Guide to BUKU Music + Art Project 2019

Watch the BUKU 2018 official Recap Video

BUKU Music + Art Project is home to The Big Easy, otherwise known as New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s headliners include artists such as Excision, Playboi Carti, Claude VonStroke, Griz, Dog Blood and A$AP Rocky to name a few.  You can see the full lineup on the official BUKU website.

I will be going over some of the artists that are set to perform this year. I’ll also be providing some information about New Orleans (places to stay and things to do).

A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky

Rakim Mayers, known as A$AP Rocky, was named after his mother’s favorite hip-hop hero from Eric B. and Rakim. As a little boy he lived with his parents and three other siblings (one brother and two sisters) in New York.

At the age of 12 his father was sent to jail for drug dealing. Just a year later his brother was shot dead by a rival dealer. He was on his way to school when his mom stopped him to tell him the news. After the death of his brother and his father’s incarceration, the Mayers family spent time living in shelters and ended up moving around often, places such as Harlem, Philadelphia and North Carolina to name a few.

I represent the kids who come from nothing but who understand it all and love it all. That’s what I represent – those are the cool kids, you know, the kids of tomorrow, because who would’ve known that I’d be who I am today? We are the kids of tomorrow.

In 2007, Rocky connected with A$AP Mob at the age of 19. A$AP Mob is a famous collective of rappers, producers and video directors co-founded by A$AP Yams. Other members of the Mob include A$AP Bari, A$AP Kham and A$AP Illz. The rappers involvement surfaced after Bari continued to bring him up to Yams, eventually sparking interest. A sprawling $3 million dollar deal with Sony/RCA Records greeted Rocky in 2011, making him the most successful member of Harlem’s A$AP Mob.

A$AP Rocky’s latest music video
A$AP Rocky & Tyler the Creator, “Potato Salad”

Following his music career, the well-known artist has an impeccable taste in fashion. So much that he appears in several campaigns for brands such as Guess, Dior and Calvin Klein to name a few. His style manifests how he carries himself and there’s no doubt that there’s more to see from A$AP Rocky in years to come. 

A$AP Rocky’s latest campaign with Calvin Klein

Always Striving and Prospering.

Claude VonStroke

Barclay Macbride Crenshaw is an American house and techno producer based out of LA. He was born in Cleveland,Ohio and lived there until 7th grade before moving to Detroit. Following his passion for music at an early age, he had his own hip hop radio show in high school called the “Power Move”.

Prior to Barclay’s music career, he moved to LA to work as a location scout and production assistant for several movie productions. He’s known for work such as The Jackal (1997), Batman and Robin (1997) and Polish Wedding (1998) to name a few. In 2002 he worked on the documentary Intellect: Techno House Progressive, where he interviewed over 50 famous DJs. In 2005, the name Claude VonStroke came from an idea to fit his unconventional series of techno tracks.

Claude VonStroke’s latest music video 

In 2005, Barclay met up with The Martin Brothers and created Dirtybird Records. The label was actually funded by Barclay’s wife under the holding company Crenshaw Creative, who is the chief operating and marketing officer. She gave him one year to turn the project into a successful label, otherwise she would have cut him off. Dirtybird is currently acknowledged as one of the top independent electronic record labels in the world, with several awards to back it up.

Along with Dirtybird Records, there is also Dirtybird Campout. This is a 3 day festival, some would say it’s practically summer camp for adults. Dirtybird Campout is unlike any other music festival, in which case the artists aren’t hiding behind DJ equipment and remaining backstage. During the day, there’s a long list of activities like archery and dodge ball where you can interact with the artists that are set to perform later that night. You could go alone without knowing anyone, and leave with a close-knit group of friends that feel like family.

Dirtybird Campout 2018 West Coast Recap

Death Grips

Death Grips

Stefan Burnett (MC Ride), Zach Hill and Andy Morin formed an experimental hip hop band based out of Sacramento in 2010, formerly known as Death Grips. Andy is the recording engineer, Zach plays the drums and Stefan is the lead vocalist. Their sound contributes to a punk rock, electronic and industrial style.

Zach and Stefan were neighbors in Sacramento when they started making music together. Andy joined the band later on helping them establish a name for themselves. Before the formation of Death Grips, the guys were already familiar with the industry. Zach Hill was a member of a rock band called Hella. Andy Morin was a local producer and Stefan Burnett was and currently still is a painter. The three artists are more than just a band, going back to the experimental aspect: it’s the artistic approach all three talented members execute when making music. It is apparent that Death Grips does not conform to the standard quo the music industry brings on. While they were signed with Epic Records, they leaked their own album, “No Love Deep Web”. Following their self-release, they were cut from Epic Records and launched their own label, Third Worlds. Continuing to pursue their experimental aspect in 2013, the band did not show up for an after party they were scheduled to play at prior to their performance at Lollapalooza in Chicago. This resulted in their performance being cancelled the next day. Looking back at the after party and the band’s no show, the stage backdrop was a suicide note allegedly written to Death Grips. Along with the note, their latest album was being played on a recorded loop. The stage consisted only of a child’s drum set which was trashed by the angry crowd who expected a performance. It was later announced by Death Grip’s management that the stage set up and album loop was the actual show the band wanted to exhibit.

Death Grip’s “Eh” music video

Denzel Curry

Denzel Curry

Denzel Rae Don Curry is an American rapper from Carol City, Florida. He began writing poetry when he was in elementary school. It wasn’t until he joined a boys and girls club in 6th grade that he turned his poetry into rap. During his time at the club, he would challenge his peers to rap battles. Upon elementary school, Denzel attended the Design and Architecture High School in Miami. He completed two years before being expelled in 2013 and transferring to Carol City Senior High School. A year later his brother Treon Johnson, died of injuries related to a rare case of cardiac arrest. He was tasered and pepper sprayed by the police. Music was the one thing Denzel held close to him after the incident.

People wanna escape the truth sometimes. 

The beginning of Denzel’s career stemmed from his first mixtape being released and posted on SpaceGhost Purp’s page. From there he became a member of Space Ghost Purp’s hip hop group, Raider Klan. His second mixtape caught the attention of Earl Sweatshirt, along with other members from the Odd Future label. Denzel went on to be the cover of XXL for the freshmen class of 2016. Denzel’s latest album, Ta1300, is shown in three acts: light, gray and dark. The album consists of 13 songs. His song Black Balloons is a prequel to Clout Cobain, where he goes from an average rapper to a tormented clown who eventually takes his own life. The message is about advancing beyond any external problems and letting go of a painful past.

XXL Freshman Cypher ft. Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry: BLACK BALLOONS
Denzel Curry: CLOUT COBAIN

Dog Blood

Duo music group that consists of Skrillex and Boys Noize, started as a side project back in 2012. Their first debut together was at Ultra Music Festival in 2013, where they performed their new material. This led to a few more appearances like EDC Las Vegas, Hard Summer Music Festival in 2017, to the BUKU Music + Art Project of 2019. This will be their first appearance together since Hard Summer. The two artists met working alongside each other, and soon after stared Dog Blood. Before the project had begun, Skrillex was touring Europe and Alex (Boys Noize),invited him to his house to hang out. They began showing each other some of their new stuff and it wasn’t long before they started playing with some sounds together. By the morning they had already made a couple of songs. The two would play together without releasing that they had actually started the project. The secrecy lasted just under a year.

Skrillex

Skrillex Lost Footage

Skrillex’s real name is Sonny John Moore. He was adopted at birth by family friends, however he didn’t find out till he was 15. During that time he was home schooled, but was enrolled in a special art program. Once he learned the news of his adoption, he dropped out. In his free time he would attend gigs around the East and South end of LA. This eventually led him to raves and kick started his music career. In 2004 he became the lead vocalist for From First to Last, eventually leaving due to problems with his vocal chords. From there Sonny began his music career on his own in 2007. He started performing under the name Skrillex, after taking over the production of his album, Bells, and releasing his EP, My Name is Skrillex. In 2011 he announced his own label, OWSLA. Skrillex has won 8 Grammy awards to date, which is the highest awards held by any electronic music artist.

Boys Noize

Boys Noize’s latest music video

Boys Noize, otherwise known as Alex Ridha, is a German electronic music producer and DJ. He began producing at an early age under the name of Kid Alex and worked at a record store called Underground Solution. This is how he first started playing live shows. His manager would pull some strings to get him a spot playing with local artists in Hamburg. When he turned 21, he moved to Berlin to be with his girlfriend, which helped excel his music career. Hamburg is known for more house music, whereas Berlin is strictly techno and punk. With his passion for music rocketing, he established Boys Noize Records in 2005. It is noticeable in certain press shots that Alex doesn’t prefer the fame. He is seen holding his hands in front of his face to avoid being seen. When the artist began working with Skrillex, the fame was heightened. Alex credits Berlin as the city of dreams.

Earl Sweatshirt

Earl Sweatshirt

Thebe Neruda Kgositsile was born in Chicago, IL eventually relocating to LA. In the beginning of his rap career, he was known as Sly Tendencies but changed his stage name in 2009 when Tyler the Creator invited him to join Odd Future (alternative hip hop collective). Releasing his debut mixtape, Earl in 2010 at the age of 16, he began gaining recognition. 

Listen to Earl Sweatshirt’s mixtape “Earl”

After the release of his mixtape Earl, his mother found out about his drug use and sent him to a boarding school in Samoa for at risk teens for a year and a half. During the duration of his time at boarding school, he was unable to make music. However, he returned to LA in February of 2012 right before his 18th birthday-rejoining Odd Future and later releasing his next album, Doris, in August of 2013. Some artists that have influenced his music include MF Doom, RZA, Radiohead, Jay-z and Eminem.

The artist’s mixtape, Earl, was nearly a byproduct of his teenage years and the anger he had carried with him, but he hopes to replace it with music truer to who he really is now. He is currently signed to his independent label Tan Cressida under Columbia Records. Being signed to his own record gives the artist more freedom to experiment with his music. 

Some Rap Songs

Some Rap Songs was the last album on Columbia Records. Earl’s father passed away in 2018 which reconnected him with his mom and 5 siblings. He samples his mom and dad in Some Rap Songs and even credits his mom to be the most influential person of his life.

I’m still figuring it out and I’ll be figuring it out for the rest of my life. All I can do now is live.

Earthgang

Earthgang

American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot met on a field trip their freshman year of high school. Venus approached Dot about forming a music group shortly after their first encounter. The two grew up listening to many diverse artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Madonna and Richard Pryor to name a few.

Co-founders of musical collective Spillage Village with artists such as J.I.D, Hollywood JB, and 6lack.

Earthgang’s music video for “Meditate” ft. J.I.D

Their sound incorporates southern hip hop and various genres such as soul and funk, being compared to artists like Outkast, Dungeon Family, and The Pharcyde.

The name Earthgang dawned on Venus, it represents what the duo is made of and why they do what they do, influenced by the conscious and subconscious.

Excision

Jeff Abel took his dream of being a paleontologist as a young boy to being a Canadian producer and DJ. He’s been an active member of the music industry since 2006, and is known for his dark, and heavy bass sounds.  He grew up listening to a lot of metal like Slayer, Pantera and Metallica, which have all been in conjunction with his own music style. Some of his favorite artists to work with include Datsik, Downlink, Space Laces and Bassnectar. Excision is set apart from other producers in the sense of his own design work for lighting and visuals. He is definitely more of a hands on artist. 

Watch Excision’s design work here

Excision has hit some major milestones in his career. He is the founder of two record labels, Rottun Recordings and Destroid Music. He is also the founder of two music festivals, Bass Canyon in Washington and Lost Lands in Ohio.

Official Bass Canyon trailer for 2019
Official Lost Lands recap 2017

Lost Lands is a dinosaur themed 3 day music festival held at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio. It is a camping festival featuring 2 main stages.

G Jones

Greg Jones, Santa Cruz native began writing songs on the guitar at age 9. Four years later he started making music with a computer, recording himself playing the guitar and drums on garage band. His brother was into alternative rock and played the guitar, which was a big attribution to the start of his music career. At 15 Greg started to produce electronic music using different synths and drum samples.

His biggest inspiration when making music is simply the passion he has for it, making beats is his favorite thing to do. He has support from well-known artists such as Ill Gates, Stagga, Doshy, The Widdler and Mat the Alien to name a few. Jones is also a frequent collaborator with artists such as Bassnectar, Eprom, and DJ Shadow. 

G Jones & Bassnectar

There’s no live show that’s ever the same. The artist uses Ableton Live to produce and perform. Rolling Stone has even claimed him to be a studio wizard. There’s no doubt that G Jones has become one of the hottest artists to hit the industry. 

Soundtrack to the Machine

Getter

Getter’s latest music video

Tanner Petulla, better known as Getter is an American DJ, producer,rapper, actor and comedian from San Jose, California. He began music production while in high school at the age of 16. Tanner was a part of a few bands growing up and played the drums and guitar. He claims that as soon as he picked up a guitar he knew he wanted to do music. Being involved with art at an early age,music came natural for him. Getter grew up as a metal head and loved rap like Mac Dre and Andre Nickatina. In the beginning he saved his money so he could move to LA. At first he stayed with a friend while working on his music before moving out on his own. 

Ham Sandwich (Visceral Live Tour)

The artist has been in the bass scene since 2010, known for his use of heavy bass and synths he incorporates in his music. In 2012 he was signed to Firepower Records run by Datsik before signing with OWSLA, founded by dubstep producer Skrillex. In 2017 Petulla launched Shred Collective (independent record label, clothing brand, and artist collective).  

Welcome to Visceral

Originality died years ago

Griz

Griz

Grant Richard Kwiecinski is an American electronic producer and DJ from Michigan, better known as Griz. He’s known for his use of the saxophone and his funk and electric sound. 

Griz ft. Matisyahu 

Griz sparked an early interest in music. His parents always encouraged him to be creative and took a liberal approach when raising him. He was introduced to the saxophone and piano in elementary school and grew up listening to funk music like The Meters. High school was really hard beyond the worry of fitting in and being “cool”. He started seeing a psychiatrist, trying to convince himself and others that he was straight and nothing was wrong. Coming out was hard for the artist, due to not having any role models to look up to besides TV characters. It was when he went to Michigan State University that he found a group of friends that had the same similarities and helped him find the confidence to be who he really is. He attended the university for a few years before he dropped out to focus on his music career.

Always focus on the music first. That’s the big thing. Staying true to making good music and not sacrificing that for anything. 

Griz created All Good Records, a record label that focuses on soul and electronic music. He has gone on to play at festivals such as Electric Forest, Lollapalooza and TomorrowWorld to name a few. He is also the creator of GRIZmas, a concept he thought up in 2014 to raise money for Little Kids Rock over the course of 12 events. This is a nonprofit that helps organize youth music programs in public schools. Griz is an exceptional artist and person that uses his power to make a difference. 

GRIZmas 2018 Recap

Gunna

Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, Young Thug’s protege, is an American rapper, singer and song writer from College Park, GA. He is signed to Young Thug’s record label YSL Records and 300 Entertainment. Gunna is an exceptional rapper from Atlanta, who makes unique trap music that leaves his fans hooked. 

Gunna’s latest music video

Sergio was raised by his mother and is the youngest of four brothers. He began making music at the age of 15, and quickly come to terms that rap is a priority for him. He broke out on Young Thug’s single,“Floyd Mayweather”. The two artists met through a mutual friend and influential figure in the music industry, King Troup, who later died in 2015. His focus on a rap career stemmed from hanging with other major artists in the industry that were on the same page as him, therefore excelling at his own music. He grew up listening to artists such as Outkast, Future and Young Thug.  

Gunna’s latest Album

J.I.D

Destin Choice Route, Atlanta born rapper and songwriter known as J.I.D is part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by Earthgang in 2010. He is currently signed to Dreamville and Interscope Records. 

J.I.D is a nickname from his grandmother, which means jittery relating to his behavior as a child. Being the youngest of seven children, he comes from a humble upbringing. He clearly recalls growing up with only the basic necessities.  Although they didn’t have much, J.I.D found a safe haven in music. He credits his musical approach to his parent’s collection of classic funk and soul records.He is also influenced by artists such as Outkast, T.I., Goodie Mob, and Gucci Mane.After high school, Route was offered a football scholarship to a University in Virginia but ended up losing it and getting kicked out of school. While attending the University, he met Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot, members of Earthgang. The three artists are some of the few rappers from Atlanta who pursued a higher education. After he left school, he moved back to Atlanta to live with his parents. Route delivered pizza to the West side of Atlanta to some extra money, hoping not to be seen by anyone he knew. While at this job, he worked tirelessly on his music between shifts. 

J.I.D ft. J. Cole directed by Cole Bennett
J.I.D ft. Earthgang

Through his professional relationship with Earthgang, he caught the attention of J Cole, who admired his work ethic and felt he would be the perfect addition to Dreamville. J.I.D doesn’t care about the fame, he wants to leave behind a legacy. 

Kevin Gates

Kevin Gates’s real name is Kevin Jerome Gilyard. He’s an American rapper that grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.He didn’t meet his father till 8th grade and most of his adolescent life was spent on the street, which resulted in jail time. He was 13 the first time he was arrested, for joyriding as a passenger. Kevin had also spent 31 months in prison between 2008 and 2011. During that time he earned his master’s degree in psychology through a special prison program and was released for good behavior. 2011 is also the year his music career popped off. Upon his release,he began working on his music. He caught the attention of Lil Wayne’s record label, Young Money Entertainment. 

Kevin Gates is known for his “confessional anthems” that match his lyrical music style and southern beats. Some artists that have influenced his work include Nas, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z and Tupac to name a few. He’s signed to Atlantic Records, Dead Game Records and has even gone on to start his own label with his wife Dreka, called Bread Winners Association.  

Listen to Kevin Gates’s most recent album here, “Luca Brasi 3”

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey’s real name is Lizzy Grant. She was born and raised in Lake Placid, a quiet village outside of New York State. At age 15, she was sent to boarding school in Connecticut. Upon high school she moved to NYC to study metaphysics at Fordham University. She found her niche of friends and began working on music under her birth name, Lizzy Grant. 

She surrounded herself with good friends, really playing for each other at clubs around Brooklyn. Eventually falling off the music scene, she moved to a trailer park outside the city where she jumped into community service. In 2011, the artist rebranded herself as Lana Del Rey and released “Video Games”. Some musical inspirations include Nirvana, Elvis Presley, Eminem, Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra. 

“Video Games” official music video 

Lana’s image is quite different from Lizzie Grant. She resembles the infamous shape shifting stars like Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga and Madonna. She’s gone on to be the face of the new Gucci Guilty campaign in 2019 and is signed to Polydor, Interscope Records, 5 Points and Stranger Records. There will be plenty more to see from Lana Del Rey in the years to come. 

Lana Del Rey in the new Gucci Guilty campaign

Liquid Stranger

Listen to “Brain Boi” by Liquid Stranger

Swedish born electronic musician, Martin Staaf, is known for his experimental approach to production. He merges different genres to create a personal and unique music style. As a child he played the piano and performed at classical piano concerts through the ages of 6 and 8. He never thought about releasing his own music till he was 17. 

“Burn Like Sun” by Liquid Stranger ft. Leah Culver

In 2003, Martin launched the Liquid Stranger project. At first he wanted to keep his identity a secret but it was spoiled when Interchill Records wrote his name on his record sleeves.His sound varies from ambient soundscapes, movie scores, pop, bass and electronic. 

In 2004, he created Candy Mind Records with his brother, Jens Staaf. The next year he signed to Interchill Records. His musical influences come from vintage computer games, movie soundtracks and even some dreams he has had. 

Louis the Child

Freddy and Robby from Louis the Child

Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett are the two members that make up Louis the Child. They both attended the same high school in Illinois but didn’t meet until a Madeon concert. While Freddy finished his high school career, Robby attended one year at the University of Southern California. He eventually left the university to focus on music and the duo worked on Louis the Child long distance. Some artists that influenced the two include Flume, Porter Robinson and Odesza to name a few. 

“It’s Strange” by Louis the Child
“Better Not” by Louis the Child

In 2013 and 2014, the two began performing at small venues and released their song “It’s Strange” the next year. With support from artists such as Taylor Swift, their stardom began to kick off. They scored a part on FIFA 16’s soundtrack and eventually grew to open for artists such as The Chainsmokers and Madeon. From there, they began their own tour in Chicago in 2015. Robby and Freddy went onto perform at various universities and festivals such as Electric Zoo, and Lollapalooza of South America. Their song “Go” landed in a commercial for Apple’s new IPad Pro in 2017. A couple years later they announced a show at the infamous Red Rocks. 

Apple’s IPad Pro commercial ft. “Go” by Louis the Child

NGHTMRE

NGHTMRE

Nghtmre is an American DJ and electronic producer based in LA. His real name is Tyler Marenyi and was born in Stamford,Connecticut but raised in Raleigh, NC. He played tennis at North Raleigh Christian Academy then attended Elon University. Tyler’s sophomore year led him to switch his major from finance after taking a music production class, which he claimed to not feel like work at all. Almost a year had passed by as he began producing right before his junior year. His parents struggled with his career choice at first. They were worried about the possibility of Tyler not being able to make a living for himself. He attended the Icon Collective Music Production School in LA where he met fellow producers Derek and Scott of Slander. Their friendship flourished alongside several collaborations. 

NGHTMRE & Slander, “Gud Vibrations”

Tyler’s stardom surfaced after Skrillex played one of his songs during a set at Ultra Music Festival. Since then, he’s gone on to collaborate with artists such as Dillon Francis, Zeds Dead and Flux Pavilion. These collaborations pushed his career around the world leading him to play at Tomorrowland in Belgium, Storm Festival in Shanghai, Looptopia in Taiwan and World DJ Festival in Seoul. His first festival debut was EDC Las Vegas in 2015. Tyler eventually signed to Diplo’s record label, Mad Decent. 

“The Killer” by  NGHTMRE

Oliver Tree

Oliver Tree

American based vocalist, producer, filmmaker,and pro scooter rider-Oliver Tree. 

Pro Scooter, Oliver Tree

Oliver got into music at an early age, playing the piano at 3 years old. By elementary school he got bored with the piano and began taking scooter lessons for the next several years. It wasn’t until high school that he began writing and recording his own music leading to his record deal with R&S Records in London at 18. He studied music technology at the California Institute of Arts landing another deal with Atlantic Records one month after graduation. 

“Welcome to LA” by  Oliver Tree

Oliver has gone to play at major festivals the last few years including Lollapalooza, Coachella and EDC to name a few. His track “Movement”was even featured in a commercial for Apple’s new iPhone X. 

iPhone X commercial ft. Oliver Tree’s “Movement”

The artist is well known for the sketch comedies he puts out and works with meme accounts such as Fuck Jerry, Barstool Sports and World Star Hip Hop. 

Oliver Tree, Super Sweet 15

Playboi Carti

Playboi Carti

Jordan Terrell Carter is an Atlanta rapper formerly known as Playboi Carti. When he was in high school, he would skip classes often to either work on his music or attend his job at H&M. He had a mentorship with rapper Fat Man Key and Awful Records,which floored his following on SoundCloud. His 2015 singles “Broke Boi” and“Fetti” caught the attention of A$AP Mob (hip hop collective formed by A$AP Yams).  A year later Carti signed to A$AP Rocky’s AWGE agency and Interscope Records. His debut album gained the attention of major publications such as XXL, Pitchfork, and HotNewHipHop. Carti’s music style is classified as mumble rap, and was influenced by artists such as Gucci Mane, Young Thug and Lil Wayne to name a few. 

R.I.P. by Playboi Carti

Playboi Carti’s sense of fashion is a staple to his career. He’s modeled for various brands such as Louis Vuitton, Drake’s OVO look book and Kanye West’s Yeezy season 5. Shopping at thrift stores growing up had an effect on his style and he credits artists Kanye West and A$AP Rocky as inspirations. 

“Yah Mean” by Playboi Carti
Playboi Carti ft. A$AP Rocky, “New Choppa”

RL Grime

RL Grime

Los Angeles native, Henry Steinway, studied music production at Northeastern University and NYU. In the beginning of his music career, he was producing under the name of “Clockwork” when he signed to Steve Aoki’s record label, Dim Mask Records. He started RL Grime as a project because he wanted to try a new sound. Henry never intended for the project to get as big as it has. The name RL Grime is a spin off of his favorite childhood books, Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. 

RL Grime & Graves, “Arcus”
Latest work

Henry is a member of the LA music collective, “WeDidIt” alongside of his closest friends, Nick Melons and Shlohmo. He’s gone on to play at Coachella after dreaming about being a performer since he attended in high school. The artist currently has two albums, Void and Nova.His second album, Void, took 4 years to put together. The last song on Void was a preview as to what would come next. 

RL Grime on tour

Nova is a small star that quickly bursts into an all seeing light. When he came to understand this, Henry wanted to put music behind it. You can listen to “Nova”below. 

“Nova”

Slander 

Scott Land and Derek Anderson

LA based producers, Scott Land and Derek Anderson are known for their unique sound and sub-genre, “heaven trap”that make up Slander. The two met at their fraternity at University of California, Irvine and grew up going to Insomniac shows since 2009. A year later they quit their day jobs and created Slander. The name came from a combination of their own names, Scott Land and Derek Anderson. Scott and Derek studied music at Icon Collective where they met previously mentioned producer, Nghtmre. 

We Like To Party remix

Their popularity broke out after their remix of We Like to Party with Nghtmre. The artists had big dreams of performing at EDC since their days of Insomniac shows. They performed for the first time in 2015 among other festivals such as Ultra, Electric Zoo, In Bloom and Snowglobe to name a few. Nghtmre and Slander created their own radio show on Sirius XM called “Gud Vibrations”. Slander is signed to Mad Decent and Monstercat Records. 

A Dj set can be very therapeutic thing for some people. a lot of people have come to us to tell us our music has saved them through really tough times and gave them a glimpse of hope, and you just don’t get that with many other jobs.

Slander and Nghtmre, “Warning”
Listen to episode 100 of Gud Vibrations Radio with Nghtmre and Slander

$uicide Boy$

Ruby Da Cherry and $lick $loth

$lick $loth and Ruby Da Cherry are cousins from New Orleans. Their interest in music began at an early age. $lick (Scott Arceneaux Jr.) grew up listening to rap before he was introduced to Three Six Mafia at 8 years old. Ruby Da Cherry (Aristos Petrou) began playing the violin at 7 years old and quickly picked up the drums a few years later. He played bass, piano and the guitar for several bands at the age of 13. Ruby got into rap at a young age as well before discovering punk rock. He claims the transition stemmed from his mother’s observation of rap being a bad influence on him. However, when Lil Wayne got back in the game, he began listening to rap again. Ruby considers himself a nerd, collecting action figures and DVDs. On the other hand, $lick claimed to be a straight edge kid, yet still a savage. He ran drugs on his bike in his adolescence for the neighborhood drug dealer.  $lick started djing with a turntable his parents bought him at 14. When he turned 19, he became obsessed with T-Pain. At that time he was selling pills so he had the means to buy a laptop. Once he got one, he began working with GarageBand. 

$outh $ide $uicide

“We just want to make a footprint in the world because when you die and dead and gone,you want to be remembered. That’s how you live on. (Ruby)

The duo released their first project in 2014. It was a 3 track EP called “Kill Yourself Part 1: The $uicide $aga”. Their release of $outh $ide $uicide was a major breakthrough in 2015 for $lick and Ruby. They released their debut album, “I want to Die in New Orleans”in 2018. The album is about their experiences on the road and how they got to where they are now. Their most viewed music video is “Paris”, which you can watch below. 

Most viewed video, “Paris”

The Black Madonna

The Black Madonna

The internet gives people a great chance to talk, but i am most interested in using any leverage I have over my shows and projects to go ahead and make the world that i am advocating for. 

Kentucky born DJ, producer and feminist Marea Stamper is one of the most unique artists to date. She’s known as The Black Madonna, a tribute to her mother’s favorite catholic saint. 

Catholic saint, The Black Madonna

Marea was bullied for her gender-nonconforming appearance in high school. She never loved school which led to her drop out. Marea got her GED and attended the University of Louisville where she started playing live shows under the name Lady Foursquare. She started her career in the late 1900’s selling mixtapes by underground DJs at raves. Going to different raves Marea met JJ, an art gallery owner who shared a lot of the same interests. Their friendship flourished, they began traveling together and sold mixtapes through each city. Marea found herself living in Chicago where she landed a job with the talent booker of Smartbar (major dance club in Chicago). She became the resident DJ and eventually took over as club booker in 2012.  

The Black Madonna, “We Still Believe”

Marea is a strong supporter in the L.G.B.T. community. She uses her position to make the dance scene a safe haven for women. She makes a strong point in an earlier interview with the New York Times, women have to be fully aware of their surrounding at all times. Marea works at a nightclub, a place where she has to be conscious when she puts her drink down-as any woman should. The ratio of men to women for dance music is almost an exceeding amount which is why it’s important to take caution. 

Dance music does not need more of the status quo.

The Black Madonna, “Exodus”

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans Skyline

Places to Stay

The Sheraton on Canal St. is an affordable luxury hotel in the heart of downtown New Orleans. It’s set in the french quarter within walking distance of Bourbon Street and minutes away from Mardi Gras World.  

The JW Marriott on Canal St. is a great option for affordability and convenience. It’s minutes from Bourbon Street and the convention center. 

Hotel Monteleone is a historic luxury hotel in the heart of downtown New Orleans. Inside, there is a famous carousal bar that seats 25 around a Merry-Go-Round. The bar overlooks Royal Street in the middle of French Quarter.  

Hotel Monteleone history

Drinks

The following bars below is a guide to some of the best drinks in Nola.

Stop by Pat O’Brien’s for their famous drink called the “Hurricane”. 

Bourbon Street has several bars for you and your friends to enjoy a night of bar hopping. 
The Sazerac bar inside the Roosevelt Hotel
The Bombay Club
Victorian Lounge Bar at the Columns hotel

Food

Stop by some of these restaurants for a true taste of New Orleans.  

Domenica 
Galatoires
Mr. B’s Bistro
The Stanley
Cafe Du Monde

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