PHARAOH SH!T: KINGS OF MEMPHIS

Suavo

J. dav

miscellaneous

duane scott

KL

phatmak

twuan g

jason da hater

ac dutch

snipes

Rob love

knowledge nick

virghost

devin crutcher

mighty quinn

isaiah conyers

pharaoh sh!t: Kings of memphis

2013

I could go beyond infinity in a debatable battle as to who deserves to be named as the King of Memphis in 2013. There have been so many influential entertainers that have proudly sported the infamous "M" on their provebial chests. Its hard to pick just one. I decided to do this piece to point out a few trendsetters and forefathers before getting to the grit and grind of some of our city's current laborers of music. These guys tirelessly carry Memphis on their hands and feed it to the world as if it is their last meal. Without question, they do every permissable thing in their power to ensure that one day soon the world will see us beyond the "trap."

"Silky Smooth" is what they call him. Suavo is an affluent trombonist who has played for just about every, if not every artist in this city that has any type of success in their career. With a unique style and abnormal talent, watching Suavo in action is a show in its own right. He's definitely in a league alone, set apart from any brass player in our generation. Now, working on building his career as an emcee, Suavo raises the bar of musicianship even higher for his peers to obtain.

Anybody with a "serious" music career has had or desires to have a recording in the world- famous Done By John Studios. Founder/President J. Dav has taken his dream of musical success and turned it into a community refuge used for building and pushing triumphant careers. Using his talent as a songwriter, producer, and engineer, he has been responsible for several hits for many of the country's most respected artists. With so many dreams being sold in this business, J. Dav ensures they become reality for our local all-stars. In 2013, he's been hard at work establishing the DBJ brand and to make sure Memphis isn't continuously looked over as a musical powerhouse.

Listen to

"Jay-Z Stole My Girl" by Marcus Scott

Produced by J Dav

A true work-a-holic, Miscellaneous has been living the boss life for the entire year of 2013. He's dropped a few mixtapes, toured at least 13 states, hosts a weekly radio show, won a few awards... I could go on but I would be writing forever about the artist who is constantly bringing the industry to him instead of going to the industry. I sat down for an interview with Miscellaneous earlier this year and I was completely amazed at how geniune and down to earth this guys was. He had every reason to decline my requests and questions, but he refused to do so and answered them with the a type distintcion that hasn't been shown in many mainstream hip-hop artists. While he doesn't consider himself socially conscious, he understands and has compassion for the issues concerning our culture, our youth, and most importantly, the current, critical state of music.

Listen to

"Airplanes" by Miscellaneous ft Holiday Tha' Hustla

The first record ever played on Liberated Audio was 'Luv U My Way' by Duane Scott. This Clarksdale, MS native now full blown Memphian, has been leading the city in R&B releases. From Sycamore & Riley to the highly anticipated I AM Duane Scott, the R&B crooner is breathing new life into music from Tennessee to Tokyo, Straight off the success of winning numerous awards including the Bobby Womack Artist of The Year award, the 'Facetime" singer has continued to push the envelope beyond the traditional confinements of R&B

Listen to "Accessory"

by Duane Scott

While some have been been widespread in putting the local industry on the map, I cannot, with good intention, leave out our hometown heros of the underground. Here are 16 indie heroes of 2013. Some will be apparent. Some will not, but it doesn't take away from the impact they have left on the Bluff City

By his own admission 2013 has not been his greatest year, but that hasn't stopped award winning emcee and #TeamMemphis front man KL from pushing Memphis ahead. Still riding off the wave of groundbreaking cypher videos, KL has had his hand in several projects including the JustUs Peace Rally which focused on unity and fostering a plan to save our children from violent street activities. KL is currently working on new projects to expand both his solo career and the Undenyable(which is his rap duo with partner C O) brand.

Poet/Host Phatmak has been tirelessly working to improve the culture of Memphis arts. The head of HypeLife currently hosts the long running Melting Pot open mic series, co-created the JustUs Peace Rally with partner KL, and is the MANDINGO awards "Man of the Year". His passion for the beautification of Memphis is deeply rooted in faith and family. Phatmak is currently working on several projects to catapult his career and the city of Memphis.

Rapper/Radio Host/Party Promoter Twuan G has been bulding the social scene of Memphis via all three of his titles. His vision to bring Memphis together with fun and positivity is one of the reasons he has been such a success. With a full calendar of events for 2014, Twuan G will be a reigning King of Memphis for years to come.

Listen to "On My Game"

by Undenyable

The forefathers of the New-Age Memphis Entertainment Movement have spent decades creating an unforgettable buzz about the unmatched talent our city has to offer. With a couple of newcomers, check out our slide show of a few mainstream, front runners of 2013

He is the self-proclaimed "worst rapper in Memphis". However, Jason Da Hater is one of the most brilliant emcees this side of the Mississippi. His flows are casual yet impactful. While I have deemed him the "Will Smith of Memphop" (because he rhymes without the usage of obscenities), he still provides a seamless performance each and every time he hits the stage. When he is not sharing his gift of rhymes, he is known as Mr. Harris to several high schoolers as he is an educator in the Shelby County School system. He inspires through music and empowers through education. That is what entitles him to be a King of Memphis. Be sure to check out his latest release Like vegetables.

Listen to "Ballad of a Menace"

by Jason Da Hater

Everything Memphis renaissance man Ac Dutch touches turns to pure gold. From Studio 224 to Reppa Radio to the emerging Iron Mouth Battle League, he has been a critical part of our urban development in the local entertainment movement. With the launch of IMBL (Iron Mouth Battle Leauge) this past spring, Ac Dutch has brought Memphis' style of battle rap center stage. "Dutch provided me a place to vent my frustrations instead of being out here in these streets. I appreciate [him] for that. This Iron Mouth shit is taking us to another level", said IMBL alum Stizo. With several other projects in the works including a clothing line, Ac Dutch who started as a rapper, plans on building this city while clearing a path to his own financial stability. The latter proving to be a daunting task for most in the industry. Closing out the season on December 15th, Ac Dutch prepares IMBL for another successful year and hopes to expand the league and the city nationally.

Listen to "F**k Control"

by Mac Gutta ft. Ac Dutch

The father of the Memphis, Hip-Hop Soul movement, Snipes has been a leader in providing feel good music which is often against the standard of what those outside of Memphis consider to be "Memphis Rap". Snipes has spent the past 2 years touring, brand building, performing, and headlining sold out shows across the South and Midwest. In August he played a vital role in the development of the standing room only Sound of The City concert at Memphis' prestigious Minglewood Hall. He has also transformed his entertainment label Overwater Ent. into Sophisticated Lifestyles which sponsors quality entertainment and events. In 2014, Snipes says that he will be more focused and more dedicated to making Memphis music just as universal as it had been during the gold age of Stax.

Listen to "Feel Good Music"

By Snipes ft. Jerome Chism

Funny man Rob Love has appeared practically everywhere sharing his gift of comedy. From touring, show hosting, and co-hosting his own radio show. Rob Loves gives Memphis something to laugh about. His style is unmatched and he is easily categorized with some of the highly recognized Kings of Comedy. Rob has also been very active in the community, stepping in wherever he his needed. He has also lent his hand to mentor up and coming comics. Everybody won't get why Rob Love has been so successful in his career path but persistence and humility would be an awesome character reference point.

Memphop social scholar Knowledge Nick has been making noise for positivity since he arrived on the scene a few years ago. Now, on the brink of his 25th birthday, Nick's resume rivals many of his peers. From sold out performances, to hosting his own radio show, Knowledge Nick continues to carry the 'M' on his chest and is a praiseworthy representation of our community. Most recently, he held a cypher as an incorporation to Memphis' annual Trolley Night in the South Main Arts District. Unfortounately, the event was marked by contorversy as police interrupted the peaceful event due to an alleged disruption of peace. Since then, Knowledge Nick has continued his fight to end racial, social, and class level inequality.

Listen to "Memphis State of Mind"

By Knowledge Nick

2013 has provided Virghost with 2 albums and huge win for the Next Big Thing Competition (sponsored by anonymous radio station A). You have not been able to discuss music in this city without mentioning this poet turned emcee since the beginning of the year. His most recent work Summer in September was a collaborative success with Fantastik 3's KingPin Da' Composer. The EP has been widely recognized, so much that is it scheduled to be released on St. Louis native and Unversal recording artist Tef Poe's upcoming mixtape. Virghost has been featured on various shows, occasionally creating his own and his hit 'Takeback Season' was featured on injamaica.com, which is a blosite for Jamaican natives and residents. Virghost has completed his touring/performing schedule for 2013 and is currently working on a new album.

Listen to "Can't Deny It" by Virghost x KingPin Da Composer

Watching Devin Crutcher perform live is a completely liberating experience. From new age to old school covers, a DC show is packed with crowd engagement and superb talent. Since his Making The Band days, Devin has been busy building DC the solo star. Coming from a musical lineage, he is the epitome of showmanship. He has been applauded by some of the industry greats and well received by his peers. Moving back to Memphis from New Orleans a short time ago, Devin has decided to continue building his career right here in the city that made him a superstar.

Listen to "The End" by Devin Crutcher

Founder and curator of Memphop The Mighty Quinn has been the driving force pushing Memphis' inherent form of Hip-Hop to reach the masses. This Orange Mound native has earned the respect of many of his local and national peers. Whether its battle rap or cyphering, Quinn is "that guy". When he's not doing music, he's working on his flourishing comic strip Son of the Iron Mic and action figure franchise through Legends Press. Giving a name to an previously undefined sound that we universally call Memphop earns Mighty Quinn his spot in the Memphis kingdom

Isaiah Conyers has been iConick in the music industry for utilizing innovative techniques to film music videos for Memphis music's nonpareil. Time after time his peerless talent makes him King of The Camera. Backed by optimisim he does an instinctively great job at making an artist's vision come to life

For more on Mighty Quinn visit www.quinnproart.com

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