Attending any musical event where real people, real artists, students, and masters of their art craft grace the stage is like browsing through your favorite record shop and finding some gems—at least, that’s what it's been like for me.
Last night, I attended the Purple Box musical event at Bourbon on Division. The event celebrated the company’s anniversary as a creation and platform showcasing various artists in various digital creative ways created by APJ, with the access of Rufus Sims — hosted by ThoughtPoet & FaceTime.
I’ve been watching the Purple Box videos on Instagram for a while now. Something about them reminds me of cable TV and exclusive content. I like that each video is different.
When I saw that the elegant Bronzeville beauty DAI and The Head Spitta, Dialecttre, were performing, in addition to the ladies I’m most familiar with and love, The Asha The Omega, and Freddie Old Soul, I knew I had to be there to capture the moment and share it energetically with them and everyone else in the room.
Those ladies have made exploring and embracing my love & relationship with hip-hop more enjoyable and motivated me to do what I do as a lover of the craft & culture. (That’s something I’ll get into another day.)
When I first arrived at the event, I instantly felt like I was in the setting of an underground hip-hop movie scene. It was LIVE; the energy was raw and thick. Everyone came anticipating BARS, like a pack of hyenas. Over 10+ artists performed, many of whom I wasn’t familiar with. I was there to discover something new.
I walked away a fan of Joel Q and Backwood Jones, captivated by Mr.Early Never Late (AM Early Morning), and enjoyed the raw flow of Rufus Sims and Phill More Green.
I enjoyed Joel Q’s smooth yet demanding flow and stage presence. He wasn’t all over the stage and trying to hit us over the head with heavy psychological metaphors to get his point across. He spoke about things I feel are true to him, his feelings about reality, and the Black (ghetto) Chicago experience, with the perfect cultural reference, heckynaw jo.
I can say the same for BlackWood Jones. His name is perfect for him; his demeanor is alluring, and his bars are classic and crisp, like his style.
The more artists authentically share their truth in their art form, the greater the impact and influence. It hits differently; a good old-fashioned call and response would show you that—something the Head Professor, Vic Spencer, has undoubtedly mastered by demand, not force.
AM Early Morning did his damn thang.
He made the stage his and captivated the audience with his stage presence. He came as himself and with intent, and it showed, as did his fans, who made sure to be front and center.
Purple Box also took the time to honor some significant people who have done the work and helped facilitate and orchestrate the culture and hip-hop scene, like Gq Tha Teacha and PHENOM, who have mentored many of your Chicago favorites.
It was a cultural lesson and entertainment all in one because one thing about it is hip-hop heads never let you forget the roots & cause of it all. You walk away with knowledge.
Unfortunately, I missed Dia & Dialecttre. Luckily, I got some pics of DAI. I’ll make it my business to keep up with them this summer, and you should, too.
Overall, as a lover of it all, I enjoyed myself. I captured some extraordinary moments, became a fan of new artists, and took some notes for myself as creative hip-hop honey in a male-dominated field.