It’s that time of the year again, and today, A3C gets started in Atlanta. It’ll be a marathon, not a sprint from here, and with hundreds of artists performing, a gazillion showcases, conferences, and opportunities to see every facet of the music industry come to life, sleep may be the exception, rather than the rule for those planning to be in Atlanta over the next 4-5 days. On the showcase tip, much like SxSW, CMJ and several others, A3C is often where a lot of relatively unknown artists get thousands of eyes on their act, setting the stage for them to build on their newfound popularity. On the contrary, Hip-Hop vets often flock to ATL–one of the hotbeds of Hip-Hop culture and probably the hottest region in rap today–to showcase their refined talents. That being said, try to see as much as you can, but make sure these 5 showcases don’t fly under your radar.
God Hop University is stacked with underground lyricists, but your ears could potentially burst with the amount of razor sharp lyricism you’re appointed to. From the elder statesmen (Brand Nubian’s Sadat X) to the newer faces (Source360 Unsigned Hype Competition alumni Narubi Selah), you will not be disappointed by these microphone specialists’ talents on stage, no matter how long they rock for. Keep an eye out for Selah, if you aren’t impressed with the Nicki Minajs and Iggy Azaleas of today–no shade–Selah will show you the way.
Duck Down BBQ
If you pass up the opportunity to see Jay Electronica in 2014, we have no choice but to question your character. He’s having a big year–by Electronica standards of course–and as whispers of his album continue to sift through blogs and industry insiders, he’s continued to bring it on stage after stage–at a Duck Down BBQ nonetheless? Join Buckshot, Young Roddy, Smif-N-Wessun and more at one of A3C’s gems.
Want to know who’s next up in Atlanta? Head over to Noisey’s Atlanta showcase, featuring a who’s who of the city’s latest upstars. OVO’s newest signee iLoveMakonnen, Que, Key!, Ca$h Out and more come together to rep for their hometown.
9th Wonder’s got a very dope crew that goes by the name of the Jamla Squad, and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you need to. Led by Rapsody, quite possibly the best female rapper in the game, and a team of dope emcees and producers including GQ, Big Remo, and the beautifully souding Heather Victoria, Jamla’s a one stop shop for this Hip-Hop sh*t.
Last but not least, be sure to check out Digiwaxx’s The Blast Live, featuring Twista, CyHi The Prynce & more. Twista and CyHi both have new music out, and in case you forgot, CyHi considers himself the best rapper in Atlanta, and for good reason. By the way, drill music’s best kept secret, Kap G, will be taking the stage just before Twista. You won’t want to miss this.
