Underground hip-hop is not just limited to the City of Angels. The next few months will see hip-hop artists from Los Angeles popping up in venues in Eugene and Portland.
DCF Entertainment, Afterlife Records, Project Blowed Family and the University’s Black Student Union present “Welcome to the West,” a night of underground hip-hop, Feb. 15 at Agate Hall. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is open to all ages. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The show features Los Angeles underground hip-hop artists, including Chillin Villain
Empire, Rhymin’ Riddlore?, Tray-Loc, Wreccless, Hip Hop Kclan, LA Khule Terra Dacto, Chu Chu, Xololanxinxo, Bus Driver and DJ Shobanon.
Though he has gained experience with other promoters, this show marks Daniel Firtel’s first solo attempt at concert promoting through his new company, DCF Entertainment.
Firtel said he began his company during in fall 2001. At the moment, he is the company’s only employee, but he said volunteers sometimes assist him by passing out fliers.
“I want to bring quality entertainment (to audiences) and have fun,” he said. Even though this is his first solo gig, Firtel said he was not nervous about whether the performance would receive a large turnout.
“I’m super confident in the skill level (of the artists),” he said. “You listen to them and you’re just like — ‘Wow!’”
Mohammed Jalloh, program coordinator at the Black Student Union, said he was looking forward to the performance.
“(The music) is underground stuff that doesn’t get heard much,” he said.
Artist-producer Riddlore said it’s hard to classify the type of hip-hop he and his fellow artists perform.
“We’re not talking about materialistic things like in the mainstream (hip-hop),” he said.
Riddlore said his music comes from the ghetto, but it in no way promotes the “gangsta” lifestyle. Instead, he said he focuses more on hip-hop style and uses some positive messages in his lyrics.
Firtel said all the artists performing in Friday’s show are independent and sell their own albums. They don’t make huge amounts of money, he said, but they also don’t answer to anyone but themselves.
“We don’t want anyone telling us what we should do (with our music),” Riddlore said. He said he will be promoting his new album, “Everything You Need to Know to Make It Big,” which was released Monday.
Riddlore, like many of the other Los Angeles artists on the Afterlife label, has never performed in Oregon, but he said he believes they will be well-received.
“We’ve got a lot of support in Oregon,” Riddlore said.
Firtel said the response he has received from people who have heard about the concert is positive.
“People that listen to these guys are super-stoked,” he said.
DCF Entertainment, Afterlife Records and the Black Student Union will team up again for this April’s Black Arts Festival, featuring many of the same artists from Friday’s concert, and adding Aceyalone, Cypher 7, Cotton Candy, Legion and P.E.A.C.E. to the roster.
For those who miss the Eugene performances, the artists will also be performing at Portland’s Roseland Theater on April 20.