Please come see Toni Hill in a live performance this summer!

Review by Danny Alexander

Maybe it’s because the percolating bass and percussive claps at the beginning of this record call to mind the funk that would prefigure hip hop, but it’s not a hip hop record I first think of when the Knox Family’s “In These Streets” comes on. It’s not a funk record either, although the band I’m thinking of was certainly influenced by both funk and early hip hop. No, it’s the Clash’s “Somebody Got Murdered” that wells up out of my subconscious the moment MC Jerm raps “Yo man, I don’t think they heard you” and a voice cries out in the dark, “a murder!”

And that makes sense. A big part of the Clash’s appeal was a bracing honesty that confronted the walls that keep us apart. Seattle’s The Knox Family takes us from behind any four walls we might like to think protect us and out into the darkness. Guest singer Toni Hill’s beautiful vocal is key to the intimacy of that journey as she reminds us, “Somebody’s praying in these streets/somebody’s dying in these streets/somebody’s hustling in these streets” and then takes it all in her immediate embrace with, “Somebody’s singing for you and me.”

The rest of the record goes further into the muck and mire that’s the current human condition than anything I’ve ever heard. What’s more amazing? It shines a light through.

In verse one, Julie C’s sassy and knowing rhymestyle catalogues a mind-numbing list of offensives in the “all out war against poor populations,” including intimidation tactics carried out by everyone from the FCC to the beat cop, gang legislation, privatized prisons and deaths caused by “non-lethal” weapons. This verse and the second are rapped against sirens that spiral between the left and right channels of the speakers and another voice in the night, making an unclear sound but plainly in distress…Somebody hustling or somebody dying.

And then Hill sings again, backed by a 5 note key progression that mines the same territory Timbaland’s been working lately but suggests a bigger, explicit dream— hope for every voice that currently goes unheard and faith in those voices to change the world.

Julie C’s second verse starts at the heights of Wall Street and follows the “global economic collapse.” She somehow hits on all of it, from the political stakes that lead to bank bailouts to the foreclosure of the homes of those small enough to fail. Before she’s finished, Julie C describes a globalized war between the rich and the poor.

With the stakes this high, Hill begins to tic off more of what “singing for you and me” means: “We gotta get together/’cause we need/ to heal the sick and hopeless/ yes, indeed/to strive for peace and justice/ equality/love for you and me.” With keys washing in behind her, Hill’s voice grows more reassuring and inspiring as she touches on each key to the future.

The third and final verse starts after the record’s turned the corner toward a fade out. Julie C raps a sign off and then, like James Brown throwing off his cape, she launches into, “Yo, violence is a symptom not the disease.” The dissonant sirens are gone now, replaced by flute-like keys and more percussion including high hat and snappy wood block beats. Something’s different about this last highly charged verse, though the signs stay grim, “Why is the city of Seattle dropping another 110 million to open a new jail we don’t need, while the district can’t even find a measly 3.6 to keep our schools from closing?”

And the difference is the cape-dropping intimacy. This last verse feels like an urgent whisper being passed on a streetcorner. “Want to know what’s really going on?” Julie C asks. “Just follow the paper trail to downtown Olympia, Wall Street, D.C./As long as poverty pimps keep profiting from our problems/We can’t wait for change/We gotta create our own solutions/Straight from the peoples’ movement.”

And with that, the Knox Family’s debut Ep is out. It’s the end of something very rich , though only 7 full tracks long. From the opening “Make Love,” DJ B-Girl has produced an infectious party record with a laid back, minimalist style that communicates class-conscious strength and unity. Though it’s laid back and minimalist, it also uses multi-colored keys and beats in continuously fresh and surprising ways. “In These Streets” is the perfect ending, justifying all the tough talk and hard play that come before.

But it’s more than that. It’s a singular piece of revolutionary art unlike anything else. It’s the blues of “The Message” wedded to a concrete basis for political unity. And it’s a spiritual, with Toni Hill’s refrains insisting that the human spirit was made to fulfill our dreams. It’s a song to suggest a new genre—not protest music so much as revolution rock—good for dancing, crying, shouting and even (especially?) blueprinting our dreams into reality.

Permalink: http://livinginstereo.com/?p=507

by Davey D

Click Link below to Listen to Knox Fam interview

Listen to Breakdown FM Interview of the Knox Fam

The Knox Fam consists of Seattle Hip Hop mainstays, Julie C, and Jerm from the super group Alpha P and well known producer DJ B-Girl. They came together to not only drop a nice album, but to also add to a serious community movement that the city’s Hip hop community has been sparking.

In other words Knox Fam are not simply rappers who are looking for commercial airplay or BET love. Sure, they’ll take it if offered. And they are more than talented to deserve it. However, what stands out first and foremost for the group is that they are community activists and organizers who are part of a larger more vibrant scene. Its not good enough to just flow on the mic. Nowadays many of the city’s heads are knee deep involved with some sort of organization or project. Maybe its 206 Zulu which has one of the larger and more exciting annual celebrations. Maybe its Hip Hop Congress which has Seattle as it the site of its conference later this year (July 29-Aug2). Maybe its community outlets like UmojaFest Peace Center or B-Girl Bench. Whatever the case for many in Seattle, Hip Hop is beyond music and the Knox Fam personifies that.

During our interview we kicked things off by talking with DJ B-Girl about the Seattle sound which has come along long ways since the early Sir Mix-A-Lot days. She explained that her production skillz and the Knox Fam has added to the underground sound as defined by stellar names like Vitamin D, Jake One, Blue Scholars and Gabriel Teodros to name a few.

We spoke with Jerm about the influence his two female counterparts Julie C and B-Girl have had on him. In an industry that is often criticized for being too male dominated, Jerm explained that the two forced him to step up his game and become more polished. He also talked about how he has built upon life experiences and reflect them in his rhymes. You’re not likely to hear him rhyming for the sake of riddling.

Later in the interview Julie C and B-Girl spoke about the strong presence of women in the Seattle scene. Julie C noted that many, including herself had been flowing and getting busy long before it became a trendy thing to focus on.. DJ B-Girl rattled off a long list of female emcees ranging from Canary Sing to Beloved One to Toni Hill who is featured on the Knox Fam EP. There were so many names of people who who are putting out dope material there’s no excuse to not have a female on the ticket of any Hip Hop show. If you can’t find someone go to Seattle cause they rolling extra deep.

During the interview Julie C expanded upon the community projects that the group is committed to including the Hip Hop Congress Goes Platinum project which is a innovative fund raising tool for the organization.

She also talked about the concept behind the groups’ name Knox Fam. She said it was inspired by the movie Natural Born Killers and that the Knox Fam understands they have to Destroy to Build. In this case they are about breaking the chains and challenging the long held notions and paradigms that in many ways has stifled Hip Hop and communities in general.

For example, we talked about the fact that the album took more than a year to make… Once upon a time that was the norm. People took their time and perfected their craft. Nowadays in the days of instant gratification, people step in a studio literally freestyle an album in 10 minutes and put out half ass material. DJ B-Girl noted it was important to take time to do things right. For her its not just producing and editing, but also getting the business aspect correct. The Knox Fam is on an independent B-Girl media label.

Julie C added that the group did not want to compromise or shortchange their community activities. In fact if anything the community involvement helped make the group and album more accountable to the communities they wanna speak to..

All in all the Knox Fam EP is just a the start of great things to come from this talented trio from the Emerald City. Currently they are on tour and in keeping true to their words, their tour involved them connecting and building with local community centers. Julie C described it as a homecoming of sorts..

Click Link Below to listen to Knox Fam Interview

Listen to Breakdown FM Interview of the Knox Fam

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/breakdown-fm-the-knox-fam-destroy-to-build/

By Jonathan Cunningham
Friday, May. 22 2009 @ 10:17AM

In this week’s issue of the Weekly, there’s a mini feature on local hip-hop group, the Knox Family, who just put out their self-titled EP and are having a release party for it tomorrow night at Chop Suey. The group is getting a lot of good feedback on the project and anyone looking for a fun hip-hop event to check out on Saturday night should go and support the trio.

Interestingly enough, local musicians Mark Oi and Andrew Miller have a hilarious hobby that I’ve been meaning to write about for awhile now — and here’s my chance. They make mini animated films (while they’re totally baked no doubt) just for fun, but the hand-drawn sketches that they make, which they later turn into animated films are really good. The series is called Porch Jams. This week, they made a 1:46 skit dedicated to the Knox Family and you’ve got to watch it to believe it. It’s full of comedy and good music — two things that the world needs more of so take a quick break and check it out.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2009/05/the_knox_family_gets_animated.php

Knox Family EP available on iTunes and Amazon.com

Street savvy styles with lyrics that speak on the real, and beats that slap…That’s what the Knox Family EP is bringing to the party. Listen carefully for that particular Seattle swagger that’s been kept under wraps for all these years. You are listening to Jerm and Julie C., some emcees that are highly under-rated, coming up for the last decade in a crew called Alpha-P. These cats rip it harder on the mic than most of the cats you hear on the radio, hands down. And with guest appearances by Rufio and Toni Hill, singing and harmonizing, the tracks really melt into your brain. By the way, the production by DJ B-Girl ain’t no joke either, so don’t sleep. Cop the EP today.

Track Listing:
1. News Flash Skit (Physical CD Only)
2. Make Love
3. Interlude
4. Boots Laced
5. Run Up
6. Born Bad Skit (Physical CD Only)
7. Couldn’t Handle That
8. Snake Skit (Physical CD Only)
9. World Turns Feat. Rufio
10. These Streets Feat. Toni Hill

Release Date: 05/20/2009
Photo by Marshall Reid
Graphic Design by DJ Audeos
Recorded at B-Girl Media
Mixed by DJ B-Girl
Mastered by Steve Turnidge at Ultraviolet Studios

Issue #36

By Niema Jordan
Published: June 4th, 2008 | 7:15pm

THE DREAM GIRL

Aima the Dreamer

Photograph by Matt Reamer

AIMA THE DREAMER AKA AIMA PAULE
Hometown: Born in Chicago but creates in Oakland, California.
Age: 27
Sound: Conscious and thoughtful rhymes over dance worthy hip-hop and experimental beats.
The power of music: Aima has a vision for her music. “I want to use MCing as a bridge between communities of all different races, genders, age, sexual orientation, class, and anything else that we use to separate ourselves,” Aima says. “I want to use MCing to communicate my story, my life, and create an idea of a better world.” As a member of rap duo Mamaz, Aima isn’t avoiding the mainstream by any means. “I would love to bring my message to every radio, TV, broadband, iTunes, and whatever other form of communication that reach the people,” she says. “I want little girls singing my songs and little boy learning how to respect women.”
What’s next? A tour in France and the debut album from Mamaz.
URL: aimathedreamer.com

THE VETERAN

DJ Zita

Photograph by Ben Mayorga

DJ ZITA AKA MARITEZ APIGO
Hometown: San Francisco and Oakland, California
Age: 32
Sound:Classic hip-hop, smooth R&B, and the best in dancehall.
Pump up the B.A.S.S.: DJ Zita, who only spins vinyl (no iPods here), is well known in the Bay Area for the way she rocks two turntables. With a goal of building the talents of female DJs, Zita, Pam the Funkstress, and Neta founded a crew called Bay Area Sistah Sound (B.A.S.S.).  The collective fills a void in the Bay Area’s hip-hop scene. “If there is a female DJ at an event, it’s one woman spinning with a group of men, usually promoted by men,” Zita says. “We figured we could be doing this ourselves.”
What’s next? Look out for her July: Where My Ladies At?! A Tribute to the Queens of True School Hip Hop.
URL: djzita.com

THE CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEUR

Invincible

Photograph by Apollo Brown

INVINCIBLE AKA ILANA WEAVER
Hometown: Detroit
Age: 27
Sound: Soulful hip-hop with complex lyrical content.
Carving a space: “I learned English by listening to hip-hop,” says the Midwest-based MC who was born in Champagne, Illinois, but moved to Palestine as a 1-year-old. Now she uses hip-hop culture as an educational tool for others. An MC and an activist at heart, Invincible works with Detroit Summer’s Live Arts Media Project and the U.S. Palestine Youth Solidarity Network in addition to performing at youth empowerment conferences.

The lyricist, who’s also a member of the all-female collective Anomolies, started her own label Emergence Music and is using cooperative economics to build her label. “Hip-hop is a way to learn business and cooperative economics,” Invincible says. “It’s about building community in general through the music. I’m not just an entertainer.”
What’s next? Her debut solo album ShapeShifters.
URL: emergencemusic.net

THE NEW SOUND

RYE RYE

Photograph by Courtesy of RYE RYE

RYE RYE AKA RYEISHA BERRAIN
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Age: 17
Sound: Hip-hop, house, dance, and club.
The Game is changing: The young M.I.A. protégé is out to make music on her own terms. And she doesn’t plan to use her body as a form of marketing. Despite popular images, she says more female MCs are going the same route. “The new generation is not about exposing your body; it’s about making fun music,” Rye Rye says. “You don’t have to be sexy; you just have to have fun.” When asked about the state of women in hip-hop and her hope for progress, Rye Rye says she thinks women will be more noticeable in the future. “Females are coming up with more uniqueness and their own styles,” she says.
What’s next? Working on her debut album.
URL: myspace.com/tharealryerye

GOLDEN RAPPER–NEW ERA

Sontiago

Photograph by Matthew Robbins

SONTIAGO AKA SONYA TOMLINSON
Hometown: Born in Pennsylvania but now lives in Portland, Maine.
Age: 32
Sound: Lyrics and beats that challenge and adhere to old-school hip-hop constructions.
Living in the moment: When she was younger, Sontiago played the clarinet and the piano, so the arts are extremely important to her. So important that she works with young girls to help them develop as dancers, poets, and lyricists. “I want to see the arts continue beyond my generation,” she says. But as she encourages the youth, Sontiago isn’t one to dwell on the past. “I don’t see hip-hop going back to a golden age. We were at a pivotal point in history, and it’s hard to mimic that,” Sontiago says. But she doesn’t plan to give up on the craft. “The keys to success are persistence, practice, and persistence.”
What’s next? European tour and another album.
URL: myspace.com/sontiago

MEDIA MAVEN

DJ B-Girl

Photograph by Marshall of Manik Skateboards

DJ B-GIRL “CHILLZ” AKA MIA BEARDSLEY
Hometown: Born in Seoul, Korea, she now lives in Seattle.
Age: 31
Sound: Experimental rap and trip-hop with an old-school feel.
Stepping up: In the midst of building her own media company, DJ B-Girl has put a lot of thought into the role of women in the music industry. “There are a lot of women in control behind the scenes,” the entrepreneur says. “But they are sometimes just going with the flow and aiding the process of repetitive destructive imagery and ideas being spread to our communities through the mass media.” Enter B-Girl Media, the record label that DJ B-Girl “Chillz” hopes to expand into an independent media channel. “I’d like to portray a more honest and realistic picture to our communities and youth.”
What’s next? “Cultivating B-Girl Media, new releases by two new artists, and reppin’ the two-oh-six.”
URL: bgirlmedia.com

THE BEAT MAKER–RHYME SAYER

Run_in_Watta

Photograph by Jenny Bouchier

RUN_IN_WATTA AKA JULIA BOUCHIER
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Age: 32
Sound: Thought-provoking songs with a soulful backdrop and effortless and yet skilled rhyming.
Talent not gender: “[Producing] was just another way of proving to my self that I’m not just good for a girl, I’m good, period,” says the Canadian rapper and producer. “If you hear my production, you can’t tell whether I have boobs. Talent and hard work speak for themselves.”

Despite the negative messages in the media about women and the inequality in hip-hop, Bouchier keeps her mind on the positive. “I’m not worried about how my figure looks like to make beats or do shows,” she says. “I can’t speak for other women, but I’m on the rise, and there is no limit for what I can do. I don’t put my self in that category — women in hip-hop. I am hip-hop.”
What’s next? Creating music as a producer and rapper.
URL: myspace.com/runinwatta

THE PARTY ROCKER

DJ BackSide

Photograph by Amaka Nwigwe

DJ BACKSIDE AKA RITA FORTE
Hometown: Oakland, California
Age: 26
Sound: Old- and new-school radio favorites with blends and remixes that are sometimes nontraditional but make a ton of sense like “Whoop There It Is” mixed with “Soulja Boy.”
The Catch 22: With a little more than five years in the game, DJ Backside has observed several issues in the hip-hop scene. “Female DJs and female MCs are rare, so we will always be picked apart and scrutinized — at the same time praised, sought after, and revered for doin’ something of rarity,” says DJ Backside, who coined the phenomenon “diamond-in-the-ruff syndrome.”

DJ Backside describes herself as being on the fence with hip-hop. “Some of the songs coming out in hip-hop these days are just thoughtless and elementary,” she says, noting that these kinds of songs are not new. “But it seems in recent years, those songs are getting most of the promotional dollars and support from major record labels.”
What’s next? BackSide Blends and The Western Breed compilation DVD.
URL: myspace.com/djbackside

THE MISSING PIECE

FM Supreme

Photograph by myspace.com/fm_supreme

FM SUPREME AKA JESSICA DISU
Hometown: Chicago
Age: 19
Sound: Raw passion from the lyrically inclined.
It’s about timing: A staple on Chicago’s youth slam scene, Supreme has dedicated a lot of time and energy to cultivating her craft. “I think that to survive in this game, a true MC needs patience and perseverance,” the poet-rapper-scholar says. “In due time, positive MCs will get the recognition they rightfully deserve.”

Until then Supreme is planning her next steps, which include creating a production company, getting a distribution deal, and earning her doctorate so that she can teach hip-hop and African-American studies. “[I’ll] write a few books on the correlation of the two and speak on my experiences as an African-American woman entertainer and academic. Hopefully with my influence as an artist, I can continue to break barriers and educate.”
What’s next? A mixtape titled The Go State of Mind.
URL: myspace.com/fmsupreme

THE PERFORMING ARTIST

Queen GodIs

Photograph by Sean Palmer

QUEEN GODIS
Hometown: Brooklyn
Sound: Lyrical and soulful reflections.
Multi-talented: “I consider myself a performing artist first,” says the rapper, poet, and actress. Queen Godls’ debut, Power U, spawned her off-Broadway piece “Birth of Power You,” and she continues to merge genres to create works that promote female empowerment. For Queen GodIs, hip-hop isn’t just music or a culture. It’s an entity. And together they have a relationship that goes through the cycles of any other partnership. But no matter what happens, she goes back.
What’s next? A show with the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, which travels every year around the U.S.
URL: myspace.com/queengodisbiz

Permalink:
http://www.venuszine.com/articles/music/features/3494/10_hip_hop_artists_to_watch

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GET THE HIP-HOP ISSUE: Venus Zine’s summer issue is available from June 1–September 1, 2008, and features Missy Elliott, Santogold, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Remy Ma, and many other leaders in hip-hop. Order the issue here or purchase a copy at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Chapters.Indigo, Newbury Comics, Waldenbooks, and record stores.

What: 4th Annual Hip Nic
Where: Saint Edward State Park (14445 Juanita Dr. NE, Kenmore, WA)
When: Saturday, August 8th from 1-9PM

Come out to the 4th annual Hip Nic at Saint Edward State Park Saturday, August 8th at 1PM. This day long Hip Hop picnic brings urban arts into state parks and provides an opportunity for inner-city youth to experience nature and outdoor recreation.

Here is what you can expect at Hip Nic!
*Family Friendly Positive Hip Hop
*Hip Hop Workshops including Breaking, Deejaying, Urban Art, Spoken Word, Beatboxing and more!
*BBQ Lunch and Snacks
*Live Performances by Local and National Urban Artists

Hip Nic Schedule:
Workshops 1-3PM
BBQ Lunch 3-5PM
Live Performances 5-9PM

This event is FREE and open to all youth. Please pre-register by emailing Jen.hipnic@gmail.com or call 206-910-7920. Transportation will be provided and arranged after pre-registration.

The Hip Nic is a part of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission’s Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program in partnership with Northwest Heritage Resources. Funding for the Hip Nic comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the Washington State Parks Foundation.

Past teaching artists and performers include:

Laura “Piece” Kelley-Jahn of Piece Productions
Jeromskee of Massive Monkees
DJ Kun Luv of Seaspot Media
Toni Hill of Siren’s Echo
DJ B-Girl of B-Girl Media
Gabriel Teodros of Abyssinian Creole
Mackelmore and Xperience of the Step Cousins
Taybot of KEXP’s Street Sounds
Beloved 1 of 206 Zulu
Blak of Black Stax and Silent Lambs Project
Aaron Walker-Loud and members of the Big World Breaks
Amos Miller of Buttermilk Studios
Charms Won of Art Primo
206 Zulu King Khazm
Orbitron of Circle of Fire
DJ Topspin and more!

Follow us! http://www.twitter.com/hipnic

Available on iTunes and Amazon.com

A work three years in the making, manifested through loss of family, heartbreak and sweet new romance, “Only Love” is a delicious collection of soulful originals that tell an assortment of stories from the heart. Toni explains, “I wanted this album to be about love—like the old school music our parents listened to… I wanted it to be about love for friends, love from supporters; and most importantly about love for self, because without that you really can’t love anyone else.”

“Only Love” was produced by Amos Miller, a prolific producer and recording artist, who has worked with nearly all of Seattle’s hip-hop and R&B talent, including Choklate, Jake One, Gabriel Teodros, and Geologic from Blue Scholars. Only Love includes some of Seattle’s finest musicians from jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and world music, that include Mark Oi, Anthony Davis, Vitamin D, Aaron Walker-Loud, Royce Shorter Jr., Ethan Lawton, Chris Littlefield, Evan Flores-Barnes and others.

Track Listing:
1. Only Love
2. Love Is
3. Shoo Bee
4. Vibe Out feat. Soul Plasma
5. Just Relax
6. This Thing Called Love
7. Rose
8. Sippin’ On Time (Interlude)
9. Coffee Shop
10. Let’s Start Over
11. I Wanna Know (Skit)
12. If It’s Real

Produced by Amos Miller
206 Vintage Recordings and Siren’s Echo Music

Rose is a touching R&B song about abandonment and the search for a lost father figure by Toni Hill, production by Amos Miller. Video by Andrew Rutherford of ASR Productions. Cinematography by William Brody of Red White & Boots. Visit Toni Hill on myspace.com/misstonihill.