SXSWORLD

SXSWORLD March Music 2011

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High-Profi le Presenters Take SXSW Hip-Hop To New Heights by Thomas Fawcett before Mos Def and K'naan represented for the culture on the iconic stage in 2010, and as recently as 2005, a motivated hip-hop head with a set of wheels could catch nearly every MC on the South by Southwest lineup. Nowadays? Forget about that. Th is year, an average of fi ve offi cial SXSW show- cases per night are dominated by the more than 200 festival acts from the rap world. "I think it's a priority for both the hip-hop fan and the hip-hop industry at this point," says Vibe editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall. "If someone is trying to really break an act they're taking them to SXSW, for sure. It isn't even an option anymore; it's automatic." Vibe is making its presence felt at this year's fes- tival with four days of showcases, including the second annual installment of Respect the West, and a night pairing veteran DJs with their favorite up- and-coming rappers. While SXSW is still a spot to build buzz for upstarts and new faces, the big dogs have started to get in on the act as well. In 2008, a reinvigorated Ice Cube played a free the river from Willie Nelson Boulevard, and the longest running music program in television his- tory bears the Bat City's name. When it comes to beats and rhymes however, hip-hop has long been a stepchild of the local scene. To wit, it took 36 seasons of Austin City Limits I n the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World," local Austin guitar hero Stevie Ray Vaughan is immortalized in stone just across J Cole fans," Hall explains. "Th ey're very hardcore into the music, so as a bigger artist, you can perform your material and get a really organic response, as opposed to doing your material in a stadium." Th e same is true for an artist like Talib Kweli who, according to his manager Corey Smyth, will once again use SXSW this year to hone his skills. "It's a sharpening tool," Smyth says. "Kweli knows he needs to keep show for thousands at Auditorium Shores. A year later, Big Boi, Dallas Austin, Dead Prez and others took part. Nas and Damian Marley teamed up for one of the most anticipated sets of the 2010 festival. "Th e type of people that come to SXSW are super years and co-founded Blacksmith Music with Kweli in 2006. Th e label boasts a diverse set of acts from Jean Grae to John Forte that pride them- selves on rocking the live stage. "Th e artists I work with tend to be very good performers," Smyth says. "Th e show is the force behind what we do, and that makes it a good fi t for SXSW. People go down there to see artists that can really give a good show." his presence there because he wants to try new things out. He may not be the newest artist, but he always has new things to try." Smyth has worked closely with Mos Def and De La Soul over the 32 SXSW ORLD / M ARCH M USIC 201 1 Riders Against the Storm B.o.B. fi rst time in 2011, conducting a panel on how young artists can brand themselves and sponsoring a showcase featuring B.o.B., J Cole and other young artists. Austin newcomers Riders Against the Storm are among the fi rst- time performers on the bill this year, and rapper Jbro is grateful for the opportunity. "Everything an artist is looking for is here," he says. "For us, SXSW is really about building relationships and trying to meet folks in our bracket and also folks that are a little bit ahead of us so we can build some networks and expand what we do. Th e opportunity is there; we just need to make it happen." ■ For showcase information, check out SXSW.com or get SXSW GO, the SXSW2011 mobile app, at sxsw.com/mobile. lover this is heaven for you," he gushes. "Whether it's R&B, hip-hop or rock & roll, and you enjoy live music, this is where you want to be." Th e urban music giant is offi cially throwing down at SXSW for the BET senior music programmer Kelly Griffi n agrees. "If you're a music WUZ GOOD

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