I’ve been meaning to write this article for the past few days, but due to a hangover, homework, and exams I couldn’t get around to it ’til today…and just as I began to crack my knuckles, I got an email from this guy who really wanted to get me to listen to Chris Webby who’s also from Connecticut.
I immediately got this feeling like CT is the spot right now for hip hop. The fact that it’s close (but not too close) to New York and Boston works in it’s favor. Not to knock anyone’s hood or nothin’, but the dope thing about CT Hip Hop is that it’s so varied. For traditional hip hop heads you have more traditional MC’s like J. River and Apathy, but then you also got Chris Webby for the young college crowd, and Flowers & Kain?… Well, they got rock (and the accompanying white girls) held down.
This past Saturday (just after the UConn Men’s Basketball team showed off their free throw skills in the Final Four…congratulations lady Huskies) my girlfriend Vanessa and I went to see a Flowers & Kain show in Stash’s in New London. I spoke with Bobby (B-Flow) and Ryan (Killah Kain) for a bit before their set and congratulated them on their continued success. We talked a bit about the first time we saw them open up for Ne-Yo and how there aren’t any more rappers like 2pac anymore.
I mean…maybe hip-hop today doesn’t want anymore 2pac’s. Nah…I don’t buy that..but one thing’s for sure, hip-hop is waaaaay different than it was in ‘Pac’s day. What would ‘Pac think about Kid Sister? What would he think about Mickey Avalon? Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em?!
I’m not trying to police hip-hop…I see change as innevitable. Hip-Hop will change and branch out and I encourage you to embrace it, because when done properly, you get groups like Flowers & Kain. All you aspiring MC’s out there…you can learn a lot about rocking a show from these cats…and you can learn it just as much from Ryan (lead guitar) as from Bobby Flow.
Every show I’ve ever seen, the club ends up kicking everyone out because these guys play to about a minute til closing time…but that’s only cuz the crowd demands it. And they’re approachable. They like their fans and their fans love them.
I really recommend you all catch one of their shows this Spring/Summer. Below are some of their upcoming show dates…the crowd is always cool…check them out. You’ll have a good time, I promise. Big shouts to F&K!
- Flowers & Kain UPCOMING SHOW DATES:
April 26, 2009 — 8:00 pm – Fat Baby’s (New York, NY)
May 2, 2009 — 9:00 pm – Up or On The Rocks (Hartford, CT)
May 10, 2009 — 5:00 pm – Hannafin’s w/ Colin Monroe (New London)
August 2, 2009 — 1:00 pm – 7th Annual Chanawongse Scholarship Run (Waterford, CT)
- Check out Flowers and Kain songs and lyrics at TSOHH
- Visit their Official Myspace Page or search for them on iTunes.
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