June 16th - Apache Cafe Hip Hop Jam Session I

Awww Man! People, last night was so packed full of activity that I'm going to have to break this particular venue up into three smaller bite-sized pieces. In all humility, I ask that you hang with me and give me some love by clicking through to II and III.

Riding out, listening to Mos Def's latest project, The Ecstatic , which we just happened to score at Moods Music, we decided to check out the Hip Hop Jam Session at a little spot in downtown Atlanta called Apache Cafe. (Go Apaches! Go, Go Apaches!) Downtown Atlanta, admittedly, is a little sketchy after dark as all downtown areas tend to be. I still can't get over the shock of seeing obvious prostitutes just decorating the corners of the street. Even more shocking is the fact that they are men dressed as women seeking compensation for whatever "gifts" they are offering. When the police roll by, they scatter like roaches. Crazy, absolutely crazy, but I digress.

We arrived at about midnight to a stage full of white t-shirted young men milling around, passing a blunt, chanting a chorus about their N-words. I didn't have high hopes for the rest of the night. I sighed, shook my head and sipped my signature vodka martini with extra olives. The bartendress, Lakisha, saw my disappointment and we held a conversation about the displaced animosity towards women amidst the ridiculous amount of affection for fellow men. This social phenomenon which tends to rear its ugly head in Hip-Hop over and over again always begs the question of sexuality in my mind. Kind of reminds me of of The Boondock's "Gangstalicious" episodes or that time in L.A. where I accidentally found myself in a bar filled with homosexual gangsters. I don't have a problem with any one's choice in a sexual partner, but don't hate on women just because men are your preference, okay?

After the N-words left the stage, I noticed that there were actual musicians on stage instead of just a DJ. That was a plus. The host for the evening began to invite people to showcase their talents on the open mic. A couple of different cats went up followed by a Lil Wayne wannabe who didn't do a bad job, plus the martini was kicking in. I found myself swaying to the impromptu beat and then I reminded myself that I should probably be capturing this stuff on video. I have no idea what this cat's name was but the video below speaks to his talent.

Go to Apache Cafe Hip Hop Jam Session II here.

Go to Apache Cafe Hip Hop Jam Session III here.