2014 St Louis Nappy Roots Live @ Gramophone Presented by Ink Gallery

What:
Nappy Roots Live! Proceeds benefit Yeyo Arts Collective
LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE!

When:
Saturday May 17 8PM Doors Open

Where:
The Gamophone
4243 Manchester Rd
St. Louis, MO, 63110



Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Nappyness: In an economically recessed climate, Nappy Roots has joined the rest of the nation in trying to understand and work through financial and emotional struggles. No stranger to challenges, this four-man collective from Kentucky tackled their obstacles and, in the process, their self-honest work emerged in form of 5 studio albums and 10 mix-tapes. As usual, Nappy Roots examine our alienable rights, reason, and truth through lyrical originality and voyage.



Since Nappy Roots entered the music scene in 1998, they have remained real, humble, talented guys with inherent, undeniable southern swagger. After the international success of Watermelon, Chicken, & Grits, selling over 3 million albums, the members of Nappy Roots were flying high while still acutely aware of how far it could be to the bottom should they fall. It is that practical and genuine presence of mind that helped them sustain touring as a group these last ten years. Building a vastly loyal fan-base nationwide, fans and friends can be used interchangeably when referring to their army of followers.



For most people, it is normal to only share intimate moments with friends, but for the members of Nappy, it is no different when in their living room, studio, or on stage, as they possess the gift of honesty and deliver that message with charisma. That truthfulness is especially reflected in this compilation inspired and written for this moment in time.

After severing ties with Atlantic Record and going independent, it was inevitable change was his own for solo efforts. Nappy Roots had no choice but to keep it moving and did so as smoothly as possible. As the saying goes, “the show must go on,” and so it has, obstacles included.



With a heavy heart and no major label record deal, Nappy Roots knew they had to remain in pursuit of their destiny and, thus, Nappy Roots Entertainment Group was formed. The members of Nappy Roots were facing foreclosures and a mountain of stress in the jobless economy, but still they remained positive and pushed on, while never forgetting where they came from and what they had accomplished. With fans constantly communicating with the members online and at shows, the guys realized they weren’t the only ones having trouble.

With the release of their tenth mix-tape "SH!T'S BEAUTIFUL" and the departure of Big V from the group, as he left to pursue a solo career, Nappy Roots forges forward. Between touring and recording, the four-man group focuses on consistently putting out quality hip-hop.

A weak man with no vision, no diligence behind the vision, and no faith behind the diligence would have given up, but Skinny Deville, Fishscales, B. Stille and Ron Clutch did, can, and will handle this and more, all in the name of Nappy Roots.
Coming from a place of mutual respect, it didn't take long for the two crews to develop an easy working relationship. Organized Noize further simplified the process by crafting music specifically for this project, thereby eliminating the need for Nappy Roots to do anything but be lyricists.

"When we left Atlantic Records, we knew that we could handle the day-to-day business of running a record label or production company, because we had done it since college," says Skinny DeVille. "But working with Organized Noize took some of the dirty work out of the equation and let us be creative without the pressure." It also helped that Nappy Roots new that the quality of the production was going to surpass their expectations, which gave them the motivation to perform at the highest level lyrically.

"Working with Nappy Roots feels like a continuation of a movement that began when a bunch of us from the South, especially in the Dungeon Family, decided that we had something to say about Southern culture to the Hip-Hop world," says Ray Murray of Organized Noize.

The final product is an album that is equally representative of Nappy Roots and Organized Noize's respective creative identities, hence the name Nappy Dot Org. It is natural and organic, a melding of free thoughts over cutting edge musical concepts. The album's sound incorporates everything that has created the South's musical legacy, from the church organs to the heavy bass.

From the light-hearted "Y'all Party" to the sonically rich "Congratulations," the album captures an effortless maturity that is also relatable to younger listeners. Each of the songs manages to provide it's own vibe. "Hey Love," for example, finds Nappy Roots open, emotional and vulnerable in a way rappers are very rarely seen. The song's honesty and raw emotion are as organic and authentic as any of the other tracks on the album, adding another layer to this well-rounded offering.

"We feel that we did exactly what people would have expected from us," says B. Stille. "We knew that once our fans heard Nappy Roots was working on an album with Organized Noize, the expectations would be crazy. And we worked hard to deliver on that anticipation."

By far one of the most underrated Hip-Hop acts to have emerged over the past few years, their accomplishments and the milestones they've reached are the stuff of often-referenced Hip-Hop legacies. But theirs remains a legacy that isn't celebrated nearly as much as it should be… at least not by the "industry." The fans, on the other hand, recognize just what sets Nappy Roots apart: consistency. In addition to their two independent releases – The Humdinger and Pursuit Of Nappyness, released in 2008 and 2010 respectively– Nappy Roots has provided their fans with new music every year since 2004, amassing a total of no less than 10 full-length albums and mixtapes.

To support these releases, the group has also maintained one of the most active touring schedules in Hip-Hop, performing a total of 200 dates in 2010 alone. The heavy touring has not only helped to keep Nappy Roots ever present in the minds of their continually expanding fan base, it has provided them a wider perspective on life, which in turn allows them to create music for a wider audience than most Hip-Hop act have access to.

Of course, throughout their work, Nappy Roots has never abandoned its dedication to service and education. Since it was first proclaimed a statewide holiday in Kentucky in 2002, the group has celebrated "Nappy Roots Day," on September 16, as an opportunity to share impart the importance of education to younger fans. Of course, this band of brothers, whose friendship was forged on the campus of West Kentucky University, doesn't limit their dedication to promoting higher learning to that one day of the year. In addition to their constant speaking engagements, they are currently finalizing plans to launch a 7-week camp that will take a small group of middle school and high school students on a tour of Kentucky colleges and universities.

Until the September 27 release of Nappy Dot Org you can keep up with Nappy Roots via Twitter: @NappyRoots @fishscales @ronclutch @KYBuffalo @SkinnyDeville