Hip hop artist, Virginia Beach native and one half of the hip hop group The Clipse released this album, his second, on December 18, 2015 as a lead up to his third album allegedly titled King Push.
This album comes off the heels of his 2013 debut album My Name Is My Name which was a great hip hop album, and one that impressed me to no end. Pusha T was always an MC that had flashes of great potential in his work with The Clipse and subsequent mixtapes and EPs but was never able to tie all together throughout an entire album. It was only a matter of time before that potential revealed itself in My Name Is My Name and I'm happy it did.
This album, much like his previous one, has a dark tone to it. Pusha's voice and rhymes always sounds great over a dark and gritty beat. He still carries on the drug theme that's been his calling card since the beginning but he takes a turn on the final track "Sunshine" and covers current social events, making the song the highlight of the album, although not the only highlight. The whole album comes at you hard and Pusha does not let up one bit.
Pusha T is a shining example of Hampton Roads' influence and place within hip hop and his prolonged career stands as a testament to the talent and creativity that is still present in the 757 area. He has separated himself as an artist and continues to make waves within the industry today.
The Candy Snatchers were a punk band from Norfolk, VA. Their live shows had the reputation of being chaotic, where their ferocious brand of punk would be paired with both the singer and guitarist cutting their foreheads with broken glass, bleeding profusely while performing. ( See album cover ) Also, the bassist allowed members of the audience to light his bass on fire while playing it. I wish I saw this band live just so I could've glimpsed the insanity. This release was on blood red vinyl (fitting) and was limited to 1,000 copies. This band has an extraordinary amount of output so expect future posts of them.
Nocturnal Zoo was an alternative pop band from Newport News, VA around the mid- to late '80s. I don't know much about them but they only had one full length release. The unique thing about this release is there were only 300 pressings of the album and each pressing has a different, hand drawn cover.The hype sticker on the plastic reads "One record, 300 Album Designs". I also found the label on the record to be pretty cool and unique design.
Label
I have two copies of this record. The first is the design at the top of this post. The second copy is below.
Second copy
The only video I can find of any recording by Nocturnal Zoo is this one. Not sure what release this song appeared on.
I'm starting this blog off with one of my favorite local bands from the area, Mindset. Based out of Chesapeake, VA, Mindset set themselves apart from other local bands in the area simply by having a heavier sound and provocative, creative lyrics. Their live shows were full of energy and passion. Simply put, they were one of the best local bands in the late '90s.
Mindset had been around for a couple of years before I discovered them in 1997. I attended a show at the legendary Boathouse in Norfolk, VA (to this day, still my favorite venue) and was expecting to see a different opening act. Instead, the band took the stage and Roddy Lane (vocalist) said "How's it going? We're Mindset. Let's have a good time tonight." and subsequently kicked into their set.
At first I thought, "Who the hell are these guys?", expecting another band to open the show. Once I shrugged off that question and began watching them and listening, I found myself liking what I was hearing. Their music was ferocious with an I don't give a fuck attitude about it. Once their set ended I was sold and immediately walked over to the merch table and bought their self titled album for about $10-15. After the show I put that CD in my car stereo for the ride home and couldn't believe how good the album was. It then proceeded to live in my stereo for the next 6-7 months. I shared it with my friends who also became fans of the band.
They played around town, mostly in venues I couldn't get into because I was under age. I usually caught them performing at local shows that were all ages or on a side stage for the local rock radio station FM99's festival Lunatic Luau.
In 1999, they put out their second album, A Bullet For Cinderella, and it was just as fierce and heavy as their first album. My excitement for the band became crazy. I was sure they were going to blow up and get signed to a label that would expose them to a bigger audience. Word had it that Kid Rock, who was enjoying his mainstream breakout success, had listened to Mindset and was a fan of the band. I knew it was only a matter of time.
Then, something strange happened. One day in the summer of 2000, I randomly searched the band on Amazon and came across a couple of stray singles. One was called "Running Out of West" which had all of the band's trademarks. It was new material, but no album? I found another single "Napalm Sunday" that blew me away! It was by far the best song I'd heard from them at the time. I ordered it for like $2 and couldn't wait to get it, but once it arrived it was the other song "Running Out of West". When I went back to re-order the right song, the listing was gone. After that, I heard nothing from the band. It was as if they had just disappeared. A year or so later I heard the band broke up and some of the members were playing in a new band. (I forget the name)
As disappointed as I was the band had broken up, I still listened to their albums and they still hold up for me. Their music doesn't sound dated and stale. Last month I ordered their first two albums online, needing new CDs since mine were 15 years old and scratched and played to all hell. Ripping off the cellophane and flipping through the booklets, I felt as if I were back in high school, discovering this band for the first time. Now, in my thirties, instead of feeling joy of hearing this band for the first time, I was simply excited to have newer copies to continue my appreciation for the band.
