Hollywood rapper Mickey Avalon headlined a New Year's Eve show at Ace of Spades on Saturday. Supporting Avalon on the bill were 2ME, Richard the Rockstar, and producer Big Chocolate. Photos by Steven Chea.

A couple hundred people wanting to get an early start on 2012 partying headed down to Ace of Spades on Friday, where Oakland musician and frequent Sacramento visitor, Wallpaper., headlined an eclectic bill. Starting the show was Chaotic Fusion, a drummer and DJ duo. DJ Oasis spun radio hits – "Teach Me How To Dougie," "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," "Last Resort" – while Radio 94.7 on-air personality Casey Lewis drummed along to the beat. Performing next was Oakland-by-way-of-Panama Latin rap duo Los Rakas. Rhyming in Spanish over dancehall and hip-hop beats, the up and coming young pair were well-received by the slowly growing crowd. Headliner Wallpaper. took the stage next, with the men of the gr

Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you. If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular. But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'! 1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the

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 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

No discussion on alternative rock circa 2000 would be complete without mention of Papa Roach and their radio-ready hit single “Last Resort,” especially if you were in high school or college during that time. The Vacaville band (also known for singles “Scars,” “Forever” and “Lifeline”) broke out of Sacramento and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide. They return this weekend for a two-night stand at the recently opened venue Ace of Spades, touring behind their seventh album, "Time for Annihilation." More alternative rock than nu-metal now, the band can probably still be counted on to deliver a high-energy rock show filled with heavy guitars, sharp hooks and “guy liner.”

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

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

When you think of a “rap superstar,” what words come to mind? Gaudy? Violent? Subjective to women? How about humble, loving, and community-oriented? All of these words and many more could describe hip-hop duo Atmosphere, which will grace the University Union Ballroom stage at Sacramento State Sept. 28. This unique outlook on music production and life in general has pushed Atmosphere, composed of Sean Daley (Slug) and Anthony Davis (Ant), to the forefront of the international hip-hop scene. Working together for close to two decades, the duo has produced dozens of EPs, tour albums and collaborative albums with outside artists, traveled the world and started the wildly successful independent

When I read that the Boardwalk was bringing Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy to Sacramento, I was really excited. I was turned on to Dirt's music by a friend toward the end of last summer, and this was to be my first Dirt Nasty show. Attending live shows has always been a way for me, the listener, to connect with the artist on a more personal level. Dirt Nasty's music is upbeat and party-oriented. His lyrics are a bit on the crude side and are intended to shock the crowd. Anytime I have been in a party situation with friends and a Dirt Nasty song came on, the energy in the room intensifies. Dirt has a certain pentameter and delivery in his music that invokes those around to sing along, word

Local hip hop artists Carey Johnson, RV Watson and Jonathon Bauman came together to make the newest movement in Sacramento rap. Cooley Mac’n, as they have come to be known, is starting its pursuit of the rap music industry, playing local venues, recording and producing mix tapes and spreading the buzz about its scene. Johnson, “Cooley Boy Fresh” and Watson “Mainy Manny” put melodic, soft-spoken yet hard-hitting lyrics over Bauman’s smooth and crisp instrumentals. Surprisingly catchy, the songs off Cooley Mac’n’s first mix tape, “From Scratch, Vol. 1,” are guaranteed to be stuck in your head after your first listen. After gaining popularity, the single “I’m Cooley Mac’n” from the “From S

The young rapper known as Tyga performed to a large crowd at The Colonial Theater (3520 Stockton Blvd) Thursday night, June 24th.   The twenty-year-old is signed to Lil Wayne's record label Young Money Entertainment, where his label mates include Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj.  He released his debut album No Introduction in 2008, and has an upcoming album entitled Careless World, featuring collaborations with artists including Chris Brown.   Fans in line wait to get into The Colonial Theatre before the show.   Local rappers warm up the crowd before the show.   More local rappers warm up the crowd before the show.   Tyga comes out to an screaming crowd around 11pm.   Tyga  

  The 34th Street Dance company put on another high energy performance last Saturday at the Guild Theater. The theme was Fiat Lux, which is Latin for "let there be light.  The show wrapped up with a tribute of dance routines to the late Michael Jackson, along with a heart felt and tearful ceremony to the seniors graduating from the company. “Our mission is to use dance as a tool to build community and develop each dancer as a creative thinker, dance technician, and a leader” said Sheila Coleman, the founder and director of the company.  The company trains in modern, hip-hop, and contemporary movement forms and for seven years, has shared its passion for dance with audiences all over Cali

Chuck D is a rebel without a pause. The co-founder of seminal hip-hop group Public Enemy is a rapper, author and activist. He refers to himself as a "raptivist," and "an ambassador for hip-hop." Thursday night, D will give a free speech at Sacramento State, where he'll be talking about rap, race, technology and communication. The event will also be a celebration of Black History Month. D likes to talk. Given that he writes a blog, tours the world on speaking gigs, and owns the SLAMjams music label, which recently threw together an iTunes album for Haiti, he is surprisingly available. He called me for an unscheduled interview, just a few minutes after I e-mailed him. "You can't go throug

This past July a new recording studio popped up on Sacramento's radar.  Sanctuary Recording Studios was founded by DJ Reason & Mr. Blap to provide musicians of all types with a very exclusive and private recording studio experience. Loaded with talent and all the gear to feed it these guys are in a prime position to take Sacramento by storm. When you walk in you insantly walk up some stairs to the Penthouse Suites of an office building/business park just outside of Downtown Sacramento.  As you reach the second floor you are faced with 1700 square feet of creative space.  At the far end of the hall you'll find their isolation booth...a comfortable 130 square feet and comes with an "in-boo

It's a good year, so far, for Abraham Quintanilla III, known to many as "A.B." Quintanilla. This 45-year-old entertainer was heavily embroiled in a nasty court battle that dragged on for years until finally winning back the Kumbia Kings this year. This victory came after the loss of a long-time friendship with Cruz Martinez, much negative media buzz, and a hefty legal price tag. At last, he can put it all behind him and concentrate on his current band, Kumbia All‑Starz. Many know Quintanilla first as the brother of legendary Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla, who was murdered in 1995. After her untimely death, Quintanilla took a four-year hiatus from his career. When he emerged in 199

As most of us know, Sacramento is a City that continues to expand and display its talents through many avenues. Whether it may be through local artwork, musical artists, or the film industry, many Sacramentoian’s, are continuing to bring the spot light to the Capital City. With this topic in mind, I wanted to share a recent story from a local music production company from our very own City of Sacramento. Grind Hard Entertainment (G.H.E.) is a company that was created by Jose “Flowmatic” Jimenez, after the disconnected feeling he experienced while being a part of a music company that did not allow him to voice his ideas and took control of his desired projects. This is commonly seen in the