So I went out with a couple of friends to Minsky’s Pizza in Lee’s Summit last night, which is a suburb of KC. Aside from being thankful that I didn’t have to pay a dime of our $163 bar tab (shout out to Sniggs’ tax return!!), I was also amused to realize that Lee’s Summit really is Hurley Nation. I don’t know why Lee’s Summit dudes seem to cling so closely to Hurley. I really don’t. It’s like a step up from Hollister, really. Speaking of the recent Hollister explosion over the past couple of years, is the recession so bad that no one can afford Abercrombie anymore? I remember when I was in high school, Abercrombie is what all the upper-class kids were decked out in, and Hollister is what we middle-class folk wore to try to keep up with the Joneses.
Lee’s Summit also seems to be the home of really cute girls latched to douche bag’s arms. This really perplexes me, as well. From here on out, I declare that Hurley changes their motto from whatever the fuck it is now to “Hurley: Giving Lee’s Summit Dudes an Excuse To Wear Their Hats Crooked Since (insert year).”
I don’t mean to play fashion police whatsoever. God knows I haven’t bought any new clothes in quite some time, but I just wish these Lee’s Summit dudes in their mid-twenties would get a sense for who they are as a person, and what they really like instead of continuing to try to fit in with the SAME a-holes that they went to high school with for the rest of their lives.
p.s. in related news, I don’t want to see anyone over the age of 21 wearing a seashell necklace ever again.
Kansasanity Tee, Fountain of Blood (red/black)
Kansasanity Tee (blue/gray)
Screen Tee Gallery, Westport
Screen Tee Gallery, Westport
Screen Tee Gallery, Westport
Just making a friendly blog post letting you guys and gals know that we have brand spankin’ new t-shirts in right now, in addition to the new issue of Demencha Magazine throughout KCMO (available at Zebedee’s record store on 39th, Poptopia in Westport, Streetside Records in Westport, 7th Heaven on Troost and Screen Tee Gallery in Westport, right next to Firefly).
The idea for KANSASANITY came to me while coming home from an outdoor rave on the outskirts of Manhattan, KS, barreling down I-70 back in the fall of 2005. This play on words is intended to rhyme with “Kansas City,” so KCMO residents should not feel awkward about wearing one of our shirts today.
We are currently awaiting a confirmation for our trademark application for KANSASANITY filed last year. With the help of the good people at Screen Tee Gallery, a new indie clothing boutique in Westport, we now have our t-shirts in store. We will be pursuing more independent clothing shops in Lawrence and other parts of Kansas and KCMO very soon, in hopes that they will carry our shirts as well.
If you are interested in purchasing a KANSASANITY shirt, please head to Screen Tee’s in Westport KCMO. Here, the shirts are available for just $15.00.
Screen Tee Gallery is located at:
4120 Pennsylvania Ave (Westport, right next to Firefly)
Kansas City, MO 64111
The same blog that brought you Joe Good, Godemis and Big Frame’s old, unreleased album under the group name Qui Lo, and DVS Mindz’ super rare Million Dolla Broke N—–, now unearths the first album from Kansas City’s most talked about rapper – Ron Ron.
Released in 2005, Ironic is referred to as Ron’s “most lyrical” release to date by his manager, who we conducted a brief interview with over the phone yesterday. This is not only Ron Ron’s first album, but his only album. All of his other releases, Charlie Brown, the Die Hard Mixtape, Mr. No It All, Frank-Einstein and Skitzo-Frinik have all been mixtapes. (Charlie Brown and the Die Hard Mixtape are the only remaining Ron Ron releases that I have yet to hear).
The reason I’m making this post, and the reason why I bugged Ron’s manager so much about digging up the Ironic zip file for me, is for two reasons really. 1) I’m a big fan of Ron Ron’s music, and 2) I know there are a lot of other fans of his in the city who would like to hear this album as well. Ron’s manager says that at the time Ironic was released, Ron Ron really wasn’t trying to get his music “out there,” but that he just wanted to make music “for the neighborhood.”
Ron’s manager also went on to say that Ironic was Ron Ron’s “only real start to finish baby,” and mentioned that Ironic was almost entirely self-produced by Ron himself. Ron’s manager confessed that he couldn’t remember off the top of his head who the additional producers were that worked on the album.
As for how this album sounds, there’s a heavy Bay-area influence in the beats, in my opinion, Ron’s fascination with using rock-influenced beats from time to time still remain, and he even sounds like Devin The Dude on a couple of songs. This is purely coincidental, particularly because Ron Ron is opening up for Devin at the Riot Room in Westport this Friday. On one track featured on this album Ron even goes for 100 bars straight, disregarding any need for a chorus.
To give you an idea of how early this album was released, as it relates to Ron’s burgeoning rap career, the tracks in this zip file aren’t even mp3s…they’re Windows Media Audio files.
As for what’s next for Ron Ron’s ever growing catalogue, you can expect the Wiz Kidz record with Stik Figa, which will probably be the most hotly-anticipated hip hop album in KC…whenever it comes out. He’s also going to completely remake the Ironic album with local producer M-AD. There’s other projects on the horizon for Ron Ron. All you have to do is dig a little bit to find out what they are.
We hope that this resurrected album will give you an idea of where Ron Ron’s music career got kick started, and how he’s grown into the most well-rounded rapper in the city since. For sure, this is a solid album, considering it was his first release, and it was almost entirely self-produced. But his new shit is kicking this album’s ass. One thing about Ron Ron, his music gets better and better and better every time he drops a new disc.
TRUST IN DEMENCHA.
RON RON – IRONIC (2005) *UNEARTHED BY DEMENCHA.COM*
DOWNLOAD HERE:
http://www.mediafire.com/?umnyzj2mzmm
We’re to the point with the print magazine where a lot of local artists are asking what it takes to get on the cover of Demencha, or even just a review on the inside. With our zine, some sure-fire ways to get covered in Demencha would be to put out music on a consistent basis and/or put out really fucking good music (duh) and/or pack out shows and/or be somebody that doesn’t necessarily have a record out, but has a lot of potential and/or be somebody that has an undeniably sharp opinion on something that revolves around music culture (like Mac Lethal does with the current issue we have out now).
I tell this to EVERYONE who’s trying to get coverage in Demencha: I will listen to your music. I’ll probably try to even come to one of your shows. If I think your music/shows are great, there’s a really good chance we’ll cover you either in the magazine or on this blog you’re reading now. But if I think your music/shows aren’t so great, we probably won’t cover your music at all, cut and dry. The reason for us taking this stance is because we generally like to stay away from writing negatively slanted reviews on local artists (if you’re Lady Gaga or the Ting Tings, of course, you’re fair game to getting dissed). It saves a lot of headaches this way, and we are generally about giving ink to the good things that Kansas City’s music scene has to offer.
HOWEVER, here are some additional sure-fire ways to shoot yourelf in the foot when approaching a magazine editor about getting pub, dap, ink, whatever, in no particular order:
1. If it turns out after listening to your CD that said editor is not necessarily crazy about your music, please act professional about it, be an adult and don’t take it personally.
2. DO NOT say any of the following things to said magazine editor:
“What do i have to do to get in the magazine?”
“How much does it cost to get on the cover of this magazine?”
“When you gon’ put me in yo magazine?”
3. And pleeease…please, please, please…do not use any variation of the phrase, “Put that in your book.”
Last but definitely not least, DO NOT MAKE YOUR MUSIC FOR MUSIC JOURNALISTS/CRITICS ETC. That’s why I almost enjoy writing about the street rap dudes in KC more than I do the indie-hip-hop guys. Most street rap guys don’t make their music for music journalists/critics, etc. Some of the guys on the other side of KC’s hip hop scene seem to, at times, make music in hopes that it will get a positive review from some writer.
End of Rant.
That’s right, the guy who brought you the club inferno that was the Royce Diamond’s “Move” (Norrit Remix) is back….well, not that he ever went away, just blame me for neglecting the bigger club music blogs out there over the past few months. But in all seriousness, I came across this official video for Norrit’s new track via Brent Tactic on facebook, about 30 minutes ago. This is by far the smoothest shit I’ve ever heard from Norrit or out of the Think 2Wice camp. FLAMES, I tell you! I may have to give Norrit some ink in the May issue as well. 
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