Press Coverage
Press Coverage: Poor Vida's Third Annual Elements of Hip-Hop Drops Knowledge
Written by Nic. Thursday, 05 July 2012 00:00
In the native tongue of hip-hop heads, the notion of the Four Elements is as familiar as the boom-bap of an 808 drum machine. Allow us this quick primer for those who may be less familiar. Hip-hop culture is composed of four distinct disciplines, or elements, that together make up a rich and diverse culture: Breakdancers (b-boys), DJs, emcees and graffiti artists, and they created a foundation that's held generations of heads afloat since the inception of the genre in 1970s New York City.
These are not only immutable but a source of pride for all practitioners of the art. These elements have galvanized communities and, perhaps more than any other type of music, provided an outlet for the underprivileged. "Hip-hop changed my life" is a chorus heard by anybody close to the movement. It empowers those who live it, those who are told by outsiders that what they do isn't art or isn't worthwhile.
Brought to you by local skateboard shop/record store/street supply depot Rec Shop and hip-hop promotion/multimedia company Poor Vida, The Elements of Hip-Hop celebrates its third year at the Green Elephant. The all-day event is our local underground's answer to the summer festival game and is one of the most ambitious and unique affairs Dallas has to offer. The extravaganza will feature two stages with more than 40 live hip-hop performances (Awkquarius, Playdough, the Mohicans, Brain Gang and DFW Cypher are but a few of the acts), a few live bands, b-boy and b-girl battles, turntable showcases and live graffiti art.
Read the rest of the article at The Dallas Observer
TweetPress Coverage: Poor Vida's Third Annual Elements of Hip-Hop Lineup Looks Insane
Written by Audra Schroeder Thursday, 31 May 2012 00:00
Dallas promoters Poor Vida, who we mentioned are finishing up a documentary about Dallas hip-hop, have announced the date and partial lineup for their third annual Elements of Hip-Hop event. The show, in conjunction with Rec Shop, is set for July 7 at the Green Elephant, and features a pretty astounding collection of graffiti artists, DJs, b-boys/girls and performances from Dallas' AwkQuarius, -topic, Mozez Tha Great, Mohicans, A.Dd+, Brain Gang, Playdough, DFW Cypher, Houston's D-Risha, San Antonio's Worldwide and more.
Read the article at The Dallas Observer
TweetPress Coverage: Poor Vida Closes In On a Documentary About Dallas' Hip-Hop History
Written by Audra Schroeder Thursday, 26 April 2012 00:00
Dallas' Poor Vida Productions have been longtime supporters of not just Dallas hip-hop, but Texas as a whole, consistently grabbing and repping talent from every part of the state. For about a year now, they've immersed themselves in tracing and reconstructing the history of Dallas hip-hop, and are close to wrapping up. I asked PV's Joel Salazar a bit about their progress.
"It started out as an underground documentary on street art in Dallas," he says, "and has since grown into the history of Dallas hip-hop, as well as all of the elements involved: DJ, b-boy, MC, graffiti. It also includes promoters, producers, venues and other influential people throughout the scene over the years. We've shot a little over 60-plus interviews and will be done shooting at the end of May, with a release at the end of the year."
Read the rest of the article at the Dallas Observer
TweetPress Coverage: How DFW Cypher will save Underground Hip Hop
Written by Dick Sullivan Wednesday, 18 January 2012 10:05
When I composed my 2012 wish list, I made eleven pretty lofty requests and one that was pure snark. Among the sincere wishes, perhaps none was more of a stretch than to see underground hip hop gain a foothold in North Texas. At least that’s why I thought it was a stretch. It turns out five Dallas emcees struggled with the same goal about a year ago and decided to direct energies toward that end. The fruit of that struggle is now known as DFW Cypher, a grassroots collective with one goal: to lend a bullhorn to underground hip hop in DFW.
A cypher is nothing more than a huddle of emcees trading freestyle rhymes. Unlike a battle, there is no face-to-face exchange of ad-hoc insults, but there is the same rawness of being put on the spot. A good cypher gets at the root of what makes hip hop so engrossing: individuals out on a verbal tightrope. DFW Cypher’s aim is to use that tool as a way to promote the area’s hip hop.
DFW Cypher formed in the late winter of 2011 when Frank “ASAP” Torres, Justin “GOAT” Griffith, Julio “Kilo Art-of-Fact” Corderro, Kyle “Molek Ular” Elrod, and James “Jack Rabbit” Clark decided to film a cypher and upload it. That first video, filmed in a Kitchen and produced by Molek Ular, went so well that the same group decided to do it again, with a new roster of emcees. This time, they had the help of veteran videographer Teddy Cool, the only non-performer of DFW Cypher, who came on board after finding the first video. “I saw this cypher concept and [thought], ‘That’s dope. That’s exactly the kind of music I want to push forward in this community. It’s simple. It’s hip hop.’” To date, the group has produced five cypher videos and don’t plan on resting any time soon.
Jump over to D Magazine to read the rest of the article by Dick Sullivan
Read More below to watch all the DFW Cypher Videos
TweetPress Coverage: Tanya Morgan Over The Weekend
Written by Jake Crates Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:56
Better than: Any hip-hop concert you would see at an American Airlines Center bill filled with marquee acts that get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to destroy your ear drums.
Tanya Morgan has been touring the country sporadically for the past few years as they get their buzz up among devoted members of the hip-hop community. But while many people think they take after the Native Tongues movement of the 1990s (De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep and others), Tanya Morgan has developed their own unparalleled sound.
After meeting on an okayplayer.com message board years ago, Donwill from Cincinnatti and Von Pea from Brooklyn developed an earthy sound with upbeat rhythms that have garnered the attention of XXL Magazine, The Source and Spin to name a few.
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