Whenever I listen to hip-hop from the South, I’m reminded of one of my favorite Lil’ Wayne lyrics. On the track “Shooter” which features the hyper sexualized crooning of Robin Thicke, Weezy finishes off his second verse with a line that’s about as politically charged as Lil Tunechi ever gets; “This is Southern face it / If we too simple y’all don’t get the basics”. Wayne was addressing the common (mis)perception that Southern hip-hop lacks complexity and meaning. It was an opinion that was certainly more prominent in 2006 when “Shooter” was released. Three 6 Mafia’s “Hard Out Here For A Pimp” had just become the first hip-hop track to garner an Oscar, and the Dirty South was finally beginning to prove to the music world that it was more than a secondary citizen of hip-hop.

Fast forward 6 years and the Dirty South has become a hip-hop mecca. Spawning more hits and superstars than you can count, and boasting one of the hottest crews in the game with Young Money, the South has proven that there’s more to hip-hop than the East and West coasts. Even sites as snobby as Pitchfork are fetishizing southern hip-hop. Liking the Dirty South has become the hip thing. As long as we keep getting music like Big K.R.I.T.’s 4Eva N A Day, the South will remain a fertile ground for hip-hop.

Krizzle hails from Mississippi, and therefore qualifies to fly the banner of the Southern movement. 4Eva N A Day has an impressive range in style. “Me and My Old School” features a screwed down hook over a smooth beat that takes full advantage of some terrific flute flourishes. K.R.I.T.’s flow matches up perfectly with the swaying beat, making for some really terrific moments. Other tracks like “Country Rap Tunes” and “Boobie Miles” are more like traditional blues/funk tracks with K.R.I.T. laying down his verse on top. That blueprint doesn’t always come off well, but Krizzy’s voice is really terrific when combined with more traditional instrumentation. “Sky Club” has an electronica or future jazz feel to it that makes his lyrics about flying high and watching out for traffic control even more real.

The thing that really makes 4Eva N A Day great is the fact that Krizzy makes all his own beats, so this entire thing was spawned from his brain. It shows great versatility in production ability, and he certainly holds his own in the lyrical category. I’d watch out for Big K.R.I.T. in the near future, he’s an artist with some real promise. Yet another example of the quality of the South.

Dedric Moore, of Monta At Odds, graciously took some time to answer some questions about the upcoming psychadelic summit. Read ‘em and weep – from the joy and jubilation of such an event happening in your backyard.

Sam Behrens: First give us the basic lowdown. The what and the where should suffice for now.

Dedric Moore: The KC Psychfest will be held May 18 and May 19 at FOKL Center gallery located at 556 Central Ave Kansas City KS 66101. There will be 20+ bands spread over two stages for two nights. Multi-media projections will be provided by a series of VJ artists. There will be gallery art, food trucks, merch tables by Halcyon Diversified Trading and We Are Tribe, among other fun items.

SB: Why FOKL?

DM: FOKL is attempting to broaden the arts in Kansas City, Kansas and as a resident I appreciated that and also because they are really great people that are open to try various event ideas.

SB: Is there a longterm view on this? Is this a one off event, or is it something you could see becoming an annual occurrence?

DM: I’d love for it to become a long-term project. It’s been a great thrill to put it together and see how the bands and the art community are excited to be a part of it and offering their services to make it a success.

SB: What kind of sounds should we expect?

DM: The bands range from ambient drone to rugged garage rock. The term psychedelic can be applied to a wide variety of styles and is more about the approach than the end result. We appreciate bands that are willing to explore the outer edges of their genre and that is whom we’ve invited. We also feel that the KC Metro/Lawrence psych scene has its own character that is quite different from Austin or Chicago, for example, and we move more into the ambient drone and synth-leaning style. That’s not to say bands here don’t rock, because they do, it’s just that we have a combination of west coast chill and east coast noise.

SB: Who exactly is performing?

DM: The bands confirmed so far are (in no particular order) Be/Non, Monta At Odds, Expo 70, Karma Vision, CLVTS, The Conquerors, Surroundher, Goodwillies, Plante, Gemini Revolution, Sounding The Deep, Restless Breed, Box The Compass, Vor Onus, Metatone, Floating Lab, CS Luxem, and more to be announced.

SB: What is your wildest dream for KC Psychfest?

DM: Wildest dream? Having the fest become established enough to bring in some of our favorite artists that usually miss Kansas City on their tours.

SB: Lastly, and most importantly, What is the Psychfest’s spirit animal? (Think Daemons in Golden Compass)

DM: I’d say our animal is an alley-cat. We like to hang out on the seedier side of town where more surprises happen. But we also like to visit normal people for a meal once in a while.

Then, entirely unrelated, I started hearing about Childish Gambino, and realized it was the same person. I’ve listened to most of his material, and the lyrics are solid. I have to say his beats are hit-or-miss, and lately they lean more heavily towards the mainstream. If you don’t mind Kanye/Drake/Santigold/Wayne beats, then you won’t notice. I’m not too keen on the indie rock samples he uses either, but I’m still consistently impressed by his wordplay and punchlines. There aren’t many MC’s wielding his level of wit anymore, and it may take a few listens to catch some of his more clever lines. Childish doesn’t lack in content, either, and he manages to balance his rappity-rap joints with songs that bleed with honesty and personal revelation.

All that being said, I’m pretty stoked to see Childish Gambino live on April 3rd at the Beaumont. Even if I’m ambivalent about his recordings, it’s a safe bet that his unique talents in comedy, acting, and emceeing will combine for a captivating night from a through-and-through entertainer. I have no doubts that he will put everything into his performance. It’s going to be a high energy affair, and you should expect to remain captivated through the entire set.

Oh yeah, and word on the street is that man-of-the-moment Danny Brown will be opening. I guess that’s not a secret anymore. I know a lot of people that are absolutely enamoured with this dude, but he sounds like a geriatric emu to me. I have a feeling once word gets out about Danny Brown opening, there will be a metric shit-ton of people going to this show just to see him. Either way, it’s going to be massive. Especially for a Tuesday.

Buy your tickets HERE at Beaumont Club’s website.