Topic: Reach| Ink KC.
- May 15, 2008 08:45pm by Reach. - Peace and oneness,
www.emceereach.com
www.myspace.com/reach
www.twitter.com/emceereach
www.youtube.com/reachtv
www.cdbaby.com/cd/reachmusic2
www.cdbaby.com/cd/reachmusic Location: Kansas City
[b:f942eb567d]Artist preview: Reach[/b:f942eb567d]
May 14, 2008 12:00:00 am
by trevan mcgee
{ ink }
A handful of hip-hop emcees forgo booties, hos and bling in favor of such bigger issues as societal decay and spirituality. Brooklyn has Mos Def. Chicago has Common. Kansas City has Reach.
Across his two full-length albums, 2004's "Joys, Disappointments and the In-between" and 2007's "Corner Speech," Reach — whose given name is Stacy D. Smith — has established himself as a thoughtful, deliberate emcee with conviction to spare on such subjects as body image, his grandfather and consumer hip hop.
"It's pandering to whatever labels are willing to invest in," he said. "It illuminates money and women –– no truth to that. It feeds into the pathology of hip hop."
But despite appearances at Warped Tour, opening for international acts such as the The Roots, The Pharcyde and Blackalicious, and winning the Scion Next Up contest in 2005, national success and a major-label deal continue to elude Reach.
"Yeah, it's frustrating. Everybody wants to be heard, but if you don't fit in that box, they don't want anything to do with you," he said.
Reach isn't discouraged. He's starting another round of shows in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, and he's on the Warped Tour lineup again this year. He also plans to hit a few places in Florida, Minnesota and New York.
Nobody likes paying dues, but it's the price of admission for an artist who's unwilling to compromise.
"If the choice was between selling out and staying around here," he said, "I'll pick here any time."
Catch a Reach show
•9 p.m. Friday: The Brick, 1727 McGee St., with Deep Thinkers and Approach
1 p.m. Saturday: Macedonia Baptist Church, 2455 Benton Blvd.
7:30 p.m. Saturday: Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., Lawrence with Russell Robinson and friends graduation celebration. With Chief Rocker Busy Bee and DJ Ice, Mac Lethal, a surprise guest, Miles Bonny, Joc Max and DJ Hylanda
10 p.m. Saturday: The Riot Room, 4048 Broadway St., with Deep Thinkers, C.E.S. Cru, Sephiroph and Vertigon
More info: myspace.com/reach or emceereach.com
(http://www.inkkc.com/article/253)
(page 24 of the hard copy)
- May 31, 2008 06:20am by thePhantom* - Vessel for the muse.
http://phantastic.me
Good look bro!
