don't miss the opportunity to watch this growing musical

Now is it Filipino with an F or a P? It must be an F because as most Fil-Ams would agree, it’s not Filipino without food and family. In Sacramento, hip hop artists, break dancers, designers, and other creatives came together at Sol Collective on 21st Street and Broadway to celebrate Filipino American History Month. They came from as far as Vallejo, Stockton, and South San Francisco to share what it means to be Fil-Am. The heat resonates from the thin sachets of lumpia simmering in the boiling bubbles of Crisco oil. Dominique Marquez, 26 with her long silky hair, tank top, tribal ink tattoo, and shorts helps her mom "Nanay" with her brow covered in sweat over the open fire of the gas gri

Few might expect to find salvation inside a prison’s walls, but that’s exactly what rap’s most famous supposed Satanist glimpsed. Tech N9ne (performing at the Ace of Spades on Oct. 24) visited fellow hip-hop eccentric Lil Wayne at Rikers Island while the latter MC served a year- long sentence in 2010 for weapon possession. The three hour dialogue touched on everything. They started with their families and children. Then, their peculiar career paths. Before long, N9ne was opening up about how his success had been hindered by years of anonymous blog posts and whisperings about his supposed 'devil worship.' Then, he revealed to Wayne why those rumours could never be true. “We talked about s

Davis musician Antoinette Clinton, who goes by her stage name, Butterscotch, is releasing her first EP this fall called “Perfect Harmony.” A music video directed by Robyn Twomey for the album’s title track is going to released online in a few weeks. Butterscotch, who is known for her incredible beat-boxing, will be doing a lot more than just recording music. She will also be performing at the fifth annual Davis Jazz and Beat Festival on Oct. 22. The event will include her along with many other performers and will be located at 521 First St. in Davis. In recent months, she has traveled to places as far away as Hong Kong and Germany. “A lot has happened lately,” Butterscotch said, referri

The sun was still hanging lazily in the sky as an enormous crowd filed into Midtown's cozy Ace of Spades venue to see hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg Friday evening. The famed indo-puffing, gin and juice-drinking rap veteran is no stranger to the Sacramento area, as just only seven months ago, the "Doggfather" performed at UC Davis' Freeborn Hall to an enthusiastic college crowd. Now, hot off the heels of his 11th studio album, Doggumentary (which debuted at No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200), the rapper returned to show Sacramento he's still one of hip-hop's best in the game. The small venue filled up quickly, with a diverse crowd ranging from young to old, longtime fans to curious new fans. On

The Crocker Art Museum will host a screening of “Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano” on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. This documentary provides insight into the realities and politics of contemporary Cuba by following some of the pioneers of Cuban hip hop to their homes, the stage, and as they travel abroad for the first time. From 5:30-6:30 p.m., one of the film’s subjects, DJ Leydis, will perform live in Friedman Court. Tickets are $6 for Museum members and $12 for nonmembers. Presented in collaboration with Sol Collective, the film will be introduced by director Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, a graduate of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and will be followed by a Q & A. The screening is

Hollywood sleaze-rapper Mickey Avalon performed for a huge crowd of die-hard fans at Ace of Spades Friday night, whipping the young crowd into a lustful frenzy with his provocative sing-along raps. Folsom rap duo Ill Effect kicked the show off with some tight rhymes and beats, sounding the best as they flowed over B.o.B's well-known hit "Airplanes," featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. After a 30-minute delay that had everyone wondering what exactly was going on, rapper Ty$ (Ty Dolla Sign) took the stage. Unfortunately there was nothing spectacular in his short set that made up for the long wait. Highlights included some call-and-response about which side of the crowd was louder and b

Sage Francis played the Ace of Spades in Sacramento Friday night, headlining an all-ages show that also included Who Cares, Ricky James, and Verbal Venom. It was the Rhode Island-based political rapper's first show in Sacramento in ten years. The show was part dance party, part consciousness-raising, and part therapy session. And judging by the crowd's reaction: all catharsis. During many songs, the crowd rapturously rapped his lyrics back to him in unison. As connected as his audience is to him, Francis has an strong connection to his audience and frequently interacted with individual members during the show. An update after the show on his Twitter feed stated: "Having a soldier in t

The teenage drug dealer slung a belt around his stocky waist and through the loops of his newly pressed khakis before tightening a necktie around his throat. In the streets below, a junkie who was all too similar to the young hustler’s crack clientele, wrapped his own belt around one of his track-marked arms. Both seemed to strangle themselves enough to make their veins pop. And neither saw any other way to escape. “It was hard for me to get a (legit) job. I tried everything in my life. My moms made me put suits on and everything. I was just a loser,” said rapper and reformed hustler Raekwon, who will perform at Ace of Spades on May 1, of  his humble beginnings in an exclusive telephone i

The Sacramento Public Library, located at 828 I Street, will host an exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibition titled “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music” highlights the contributions of Latinos in American music and will be on exhibition from May 25 to August 7, 2011. American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music is a creation by Experience Music Project (EMP) and organized for travel by SITES. The exhibition, its national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. A luncheon preview event was held at the Sacramento Public Library on Thursday to introduce the exhibition. Representatives from SI

The bar for underground hip-hop music has been set for 2011. “Heroes In the Healing of a Nation” is the newest collaborative album by Zion I, comprised of producer and DJ AmpLive and MC Zumbi, and the Grouch of Living Legends. The album, which drops on March 22, is the follow-up to the first Zion I/Grouch collaboration, “Heroes In the City of Dope.” Zion I and the Grouch will be touring to share the album from March 19 to May 1, making a stop in Sacramento at the Tropicana Club March 21 thanks to FUSE and TheMashUP.net. The album is a working masterpiece, blending elements from all sides of the musical spectrum: Latin ,dubstep, reggae and more with the traditional but eccentric hip-hop

  or·gone  n.  A universal life force, a cosmic unit of energy, the creative force in nature.   Orgone  n.  A nine piece soul/funk ensemble from Los Angeles.  A staple on the Festival circuit (High Sierra Music Fest, Moe.down, South by Southwest, Jazzfest, to name a few) Orgone has opened for the likes of Al Green and Sharon Jones, and toured with the Roots and Greyboy Allstars. "With a rooted sense of funk, soul, afrobeat, deep rhythms and an intimate understanding of dj culture as well as each others' individual talents, Orgone seamlessly slides through multiple styles and dynamic performances. The group continuously injects whatever they play with a heavy brand of raw funk power." (o

Nestled between a Party City and a Sports Authority on Arden Way, Tropicana Nightclub hosted one of the biggest names in underground hip hop Wednesday. Brooklyn’s Talib Kweli performed for a diverse, crowded and engaged audience. The line to get in to Tropicana formed 15 minutes before the announced door-opening of 7:30 p.m. and maintained for over an hour as the nightclub filled out. Stepping in the door, visitors entered a large, open space with vendor booths along the back and side walls and a large stage with two DJ booths. Also on stage was a Roseville tattoo artist named Jonas, piecing together a large, painted portrait of Kweli that reached its completion right as he took the stag

The Grouch brought friends from the Living Legends and Rhymesayers Entertainment on Thursday night for the fourth annual How the Grouch Stole Christmas tour at the Tropicana in Sacramento. The line stretched far outside the Tropicana on Thursday, as some fans had to wait over an hour to just get into the venue. Although this is the third time the tour has come to Sacramento, it was the first time at the Tropicana and the sound quality, minus some occasional feedback, and stage provided a perfect atmosphere for the show. The show opened with Los Rakas, a reggae and dance-inspired hip-hop group whose members are originally from Panama. Although the group uses mainly Spanish lyrics, the lan

Corey Scoffern, a.k.a. The Grouch, an Oakland-native rapper and representative of the iconic rap group, Living Legends, will perform Tuesday night at Tropicana Club for this year's installment of the "How the Grouch Stole Christmas" tour. Joining him on stage will be Brother Ali of the independent hip-hop giant, Rhymesayers Entertainment, label-mate and long-time music associate, Eligh and up-and-coming Oakland via Panama hip-hop duo, Los Rakas. The Grouch spoke with The Sacramento Press about the tour and his recent work. Sacramento Press: So this is the second, “How the Grouch Stole Christmas Tour,” is this something you plan on doing annually from now on? Grouch: This is actually th

The bleachers of Mills Middle School in Rancho Cordova filled up Saturday afternoon as over 300 people--families, students, and dance enthusiasts--turned out to watch dancers from all over the United States take to the floor in the first ever Sac Hop Competition. Drawing in over 32 break-dancing crews and individual performers, the event was split into two different parts: the one-on-one all styles and the three-on-three B-Boy competition, each giving the dancers their chance to showcase their physical talent, creative freedom and support for hip-hop culture. After seven hours and three rounds of dance and elimination, Seattle-based dancer Macco took the title for the individual contest,

With the release of its sixth album, “Atomic Clock,” the Zion I crew hit Sacramento State last night, astounding students and fans with their reggae-inspired hip-hop performance. Openers Random Abiladeze and The Holdup failed to draw the crowd in on Thursday at Sacramento State’s ballroom, but the headliners from Oakland, CA, had no problem filling the building and eventually selling out the venue. The crew performed two shows in Sacramento last night, the first being an in-store signing and performance at Dimple Records two hours before the show at Sacramento State. Zion I is an underground hip-hop group from whose music focuses mainly on spiritual and individual growth, while still

The key to successful and safe hip hop events in Sacramento is to focus on the music, an expert panel said Tuesday. Sacramento needs club owners and promoters to give hip hop artists doing good music a chance – working together rationally to overcome stereotypes or solve problems. What the city doesn't need is people who bring turf wars or personal drama into clubs, said hip hop artists, promoters and a historian gathered at the Crest Theatre. One panelist, rapper B-Smoove, acknowledged that problems can arise if gang enemies who normally don't cross paths suddenly wind up at the same club. He’s established a reputation for hosting problem-free hip hop nights by reminding his audiences t

Nightclub safety will be discussed at upcoming workshops offered by local business organizations. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Midtown Business Association and Old Sacramento Business Association are hosting two sessions this month.They are part of a series aimed at educating bar and restaurant owners and staff about their responsibilities, as well as state laws and city regulations. The free workshops are open to businesses, DJs and club promoters in Old Sacramento, downtown and Midtown. Rapper B-Smoove and other experts in Sacramento's hip hop scene recently agreed to lead a panel on managing hip hop nights so that they stay free from the violence that shut down clubs like Ele