Congress declares Aug. 11 ‘Hip-Hop Celebration Day,’ a turning point in American music history
Whenever I teach courses on hip-hop at the University of Virginia, I provide a brief overview of where hip-hop music began. One of the important dates I use is Aug. 11, 1973. That’s when DJ Kool Herc, who was 18 at the time, threw a “Back to School Jam” for his sister Cindy in the […]
Marijuana dispensary Beyond/Hello opens in Hazleton with live performance by hip-hop duo Space Kamp
From a press release: Hip-hop fans can wake and bake with Space Kamp this week. Beyond / Hello is introducing a new medical marijuana/cannabis dispensary to Hazleton, and the grand opening on Monday, June 7 will feature a live morning performance by the Allentown-based reggae rappers. The weed-smoking duo have made their support of legalization […]
NEPA MUSIC NOTES: Brendan Brisk, Kali Ma, Condition Oakland, Sleeplore, Chris Cashmere, White Witch, and more
January may be a slow month for entertainment like movies and television (even slower during a pandemic), but it’s been a busy time for local music, so much so that I have to save a few notes for next week. I even had the pleasure of seeing a band play live in front of a […]
NEPA MUSIC NOTES: Telco, Don’t Panic, Eric Best, 5-7-Zero, Flowers for You, Crooked Ways, John Hahn, and more
After a few years away, the NEPA Music Notes column received a warm welcome back last week, so I’ll take that as a sign that you want to see more roundups of new and noteworthy local songs, albums, and shows. Let’s dive right in! 🎶🎶 Schuylkill Haven guitarist John Hahn, who got his start touring […]
Allentown hip-hop reggae duo Space Kamp streams live from Emmaus Theatre on Jan. 15
From a press release: Following the release of their latest single last month, the psychedelic, genre-bending hip-hop reggae duo Space Kamp will start the new year with a live stream by Scranton-based creative marketing team Ionic Development on Friday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. Performing from the Emmaus Theatre in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, the free show […]
MUSIC VIDEO: Scranton rapper Lucas Hex masks up for nu metal-inspired ‘Scapegoat’
Not every artist can find their sound on their first project. It takes some musicians years and various incarnations to really hit their stride. Lucas Hex is one of those artists. Fueled by pure musicianship, the Scranton rapper has genre-hopped and dipped his toes into various hip-hop trends over the years. While producing a litany […]
Scranton emo rapper/ex-Tigers Jaw vocalist releases new Wicca Phase Springs Eternal collab ‘This Moment I Miss’
From a press release: Through an extensive catalog of collaborations, singles, EPs, 2016’s “Secret Boy” LP, and his critically acclaimed Run for Cover debut last year, “Suffer On,” Wicca Phase Springs Eternal has become a celebrated pioneer in a vital new direction of underground music. Wicca Phase is the creative persona of Scranton singer, songwriter, […]
Horror hip-hop duo Twiztid hits Stage West in Scranton on April 9 with Slaine
From a press release: It was announced today that Twiztid, the Detroit horrorcore rap duo who rose to fame in the late ’90s with the Insane Clown Posse and broke off to form their own dedicated fan base, will perform at Stage West in Scranton on Thursday, April 9 as part of The Highnamic Duo […]
Scranton rapper Lucas Hex announces tour with Riff Raff and new single before Stage West shows
Today, Scranton-based hip-hop artist Lucas Hex announced that he will be providing support for national recording artist Riff Raff on a leg of his upcoming tour. Hex will also release a new single, “Make Me Proud,” that will premiere exclusively on NEPA Scene on Friday, March 13. This isn’t the first national tour that Lucas […]
Rapper and MTV star Riff Raff comes to Stage West in Scranton on March 19
From a press release: Riff Raff, who went from an appearance on MTV reality show “From G’s to Gents” to working with influential DJ/producer Diplo and collaborating with some of the biggest modern rappers, will take his Cranberry Vampire Tour to Stage West in Scranton on Thursday, March 19. He previously performed in Scranton as […]
