Dallas Music Blog

The latest game-changer in Dallas' obsession with hip-hop dance crazes is area rapper Brandon Hampton, aka B-Hamp, whose ridiculously popular song, “Do the Ricky Bobby,” has been burning up the airwaves in recent weeks on 97.9 The Beat, K104 and even Kiss FM, and is currently listed at No. 78 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song even earned a write-up in last week's issue of Entertainment Weekly.

And, yes, that's a pretty big deal for an area rapper, let alone an indie.

So how'd he get here, to this point? When his former group Texas Made disbanded in 2006, Hampton decided to keep his rap dreams alive by working on a concept for a dance song that could put him on the map. And while watching Talladega Nights, one evening, the idea for the Ricky Bobby dance was born. (The video on how to do the dance after the jump.)

And with the recent success of the songs, B-Hamp's gig schedule is arguably a regional tour—he's got something popping off just about every day. Last night, he was at Carson's; tonight, Purgatory; tomorrow, Bryan College Station and the K104 Harambee Festival where he'll share the spotlight with other hood stars like Lil' Will, Big Tuck and Fat Bastard.

Talk about a whirlwind success.

The cool thing is that he hasn't let it go to his head—even with grown-ups, kids, babies and our “suburban homies” doing the Ricky Bobby. Check out our Q&A with the man himself after the jump.

When first encountering Syntax Strange's juxtaposition of acoustics, boom bap, and unforgiving staccato flow, you just might wonder, "what the hell is that cat talking about?" The understatement of the week would be to say that he rhymes for people who listen to lyrics, not just hear music. Syntax's rapid-fire vocabulary is off-the-wall, spitting platonic--no, intergalactic-level transcendence above the frivolous topics of others on the microphone. Catch him and his cohorts at the Awaken show on October 31, at Deno's Sports Bar & Grill. After the jump he tells us a little about who he is, where to catch his show and the truth about why his music isn't for everyone.

Where'd your name come from?
I came up with SYNTAX back in 1994. The idea to use it for a name came to mind when I remembered in computer class in grade school. if you typed the wrong series of characters on the computer screen you would get "syntax error". I figured what I say and write, my style of rhyming was definitely "strange" in comparison to those in my immediate surroundings. So I added the "STRANGE" later on. Syntax also denotes "order" (as opposed to chaos). So you can say it means "strange speech", strange order", or "strange way", etc.

(Meredith Hebenstreit)

Let's just go ahead and put it out there. With the exception of meeting peeps at live shows, few other places have consistently given me fodder for this column than Myspace Music.

It's like going to Wal-Mart, for me; I've got my mind set on what I've come looking for and end up spending hours there and leaving with way more than I expected.

It's good, though, and I love it.

Someone else who loves it (maybe even more than I do) is Pleasant Grove rhyme spitter Major Rayne. The guys posts at least three bulletins a day.

But hey, I can't knock his hustle. People are out there, and the task is for the hungry to get their music heard. Slowly pulling together his album, regular performances, and working on a group effort as part of the Dark Matter Hybridz crew gives him plenty to talk about.

So it seems like Myspace is your chosen forum of promotion. Why's that?
Well, it's definitely a benefit to artists who are serious about their craft. It's a lot easier to reach out to people and it's cost efficient.

There's nothing like your venue losing its lease to piss all over your parade.

According to Dru Don, the manager for teenage rap group, Wide Up Boyz, the act's gig originally scheduled for tomorrow night is now officially hosed, since Fat Daddy's has officially gone out of business.

That sucks--for Wide Up Boyz and us, as these five young bucks are known for their impressive stage show.

On the track, “Aint No Love,” Jay-Z spits, “I thought I told you characters, I’m not a rapper,” and much of the same can be said when it comes to Rage Almighty.

The Boston native came of age in the Big D and considers himself more of a poet than just a dope emcee. His talents are a wild amalgamation of hip hop, spoken word, neo soul, live performance—or, let me clarify, theatrical performance. You’ve got to admit: A cat who effortlessly played Mercutio in a production of Romeo and Juliet is not your average rapper.

Quick witted-and introspective, Rage isn't afraid to express his artistic talent in all sides of his personality. Whether its anger, passion, admiration or the spirit of competition, he brings the pain. Here, he talks about the things that are most important to him in his professional life these days, like showing love to the sistas who don’t pass the “paper sac” test (is her skin darker than a brown paper bag?) and promoting HIV awareness.

So tell me about your name, when one thinks poet, one usually doesn't think of "rage," per se.

I was (or thought I was) a badass in high school. I got the name Rage from an anger management counselor referring to my temper. Matter of fact, my full nickname was Baby Rage. Rage stuck with me I just added Almighty later once I realized I was a little too old to be called Baby. No disrespect to Lil Wayne's dad. [laughs]

Hipsters are gonna crazy for Damaged Good$. (Taylor Emanuelson)

It's not everyday that you get two born and bred Texas dudes cranking out psychadelic, futuristic tracks the way the guys in Damaged Good$ do. If you had to compare them to anyone, think Andre 3000 with a bit of Kanye West on "Stronger." Check them out...

Bonus mp3: Damaged Good$ -- "You That's Righteous (A1 Bassline Remix)"

...then read their story after the jump.

You love boobs, even if you won't admit it in any audible fashion. It's OK--so do hip-hop philanthropists Justin Griffith a.k.a. G.O.A.T. (Grades Of Absolute Truth) and Vincent "Young Heartbreak" Tucker.

The duo teamed up to present Save the Boobs: Hip-Hop Helps Heal Breast Cancer Benefit Show, to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Hip-Hop Helps Heal (or 4H) is the brainchild of eloquent rhyme-spitter G.O.A.T., whose sense of social responsibility is present in many of his actions. Tucker is also no stranger to utilizing hip-hop's unifying strength for the forces of good. Save the Boobs marks his fourth charitable event since December 2007.

It all goes down at The Bone in Deep Ellum on Saturday, August 23, at 8 p.m. The lineup includes performances from Pikahsso and Tahiti, G.O.A.T. & DJ Three6t among others. There will also be a body painting showcase by 3 of 1 Art, live art creations by Artlovemagic and breast exam demonstrations. Check out what G.O.A.T. and Tucker had to say about the upcoming show, their philanthropic efforts and what they've got in store for the night after the jump. --Quia Querisma