Creating Infrastructure at Eaton Hotel, 'The Turn Around' Featuring Nag Champa

A Weekly jam session hosted by Jamal Gray and Nag Champa Art Ensemble. Flyer via Wild Days

Since its grand opening in September, Eaton Hotel has leveraged traditional hospitality models to amplify arts and social change. The boutique, mid-century modern hotel—once a bus terminal located on K Street—has quickly become a community hub for locally-based artists thanks to the activist mindsets of its cultural coordinators including Sheldon Scott and Sebi Tayac.

Starting this Sunday, Eaton is opening its doors to Nag Champa Art Ensemble for a weekly jam session, live at their rooftop lounge Wild Days, called The Turn Around.

Anyone familiar with Nag Champa (and if you’re not, check out their performances at The John F. Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian American Art Museum) knows how integral their improvisation and live sets are to their musicianship. Although listeners are patiently waiting for a full-length project, or at least something consumable via streaming platforms, it’s a real treat to hear how they adapt and contort their catalogue for each performance. No two sets sound the same.

We asked the band leader and producer of Nag Champa, Jamal Gray, about how The Turn Around will be different from past performances. “It’s a chance to give listeners more of an insight into our creative process, and watch us build themes from scratch,” he said. “We’re going to be using this time to work out material for the album and other production work.”

Nag Champa band members from left: L.D. Lee, Jamal Gray, Dajando Smith, and Allen Jones with Anderson .Paak (center), (Not pictured: Elijah Easton and Kwesi Lee). Photograph by Maxwell Young

The series will be an exploratory body of work as Nag Champa is set to also feature notable friends, musicians, vocalists, and DJs from D.C. and beyond. Their first guest is Dreamcast who recently received a profile in the Washington Post ahead of his album dropping January 2nd. Gray equates the upcoming jams to the Soulquarian movement that is highlighted by works from Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and others.

“It’s a similar vibe to when Questlove and The Roots began hosting weekly jam sessions in the mid 90s. A lot of great artists came through those sessions,” he said.

Ultimately, The Turn Around is about fusing together the rich musical context of Washington, D.C. with the jazz energy of New York while keeping contemporary roots. “We’re aiming to bring back that vintage U Street vibe and mix it with the jazz loft energy of New York,” Gray explained.

Enjoy the first session of The Turn Around tomorrow at Wild Days at Eaton Hotel from 2pm until 8pm.

Wild Days (top floor)

Eaton Hotel

1201 K St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20005

The Souljah's Playlist Featuring Wifigawd

Wifigawd photographed by Maxwell Young for the Uptown Interview.

Below is an excerpt from tomorrow’s Uptown Interview with Wifigawd, the underground rapper from Northwest, Washington, D.C. who’s navigating the social media/SoundCloud side of the music industry alongside performances with the internet’s next crop of rising artists like CHXPO, Warhol.SS, and Thouxanbandfauni. Ahead of his album slated to release on Wednesday, InTheRough also presents a selective offering of the Uptown Souljah’s vast music library, including a track from his old rap group, PortalBoyz (more on that in part two of the interview), as well as his smashing hit that premiered on No Jumper several weeks ago, “Sippin’ on Drank.”

Part one of the Uptown Interview featuring Wifigawd drops tomorrow morning. Enjoy the playlist at the end of the article.

On “How I Feel”

Wifigawd: That’s what I like to call arena music, stadium music.  When I’m making songs like that I’m thinking about ten thousand people knowing the words to that jont in the stadium and me not having to say nothing, just standing right there like, ‘Damn.’  Some big epic-ass shit.

MY: What do those sets look like if that’s a Wifigawd tour? Is that a stage and a mic?

Wifigawd: Honestly, I would always want the crowd in front of me, so I could interact.  I just need a gate so niggas can’t rush me, I won’t have on any jewelry, I don’t know, just flexed out.  I want to be close and intimate and have a split stage through the crowd so I can get every part of the jont turnt.

MY: Have you seen ‘Astroworld’ footage?

Wifigawd: Yeah, that shit is wack to me.

MY: How so?

Wifigawd: It’s just too much.  It takes away from the music--nigga’s on some circus shit.  If the music is hard you don’t need anything.

J.I.D Releases "DiCaprio 2" with help from producer Christo

J.I.D left Christo right via J.I.D’s Instagram

We’re watching Christo on TV. Not really it’s BJ The Chicago Kid, Thundercat with a Mac Miller tattoo on his arm, and J.I.D, an Atlanta rapper who’s sound in part comes from the mind of producer Christo, performing on late-night television with Jimmy Fallon. If you’re from Pittsburgh, you know how to support a moment like this when a hometown kid like Christo gets significant placements on a mainstream, number one hip-hop album being played live on national television. This feels like watching your star jock friend from high school ball out on ESPN with some pass deflections while beating the number two college football team in the country (aside because J.I.D got a scholarship to play football at University of Georgia).

Christo is Pittsburgh sound to the international audience. Christo has been out here productively and consistently producing music. What have you been doing?

“Christo, aka ‘bounceman,’ is a Pittsburgh musician with a recognizable sound and a hand in a lot of songs from the city’s hip-hop artists. He has hits with majors like Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and even Atlanta’s Ludacris. Christo’s crisp sound supports up and coming acts Choo Jackson and EarthGang.”

— Me from an ITR article three years ago

(left to right) Christo, Johnny Venus of Earthgang and Zeke

His catalog amplifies local hip-hop talent from around Pittsburgh although Christo has built success elsewhere too.  “I made a conscious decision to build with J.I.D and the whole Since the 80s camp,” Christo said in a November Instagram story. “DiCaprio 2” is an album by J.I.D, but the project has a lot to do with Christo. “Dicaprio 2 is the best work I’ve done with any artist to date… no cap lol,” he finished. In total, Christo has credits on six songs from “DiCaprio 2” as a composer, engineer, lyricist, producer, and studio personnel. Listen to “Westbrook.” J.I.D and A$AP Ferg feature, but Christo also wrote it says rap Genius.

Headed to Keith.wav and Zende’s album release party at The Bushnel back in October, Grace (DJ) played an early copy of “DiCaprio 2” off the aux in my Volkswagen Tiguan, whipping through Penn Hills, Pittsburgh. This was a clouted car honestly with Grace, My Favorite Color (slickest tongue in rap), and  Taylor Babushka (media personality/artist) processing the new music. Listening to J.I.D is “like reading a book,” Grace said as she broke from the 14-song album to play a more rhythmic “Immediately” by Mystro and Wizkid. You do have to pay attention when listening to J.I.D. You can get lost in the Christo bounce, and J.I.D’s intelligence comes across so clearly in his records that his words and flows make you think almost too much.

At any rate, that’s what makes J.I.D great. “DiCaprio 2” deserves your support for all mentioned here. Shout out to more Pittsburgh influences on the record too, like Nice Rec musicianship on “151 Rum” and management from Zeke of Since the 80s. Read a good DJBooth article about the bunch. Listen to music below.

Baby Keem - The Sound of Bad Habit

Baby Keem via Baby Keem

Baby Keem brand heats up as days go on and people discover his music online. Watching his Instagram live from Pittsburgh where InTheRough’s caught the Los Angeles rapper with questions, Baby Keem said he has more success with streaming platform Audiomack over SoundCloud. His newest mixtape, “The Sound of Bad Habit” amassed 10.6 thousand plays in 14 days on Audiomack alone. “I woke up and hit the lotto,” he raps in “Opinions.” The line is such a mood for how the Internet age can affect the popularity of rappers.

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One blog reported a Tweet that said, “Baby Keem gave CPR to the hip-hop game.” Save yourself and stream “The Sound of Bad Habit.” It’ll have you “shaking like strippers,” former Taylor Gang producer Cardo says in the “Gang Activities” track. Cardo Got Wings production and influence juices Baby Keem’s product. You may be familiar with Keem’s work from “Redemption Interlude” from “Black Panther The Album.” I know you heard Jay Rock’s “Knock It Off,” yeah, that’s a Baby Keem beat.

With cosigns from prominent hip-hop actors, like those aforementioned and even notable A&R Brocky Marciano liking Keem’s pictures on IG, the rapper’s music is what makes his stock rise.

Baby Keem produced four songs on his “The Sound of Bad Habit.” He touched “Xmen,” “Miss Charlotte,” which he just released a music video for, “Check Please” and “Extra.” Cardo gets credit for beats on the album too.  The hard bass kicks and cool lyrics make this Baby Keem record something to share with your friends. “I like having fun,” he exclaims on the project. Listen and read good lines from his music below. “Next project coming 2019. We on,” Keem finished.

Good Baby Keem Lines

1. “I don’t have time for trends. Dare I say it.” - Wolves

2. “Gang, gang, gang it get chippy where I live.” - Check Please

3. “I can’t fuck in the dark. Either you’re real or you’re not.” - Vicious
   

Yucky and John$ Occupy Different Pockets of Hip-Hop

Look for rap variety in Pittsburgh. Many acts make music, but not everybody is willing to mine local music. Shows aren’t packed out to see the cast of Pittsburgh rappers, although the climate is more intimate. Somebody says, “My friend raps,” and you get put on to new music that way.

Gentry Taylor, the manager for Yucky, a 24-year-old rapper living in the ‘Burgh’s Aspinwall neighborhood with a cult following and a baby pitbull named Faygo, introduced ITR to the artist. Yucky’s fun tracks have substance about a high, youthful and romantic gloom that sounds hopeful in his music.

“I had to sniff a Perc ‘cause I was sad. Only thing that could put me in my bag. I had to pop a Xan cause I was sad. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah I was down bad.”

— Yucky in "Only Thing" ft. Jimmy Wopo

Yucky’s music begins to sound like classic self-destructive narratives for the drug themes in hip-hop, but he’s more interesting for how he tells open stories about his life. Apparently, everything Yuck feels makes a hit record. “People call it ‘emo-trap.’ It has an alternative music style to it. It sounds more like rock music than traditional rap,” Yucky said. The sensitivity opens listeners ears. He’s got a part in the “Steel Teeth” film that illustrates Yucky’s punk-star mood. “Put me six feet in the dirt. Thinking ‘bout suicide I feel like Kurt,” he raps over precious chords.

In a wood-paneled room with his roommates, like fellow rapper John$ (John Dollar Sign), and Gentry, Yucky pet puppy pitbull in his lap. He rapped over his song “Anti Social” playing loud on the speaker:

“I don’t want to leave my room. Girl, won’t you come through… Promise I ain’t trying to duck you. I just ain’t trying to leave my room.”

I think everybody’s felt this way before, not wanting to leave the house for society, yet still longing for the company. These everyday thoughts we have connects various people to Yucky’s music.

“It’s okay to be lonely. That’s what you told me when you left. I just want you to hold me instead you ripped my heart out of my chest. You are not very nice,” Yucky raps in “Ok 2 Be Lonely.”

Let’s not get started on heartbreak. “I’m trying to get a feeling across in my music,” Yucky said.

“It’s crazy to see his evolution. He’s found himself within the SoundCloud wave,” John$ said about Yuck. Learn “how to utilize the Internet,” Yucky finished. The ‘net has allowed John$ and Yucky to grow a fanbase outside of Pittsburgh. They hope their fanbase in the ‘Burgh will happen naturally. Gentry chimed in that he’d want Yuck to work with Linwood if any Pittsburgh artist. “Linwood is a more marketable Kid Cudi,” he said.

If anything, Yucky, along with John$, is in a productive space in Pittsburgh to make music as they live together. “I’ve made a song every Wednesday. I made a standard for myself,” John$ said. He’s got a beat ready-made for Sierra Sellers. John$ just needs to write the song for her. Check out his record “i might be crazy” from his new EP “$ad.” For Yucky, he has plenty of records with bop producer from Cranberry, Pennsylvania Jackpott. Jackpott sent Yucky 45 beats for free, how generous.

As I left the wood-paneled room in Aspinwall, Yucky left me with, “I thought my music was good for a while now. It’s nice to get some recognition, and I want more, but… I don’t know if we’re even doing shit the right way.”

Photos of Yucky (above) and John$ (below) by Alex Young

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