Shaheed & DJ Supreme @ Lit Lounge, New York City

CMJ Music Marathon Communicating Vessels Showcase

New York City was the place to be in late October, because CMJ Music Marathon 2014 was happening! My first night in La Grande Pomme, and I braved the rain with some of my CJLO crew to go looking for some good hip hop shows. I found myself in a dark-red dive bar in the East Village called Lit Lounge. I double-checked the address to see if I had mistaken it for a Burlesque show. As deceiving as its appearance seemed, I was indeed in the right place. In the dungeon-like basement of Lit Lounge was a showcase for recording artists in the Communicating Vessels label, based out of Birmingham, Alabama. The main group that struck me was duo Shaheed & DJ Supreme who performed tracks off their 2013 release Knowledge, Rhythm, and Understanding.

DJ Supreme, also known as Jon Malone, spun original tracks as Shaheed laid down the vocals. Shaheed had an unstoppable flow, one track motioning into the next with out pause. His breath control was admirable for someone that claims to be asthmatic in the first track he performed called "Saliva". He performed a couple other songs solo, such as the feel good track "Take It Back". Within the lyrics, Shaheed mentions some of his musical influences: KRS-One, Q-Tip, Wutang, Gangstarr, Public Enemy, Ghettoboys, NWA, Dr. Dre, Run DMC, LL Cool J, CL Smooth & Pete Rock, and Akil The MC from Jurrassic 5. After performing a couple songs solo, Shaheed was supported on-stage by lyrical legend Akil The MC from Jurassic 5, who was featured in the track "Champions of Truth" from Knowledge, Rhythm, and Understanding. Akil kept it so real on stage, wearing heavy-duty rain-boots and a '90s style checkered bucket hat. The confident yet humble trio played around a bit with some of the tracks, making sure the audience felt included in the show. At one point they asked if there were any MCs in the audience, and invited an eager participant on stage to freestyle. They truly made it a community event. The set ended with "Boom It In Ya Jeep", featuring R-Tist from the The Green Seed, a hip hop group also performing that night in the showcase.

After Shaheed & DJ Supreme's set, I caught up with them by the pool table, where Shaheed proved himself to be a shark of sorts. After a couple games, Shaheed shared some wisdom regarding his positive and spiritual lifestyle. He spoke of respecting others and of course ourselves, preaching that one must join mind, body, and soul to reach full satisfaction in life. All three of the men being a promoter of healthy habits and mindful living. Akil The MC chimed in with a similar message wrapped in an interesting metaphor, to say the least. Akil related people to bread, saying, "Though we all come out of the same oven, do not become stale bread. Stay fresh. And especially don't find yourself becoming a microwave burrito". These progressive artists remind the public what a hip hop message should really about, embodying principles that genuinely make them the champions of truth. Check out the official music video for "Champions of Truth", and to all hip hop heads out there, prepare yourself for this hip hip whole body, Knowledge, Rhythm, and Understanding.

--DJ Misschief hosts Greedy Graffiti every Thursday at 2 PM on CJLO.

Get jiggy through mind boggling free-formed expression at CJLO's Beats & Brews Night at Kafein (1429 rue Bishop) next Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 PM.