Front Row: Toni Hill
The R&B/Soul songstress performs music from her new album Only Love with an eight-piece band featuring special guests Syndel of Sirens Echo, DJ B-Girl and more. Seductive and soulful, Hill`s music will move your body and may even stir a summer romance. Taped at Seattle City Hall Plaza during the City of Seattle Summer Concert Series.
Toni Hill’s album, Only Love, is available for digital download on Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, Media-Net and Napster. Only Love is also available in physical CD format on Amazon, and also at Sonic Boom and Silver Platters in Seattle, WA.
Watch Toni Hill’s performance on the Seattle Channel:
Thursday, Nov. 19, 11PM
Friday, Nov. 20, 10PM
Saturday, Nov. 21, 9PM
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.
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..
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.
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
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.
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.
By Jonathan Cunningham
Friday, Feb. 27 2009 @ 4:00PM
Last night, I was lucky enough to get my hands on Toni Hill’s debut solo album, Only Love, and so far I’m highly impressed. She’s a talented double threat that has been rapping and singing in Northwest groups for years (Hungry Mob/Sirens Echo/Oldominion) but this new album is both her solo debut, and her soul debut. You won’t hear her rapping on Only Love but you will hear lot’s of smoothed out R&B/soul music that’s perfect for the grown and sexy crowd. If I had to briefly put it in a box, I’d say the album sounds like Jill Scott meets the Jazzyfatnastees with a touch of old school Michel’le thrown in for good measure.
She shows a lot of range as a singer/songwriter on the project and I think people are going to embrace this album when they here it. These days, Hill bounces between Portland (her hometown), Seattle, and New York but currently she’s here and having a listening party at Hidmo tonight. She’ll be there with the album’s producer Amos Miller playing the record in it’s entirety and DJ B-Girl Mia will be spinning as well. The listening party starts at 7:30 p.m. and they’ll also be debuting a music video for the song, “Rose.” If you’re a fan of Hill’s music, come out and support.
We sat down with longtime Seattle dj/producer B-Girl Chillz from the Emerald City-Seattle. She just released her 4th album ‘Love and Fate’ which has been getting rave reviews. During our interview we covered alot of topics including the importance of being seen and known as a B-Girl. She explained that she’s a practioner of all 4 of Hip Hop’s elements and that she wanted to rep the culture to the fullest by being all encompassing. She also explained that it was important to highlight the b-girl who has always been alongside the b-boy from day one.
We talked about the Seattle scene as B-Girl Chillz talked about many of the pioneering female figures like; Laura ‘Piece’ Kelly, Toni Hill, DJ ms Broadway and many more who helped shape the sound of the city. Chillz talked about Seattle’s evolution after the country was introduced to Sir Mix-A-Lot. She talked about the important role producers like Vitamin D played in bringing national attention to the city as well as groups like Blue Scholars and their Massline label.
During our interview Chillz talked to us about the challenge facing female producers and how she goes about executing her craft. She talked about the equipment she works with and went through the process of recording a record and how she engages the many artists who come through her studio.
Joining us in the interview was well know Seattle organizer and emcee Julie C who is prominently featured on the album. She is newly signed to B-Girl’s independent record label as one thrird of the newly formed group ‘The Knox Family’ which includes B-Girl and a cat named Jermz.
We talked abiout the recent attention being paid to female emcees thanks to MTV/VH1’s new reality show featuring ‘Yo-Yo’. Chillz described the attention as the industry shining a flashlight and rediscovering a big part of Hip Hop that never left and has always been there.
We concluded our interview by talking about the music business and how Chillz stays sharp and gets her hustle on, not only as a producer running her own label, but also as someone who starting to licence her music to commercials and TV shows. She also talked about how one should get their international game on.
Back in its heyday, Fifth Avenue venue I-Spy regularly featured rock and hip-hop acts. It has since disappeared and been replaced by retail and office space. DJ B-Girl refers to her opening for eccentric L.A. MC Busdriver at I-Spy as the gig that validated her presence in Seattle’s hip-hop scene. But her reference unintentionally dates her, considering the popular hangout closed back in 2003.
Breaking into music is harsh, unless you know somebody. DJ B-Girl (real name: Mia Beardsley) had a degree in audio engineering and recording when she moved to Seattle from Bellingham in 2001—but she knew close to nobody. It would be years before she networked with enough of the appropriate people and gained a business savvy about her.
As she stoically points out, “That’s why I’m sitting here talking to you right now…and I’m 31 years old.”
With three failed attempts to release albums in the past decade, it would’ve been easy for DJ B-Girl to fade into obscurity like many of the venues she’s performed at over the years. But earlier this year, DJ B-Girl released her first full-length album, Love or Fate, which helped create buzz about her talent with its slick production and exceptional track list. (Choice pick: “Murder She Wrote” featuring Sista Hailstorm and Julie C.)
“I feel like I can finally say that I’m a producer in Seattle,” DJ B-Girl tells me at Oseao Media Group, the digital music company she works for during the day and many of her evenings. “It feels like the dam that broke and released all the creative energy.”
DJ B-Girl lived with three roommates in the U District when she first came to the city. Money saved on rent went toward purchasing high-end tables and speakers to practice her craft. Days were spent working at Guitar Center, and nights were spent relentlessly pursuing gigs. She works more now than she did then, about 80 hours a week. Despite having a solid footing in the city’s hip-hop scene and her new album to support, she’s got another agenda to keep her preoccupied: helping other female artists find the connections she never had.
Last year, DJ B-Girl ensured she’d be getting even less sleep when she launched her own record label, B-Girl Media, and formed B-Girl Bench, a centralized forum (which meets at Oseao) for local women in hip-hop to meet weekly and research viable options to increase their visibility.
By drawing from her personal experiences and knowledge in digital distribution, DJ B-Girl hopes to help propel Seattle’s female hip-hop artists into the limelight. The greatest hurdle for many aspiring artists (including herself early on) is that they aren’t always well-versed in the business side of the music industry, she says.
“We have artists in Seattle who are talented enough that they should be getting national exposure—and they’re stuck at the regional level,” she notes. “How does that happen after they’ve put in 15–20 years of hard work? How can we help each other out and get to the next level?”
Two words: Media literacy. Rather than remaining passive, she says, artists must build their own momentum by understanding and using mass media to their advantage. B-Girl Bench participants, who include MCs like Julie C. and El Dia, help provide female artists with mentorship on finding promotion and performing opportunities, as well as access to different media outlets. Participants currently host Hip-Hop 101 on Seattle’s public-access television and often air on KBCS-FM (91.3), Bellevue Community College’s radio station.
“The key is to recognize women and the wealth of resources they hold,” DJ B-Girl says. “There’s strong leadership that’s scattered across the city, but we have a common goal and we need to come together. Cases in which an artist goes from the grassroots level to the national level are few and far between. We need to create a ladder for artists to climb toward that level. This is one of the steps.”
DJ B-Girl envisions the artists of B-Girl Bench (many of whom are on her label) touring at some point. She’d like to collaborate with women’s hip-hop organizations across the country and have Seattle artists performing nationwide several times a year. “My vision for B-Girl Media is to get artists as much media as possible while they still maintain their voice,” she says. “The industry tells you what to sound and look like; I want to have a label that reflects who the artists really are.”
By the time the complete B-Girl operation she envisions is up and running, DJ B-Girl could be in her 40s. She’s keenly aware of just how tough it will be to achieve her lofty plans and isn’t reveling in her success thus far. As she sums up in a voice both besieged and determined, “I’ve still got my work cut out for me.”
