Where: Fox California Theater, 239 Main St., Oldtown Salinas.Stalin, Jacka and Salinas rapper Mic Quin perform live What: Rappers Andre Nickatina, San Quinn, J.All sealed in the circle of the game.”ĬONCERT After he finished playing basketball, he might want to coach, or he might be a general manager, but it”s still going to be in the notion of the game. It all comes down to his passion for the rap game, much like a former NBA star. “Booty Star” is accompanied by a DVD with video of “pretty girls dancing,” as he puts it. Next up for Nickatina is movies, although he wasn”t specific on any plans. “For real, I just want to throw a little more artistry up there so people can say, ”Maybe I like this picture, or maybe I don”t like this picture.” I definitely try to give a little more face value when it comes to artistry on the album covers.” I don”t want to see my face,” he said jokingly. “The reason for the imagery on the album covers comes from the fact that (pause) don”t nobody want to see my face. Whether depicting a crucifixion, using an innocent, school-age self-portrait, or a stark illustration of an evil-eyed eagle, Nickatina”s album covers give interesting representations of his unique talent.Īs mysterious as they appear, his reasoning for the artwork is equally frank. To tell you the truth, I”d rather be up on stage somewhere, kicking it, than working some job.”Īs much a part of his game is his minimalist marketing strategy. He plays basketball and I”m sure he put in a lot of community stuff out there. If you a rap cat or you a musician, you just go and you do shows,” he said. He regularly packs The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, where his high-powered shows are a hot ticket. His constant touring has earned him a devoted Central Coast fan base. So that comes across in the rhyme, I guess.” “Growing up, I was a reader and a writer, not necessarily schoolwise, but growing up I was a reader and a writer. That”s just it,” he said, sounding very much like the confident, slick-talking MC that shows up on records. When pressed, he is reluctant to lay claim to any sort of creative process. That is part of his appeal - fans know that Nickatina is not interested in presenting one side of the story. His signature songs, including the street anthem “Smoke Dope and Rap” and the woozy, psychedelic “Ayo (For Yayo),” make passing reference to cocaine abuse that set his style apart from typical Bay Area street rap. Nickatina”s raps are filled with super-charged pimp talk and aggressive tales of sexploits and elicit drug use. Local rapper Mic Quin is also on the bill. Nickatina, along with fellow San Francisco rapper San Quinn and Pittsburg-rapper Jacka, will headline the Fox Theater Friday night in Salinas. “I just don”t do interviews because they”re boring,” he later told me with a laugh, after a brief interview during which he downplayed the symbolism and messages in his music or the imagery on his album covers. On the phone, he”s just Andre, rap cat with an affinity for reading, writing and Michael Jordan references. The paranoia he conveys so expertly in his music, from his 1992 debut “Meet the New Jim Jones” to his latest release, “Booty Star,” may be more than high drama on wax. I assume that Nickatina is a man of principle, weary of media outlets twisting his words around for the purpose of sensationalism. I don”t want you recording that (expletive)!” (If you are not familiar with the Hyphy Movement, check out this article from Complex and know that you have just had your “I’m a San Franciscan” cards revoked if you were a youth in the 1990s or early 2000s.When I first ask Andre Nickatina for permission to tape an interview, he responds with a serious “Hell naw. Though Andre Nickatina is on tracks with many members of the Hyphy Movement, an offshoot of the greater hip-hop world that finds its origins here in the Bay Area in the early 2000s, Nickatina himself remained steadfast in his approach to more lyrical rap music. Andre Nickatina is not only in that list ( literally, according to Culture Trip), he has songs with most of them. Then there’s MC Hammer, E-40, Keak Da Sneak, Rappin’ 4-Tay, Zion I, and Too $hort, each of whom should be considered among any legitimate list of the greats. Over the years, this region has played a major roll in the lives of some of the industry’s superstars, like Tupac who attending Tamalpais High School while living in Marin City with members of the Black Panther Party or the infamous Mac Dre who sparked a movement in hip-hop culture, only to suffer a tragic and untimely death. The San Francisco Bay Area has a rich history when it comes to rap music.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |