Author Archives: Cristalle Bowen

Mavis Staples is more rock ’n’ roll than any of us. Who else declined a marriage proposal from Bob Dylan in the early 60s because she felt she was too young to be tied down? Who else got divorced less than a year after getting hitched in 1964 because she refused to quit singing at […]

It’s not difficult to find good live hip-hop in Chicago, but this headlining show by east-coast veteran Skyzoo, aka Gregory Skyler Taylor, isn’t merely good—it reads more like quintessential. The pedigreed Brooklyn-born rapper (he grew up a block away from the Notorious B.I.G.) has had a fruitful career. He’s dropped more than 20 albums and […]

Chicago hasn’t always been welcoming of hip-hop. In the late 80s and early 90s, its artistic viability was often overlooked or ignored by local clubs and radio stations. That disregard lasted long enough that when Chicago hip-hop finally blew up internationally years later, many people were blindsided. But those in the know have always been […]

Update Fri 9/22: This concert has been canceled. According to the man himself, Reese LaFlare doesn’t get the credit he deserves—but the way things are going, that could change any minute. The rapper and record producer also known as Maurice Williams has been a more influential force in the modern Atlanta trap scene than many […]

Blk Odyssy is the brainchild of singer and producer Juwan Elcock, a New Jersey native who moved to Austin, Texas, in 2015. At first he explored Austin’s Americana scene, but then he carved out a niche in crooning, experimental neosoul rap, using the name Blk Odyssy. Working with guitarist Alejandro Rios, he’s transformed the project […]

Chicago Cultivate celebrates cannabis culture, specifically the longtime friendship between music and marijuana. The lineup at this three-day bud bash assembles elites from the worlds of reggae, hip-hop, punk, and rock and adds sponsorships and vendors from some of Chicago’s best local brands. For obvious reasons, it’s a 21+ event, and though cannabis won’t be […]

Damn near every rapper has aspirations of “changing the game,” selling out arenas, and dominating hip-hop, but Chance the Rapper has already done that and then some. What could I possibly write about the three-time Grammy winner that hasn’t already been written? What has Chance done that hasn’t gone viral? Even his supposed failures—the canceled […]

Pivot Gang will go down as one of the most important and prolific artist collectives in Chicago hip-hop history, even though most casual fans haven’t caught on to their music yet. These seasoned west-side rappers come together to create a distinctly soulful sound, and the tapestries of drill-inspired flash and winsome alt-rap on individual members’ […]

Midwest hip-hop is alive and well in . . . Lincoln, Nebraska? The richness of Lincoln’s hip-hop scene may go largely unnoticed by mainstream fans, but that doesn’t negate the subterranean greatness of local stalwarts such as Adrian Madlock, who makes music as Sleep Sinatra. Sleep’s discography is bountiful and aggressively independent; his Bandcamp page […]

Over the past decade, Hyde Park Summerfest has transformed a small craft-beer event in a parking lot into one of the most anticipated outings of the summer. Now in its ninth official year, this labor of love by founder Jonathan Swain, creative director Dave Jeff, and recent partner Nosa Ehimwenman (president and CEO of Bowa […]

Finally! An album for the real bitches. The ones who let their heart override their wounds and will flash fangs when necessary. This type of R&B- and funk-tinged, southern-fried hip-hop can’t be duplicated, only demonstrated, and that’s exactly what rapper Kari Faux does on her anthemic new album, Real B*tches Don’t Die. Every artist wants […]