INTERVIEW: Lecrae at SXSW 2012

Whew! Another SXSW is in the books. Soon I'll be doing a full recap of the Christian hip hop events that took place in Austin this past weekend, but one of the highlights was definitely the Reach Records showcase that took place at La Zona Rosa on Saturday night.

The Reach team was kind enough to get me backstage just before Lecrae's set and I got to ask him about his SXSW experience this time around (a lot has changed for him since he last performed at the festival for our official SXSW Christian hip hop stage in 2009), how his BET Awards Cypher session created opportunities that came to fruition at SXSW, and what to look for with his new direction.

SXSW schedule: DaSouth.com/CityTaker/Reach Records and other Christian hip hop events

South by Southwest (SXSW), the premier Austin-based company dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals, has, for the fourth year in a row, invited several Houstonians to organize its Christian hip hop showcase.

Taking place March 16-17, DaSouth.com Hip Hop Hope Unity Conference and CityTakers Weekend will showcase performances from some of gospel hip hop’s most polished performers and offer an expanded schedule of informative and interactive artist development workshops and networking opportunities.

The events include:

Friday, March 16

• What: SXSW Kickoff Concert
• Time: 6:30pm – 11pm
• Cost: $5 donation
• Location: Horizon Worship Center – 1006 E. Yager Ln. Suite 115-A, Austin, TX 78753
• Participants include: bigAL, Viktory, Gifted da Flamethrowa, k-Drama, Von Won, theBREAX, Frontline, Omega Sparx, K-Praize, Tre Nation, Chris Lee Cobbins, Peculiar Image, and more

Saturday, March 17

• What: The official SXSW - DaSouth.com Hip Hop Hope Unity Conference and CityTakers Weekend
• Time: 10:30am – 5pm
• Cost: FREE and open to the public on a first come, first serve basis, seating is limited
• Location: The Carver Cultural Center - 1165 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702

Schedule breakdown

Hip Hop Hope Unity Workshop
Time: 10:30am – 11:00am (0.5 hour)
Participants: Bobby “Tre9” Herring (DaSouth.com co-owner)

The Heart of Hip Hop Missions Workshop
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm (1 hour)
Participants: Scott Free (CityTakers)

Panel discussion: “The Realities of Music Ministry”
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm (1 hour)
Participants: Sketch the Journalist (host/moderator), Viktory, k-Drama, Von Won, Thi’sl, Pastor AD3, Ruslan (theBREAX)



Lunch break / Fellowship
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm (1 hour)
Details: Food and snacks will be available for purchase at the location

DJ Skills Competition
Time: 2:00pm – 3:30pm (1.5 hours)
Participants: DJ Promote (host), DJ Wade-O (judge), DJ Aslan (competitor), DJ Vow (competitor), and DJ Stibs (competitor)

MC Skills Competition
Time: 3:30am – 4:30pm (1 hour)
Participants: Scott Free (host), bigAL (judge), Victorious (judge), R-Swift (judge), Ruslan (competitor), Jerrell Johnson (competitor), Gifted da Flamethrowa (competitor), Enlitement (competitor), Omega Sparx (competitor), Too Phliy (competitor), J Kwest (competitor), and SaulPaul (competitor)

Other Christian hip hop related concerts event during SXSW weekend include:

Friday, March 16

• What: GroovSpot.com presents The TruLife Music Tour
• Time: 7pm – 10pm
• Cost: Free and open to the public
• Location: Promiseland Church located at 1504 East 51st Street
• Participants: The W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S. ATX, Price Hill, The Kenny Wayne Band, Kara-Nichole, Chris Lee Cobbins, Zack Gaddis, and Sean C. Johnson
• Details: GroovSpot

Saturday, March 17

• What: Reach Records official SXSW showcase
• Time: 9pm – 1am
• Cost: Free, tickets available at door only, SXSW badge holders get priority
• Location: La Zona Rosa – 612 West 4th Street, Austin, TX 78702
• Participants: Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee, PRo, KB
• Details: Reach Records

Merge Summit Showcase seeking submissions for chance at BET's Music Matters

ReRoute Records' SaulPaul is hosting the Merge Summit Showcase in Austin, Texas during SXSW 2012 where the winner of the positive/inspirational talent competition will have a chance to perform for BET's Music Matters - a program by the network that helped get Mali Music interview and performance spots on their awards and "106 & Park" shows.

Artists should send a video performance link to showcase@themergesummit.com to be considered and receive further details. The deadline to submit is this Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Acceptable genres include Neo-Soul, R&B, Contemporary Gospel, Hip-Hop/Rap and/or Spoken Word. All content must be positive and inspirational.

More details from the press release:

ReRoute Record’s Recording Artist SaulPaul will be hosting The Merge Summit Showcase taking place at the historic Victory Grill on Sunday, March 11th, 2012.

Austin’s own “Musician with a Message” has just concluded a 21 city national tour. While on tour, he was always looking for opportunities for his fellow musicians back home in Austin, Texas. Realizing he couldn’t bring his peers along on tour with him, he decided to bring the opportunities back to Texas.

The first one that he has unveiled is Sunday, March 11th, 2012 at 6pm. ReRoute Records, SaulPaul’s record label, has partnered with Relevé Entertainment and Praise Break Live to produce a showcase unlike anything Austin’s urban music scene has experienced.

The winner of this showcase gets to compete in Los Angeles alongside 11 other artists from all across the US for the chance to win a record deal as well as an all expense paid trip to New York City to participate in a BET Music Matters Showcase.

When asked about why SaulPaul does what he does, he replies that he has always been helping other people. Now through his newly formed record label, he has decided to artists live their dreams. In addition to releasing music, ReRoute Records hosts numerous workshops that educate artists on how to cultivate a career in the music industry.

The workshop ReRoute Records will host will be during the RISE Austin 2012 week on Wednesday, March 28th at Noon. This workshop will also take place at the Historic Victory Grill.

Christian hip hop returns to SXSW in 2012 - Reach Records & DaSouth.com have showcases

Reach Records will host its own showcase at SXSW this year

Christian hip hop returns to SXSW in 2012.

Yesterday the world-renowned Austin-based music and arts festival announced that gospel rap’s top label, Reach Records, will have their own showcase featuring the likes of Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii*, PRo, Andy Mineo, and KB.

Their event will take place on Saturday, March 17 from 9:30-12:30am at La Zona Rosa located at 612 W 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

Christian rappers have been a part of DaSouth.com's SXSW stage since 2009

This will follow the DaSouth.com Hip Hop Hope Unity Conference and CityTakers Weekend held earlier in the day at the Carver Cultural Center (1165 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702) from 10am to 4pm.

As it has in years past, the DaSouth.com stage will feature workshop sessions and panel discussions related to the functional realities of urban music ministry. And this year, instead of a mega-concert, the event will also contain a skills exhibition between MCs and DJs who will engage one another in friendly freestyle competitions for regional bragging rights.

Artists lined up for that event include Saul Paul, Gifted da Flamethrowa, J Kwest, Jerrell Johnson, Omega Sparx, Enlitenment, Too Phliy, and theBREAX. DJs include DJ Promote, DJ Wade-O, DJ Aslan, DJ Efechto, DJ Dort Vader, and DJ Stibs. Other special guests are also expected.

Finally, I’m told there will be a kickoff concert at a local church (Horizon Worship Center 1006 E. Yager Ln. Suite 115-A Austin, Texas 78753) on Friday, March 16 and that guys like J’son, Canon, High Society, and Thi’sl will be in town for performances before the Reach Records event.

Here's a sample of the panel discussion that took place at last year's event. Will you be there this year?

* UPDATE (02/07/12 - 2pm): This post originally reported that Tedashii would not be a part of the Reach showcase due to a prior commitment. I've since learned that the label is planning for him to be able to make this event.

Bavu Blakes Tackles "Eddie Long" at SXSW

It was the headline that caught my attention: “Eddie Long at South by Southwest.”

In the immortal words of Liz Lemon: “What the what?!?”

Then I saw that it was a performance video by rapper/journalist/minister (and former Austinite) Bavu Blakes and it rocked me.

This is an excellent hip hop song for a couple of reasons:

It’s edgy.
Anyone following Bishop Eddie Long in the news lately will be immediately drawn in by the title and wonder what this MC has to say about a pastor accused of inappropriate sexual relationships with young men under his leadership.

It’s layered.
It may take a few listens, but catch what Blakes is really saying. It may not be what you thought after the first run through.

It offers something of value.
Again, back to the message – here, the poet is encouraging self introspection and leading by example by taking Jesus' words in John 8:7 to heart.

"When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

But what are your thoughts?

Should the legal troubles of a highly-visible public minister like Bishop Long be a topic of modern music?

Do those within the Christian faith have a right to "throw stones" at someone like Bishop Long given the serious nature of these accusations?

Photo Recap: SXSW - The Life in Hip Hop

B.L.U.E kicked off the day with a great set

DaSouth.com has my full recap and photo album, but here's your teaser, link, and some of the choicest flix.

Christian hip hop explored new territory on March 21, 2009 with the first ever gospel rap showcase at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.

South by Southwest (SXSW) is the premier Austin-based company dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Each March it draws nearly 12,000 registrants from all over the globe.

This year Much Luvv Records’ Bobby “Tre9” Herring and Jason “Sketch the Journalist” Bellini were personally offered the opportunity to create the urban gospel stage by Matt Sonzala, a respected independent rap promoter who is the official hip hop booker for SXSW.

Sonzala offered the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for the venue and specifically requested that rappers Dooney da Priest (Dallas, TX) and Lecrae (Memphis, TN) be a part of the program. The rest of the show’s details were left up to Tre9 and Sketch.

Read the rest.

You can also find a lot of my instant reactions via Twitter.

Side note:
My wife took most of the best shots with my friend's killer cam.


Texas' Capitol City was the locale.


Tre9 (white shirt) & Jimmie McDowell (black shirt w/ paper) handle the pre-event meeting with all the artists


Dooney & his crew told the audience to "Pull Yo' Pants Up!"


Austin's The W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S brought their people and the heat


The Carver Theater was small (and steep) but we packed it out


Kaboose got the crowd movin'. My favorite quote of the day came during his performance when I heard a cat in the crowd tell his boy: “Those Texas boys just rap! That’s a true MC right there!”


Braille & S1 came with the full "Cloud Nineteen" set AND gave everyone in the place a FREE copy of the new album.


Syntax Records (and fellow Texan) DJ Promote kept things live in between sets. This dude is so much fun and so full of heart.


This was a cool moment when event host DJ D-Lite took time out to call Special K to the stage and honor him for his pioneering efforts in getting gospel rap played on the radio in Austin.


Former 5th Ward Boy 007 looking fierce as he shared his testimony of Christian life-change through some new lyrics.


Gifted & Von Won having fun with a tag-team set.


Von Won is all about the kids.


My wife and I thought this stage tech looked a lot like Dwight Schrute from "The Office."


CY brought the whole "Circus" theme to his set.


One of CY's crumpin' clowns.


A moment when I wasn't Tweeting or takin' pics - otherwise known as "A Journalist on His Job."


Up close & personal with S.O.M.'s Chizzle. I think I see his fillings.


Tre9 & the Much Luvv Fam asking for a hollaback


Tre busted out several songs with rock group Laden. A live band adds SO MUCH to a show.


Here's a moment when the crowd had to be re-adjusted. The place was packed and people actually had to be turned away at the door. Thankfully, they relented just before the Much Luvv & Lecrae performances and allowed more people into the building and right in front of the stage.


Lecrae definitely brought the heat through song and Word. People were mos def feelin' the "Jesus Muzik."


Lecrae was specifically requested by SXSW for this event and we were so glad he was able to make it.


The crowd got in some worship during Much Luvv & Laden's performance of "Closer" and at other points throughout the day.


Lecrae even stepped over to kick off the After Party since he heard many people couldn't get into the Carver Theater to see all the sets.


One half of S.O.M. chilling at the After Party


DJs Promote & D-Lite setting up at the After Party


CY's restrained After Party Circus show


I got to meet the big homie XL who wants you to pick up his new "This Is Then Now" project.


My first time meeting Kaboose as well. The dude made it down from Minnesota and was super-cool. So glad to have him with us for the first SXSW jump-off too.

Video: Warriors Anthem

Nice new clip from those ATX boys The Warriors.

"For Christ We Live, For Christ We Die!"

Enjoy.