ALARM Press » Rita J

Concert Photos: Freddie Gibbs, Shad, Rita J @ Metro (Chicago, IL)

Kyle Gilkeson — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:03:21 +0000

Gary, Indiana's gangster-rap phenom Freddie Gibbs, Canadian indie rapper Shad, and Chicago-based ALARM favorite Rita J joined forces for a recent show at Metro in Chicago. The trio of hip-hop performances was part of the annual Tomorrow Never Knows festival hosted by Schubas, Lincoln Hall, and, as of this year, Metro. (See ALARM's TNK coverage of Twin Shadow and The Helio Sequence.) And below, take a gander at the lovely shots that photographer Logan M. Futej captured images of all three lyrical luminaries.

Rita J: Lyrical Resilience Sparks Hip-Hop Evolution

Jeff Min — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Rita J: "The Address" (Artist Workshop, All Natural Records, 11/3/09)

Rita J: "The Address"

Rita J: Artist Workshop

It’s hard to argue against the fact that hip hop always has been a man’s world. Despite the fact that pioneering artists such as MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Roxanne Shante, and Monie Love set a bold precedent, many female emcees found themselves faced with two rather limiting options: either to match the bravado of their male peers with over-the-top aggressiveness, or complement it with a hyper-sexual image. Within that polarization, unique voices have often gone unheard.

Trailblazers of the 1990s like Ladybug Mecca, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu, and contemporaries including Jean Grae, Psalm One, and Georgia Anne Muldrow, have shown a more realistic perspective that highlights the artist’s individuality. This progression has provided fertile ground for a new crop of lyricists, and one of the most exciting talents to emerge from that scene is Atlanta emcee Rita Jackson, a.k.a. Rita J.

“I think there has been a lack of female emcees because the men in power would rather see eye candy and not hear what a woman has to say, so they don’t give females an opportunity to expose their music,” Jackson says.

“Women keep getting overlooked and shelved because they don’t fit into the desired mold. Women [in hip hop] either have to be portrayed extremely sexy or tomboyish, and there is no middle ground, when most females that I know are somewhere in the middle. There needs to be more balance in hip hop. I just want to showcase a different face, a different character — one that is not being represented right now. I am the change that I wish to see.”

Jackson first discovered her knack for writing while she was a student at Southern Illinois University. She spent hours at a time in her dorm room ritualistically hammering out lyrics. As she developed her craft, she discovered a sense of empowerment. “Education is knowledge, and knowledge is power,” Jackson says. “If you educate yourself, you can go far in life and accomplish great things.”

Her confidence and style quickly caught the attention of Chicago emcee Iomos Marad, who had been working with Chicago independent label All Natural, Inc. Marad then introduced Jackson to label head Anthony Fields, a.k.a. Tone B. Nimble.

There needs to be more balance in hip hop. I just want to showcase a different face, a different character — one that is not being represented right now. I am the change that I wish to see.

“Our first impression of Rita was that she rapped extremely clear, had smooth flow, and had a sweet voice,” Fields says. “We also discovered she had a vibe that would fit with All Natural Inc., which is basically to be creative and say a little something.”

Jackson soon found herself laying down heady verses for the Family Tree on the Tree House Rock project (2003). The album gave Jackson the final push that she needed to move forward and pursue a solo project. Her debut album Artist Workshop was supposed to be released sometime in late 2007 (that year saw a Japan-only edition), but technological and circumstantial mishaps continuously delayed the process.

Fields says that Jackson’s move to Miami and then Atlanta slowed the recording process. After recording in several different studios, the music files that she had on an external hard drive were accidentally destroyed. When everything was recovered, Jackson and Tone tweaked the album, updating, replacing, and remixing select beats. The final hurdle came when All Natural’s distributor, Touch & Go, shut down its distribution branch, forcing them to seek a different distribution route.

“It was so frustrating,” Jackson says. “Whenever you put time and effort and energy into something, you want to see it live. If it’s an album, you want to see it do well and hear people’s feedback. You want to perform it. And [the delays] held me back from doing that for a couple years."

“I’m working on a project now entitled She The Hard Way,” she continues. “It’s myself and four other young ladies (Boog Brown, Sa-Roc, Stahhr, and Khalilah Ali) who are from all different parts of the United States, and they come here to Atlanta. It’s produced by DJ Sol Messiah, and it’s a project about four female emcees who come together and gel and it’s all love.” In other words, it’s art imitating life.

Through Jackson’s music, she strives to connect the dots of real life and lay to rest all the unrealistic ideals that have compartmentalized female emcees for far too long. It’s a mission that any hip-hop head can appreciate, regardless of gender. Her solo album can be seen as her first attempt to balance the scales, and as she settles into different projects, it’s almost certain that it won’t be her last.

“It seems like for a minute, [women] weren’t being taken seriously,” Jackson says. “But that’s over now.”

This Week's Best Albums: November 2, 2009

Scott Morrow — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:21 +0000

Lymbyc Systym: Shutter Release (Mush)

Brothers Jared and Mike Bell have kept busy since 2007, releasing their heavily layered electro-acoustic jams on two full-length albums, a remix album, a re-released debut EP, and a split EP with This Will Destroy You.

With Shutter Release, the two showcase their continued musical development, laying tape to a new set of densely packed, melodically driven creations that lean on reappearing refrains and crescendos.

The album opens with a circular, cascading beat that gives way to one of the album's most noted additions — a clean-channel electric guitar that presents the first of innumerable melodies to follow. A glockenspiel and synthesizers join, and soon the duo's familiar brand of post-rock is in full effect.

Shutter Release succeeds with the familiar, but it expands Lymbyc Systym's catalog with mellow moments and does well to capture its live energy. Don't sleep on this release.

Mr. Chop: For Pete's Sake (Now-Again)

Coz Littler, also known as the multi-instrumentalist producer Mr. Chop, has begun making a name for himself in the States with an EP on Stones Throw and production work on MF Doom's Born Like This.

Littler can handle most of his albums' instrumentation by himself, but for his newest release, he again calls upon more studio vets for funky, jazzy, effects-fueled renditions of the beats and productions of critically acclaimed producer Pete Rock.

For Pete's Sake stands on its own as a funky good time, but for those familiar with Rock's catalog, it should prove to be doubly enjoyable.

Nile: Those Whom the Gods Detest (Nuclear Blast)

On the heels of a haunting solo album, cultural fusionist and guitarist Karl Sanders leads a new album from Nile, his extreme metal quartet with influence from ancient Egyptian themes and imagery.

A traditional Middle Eastern vocal passage makes a strange (but effective) complement to an otherwise brutal, shredding opener, but much of Those Whom the Gods Detest consists of Nile's relentless guitar fury, blazing double bass, vocal ferocity, and slowly churning chugs.

Beginning with more of Sanders' worldly influence, the title track shortly transforms to a harrowing assault of lightning-fast riffs and blast beats before working to an epic chorus. Ultimately, the track vies for title of the album's best, and it comes to typify the stylistic convergence that has separated Nile for the past 15 years.

Honorable mentions:

Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man reissue (2xLP + bonus CD, Nonesuch)
The Gift of Gab: Escape 2 Mars (Cornerstone RAS)
Lateef the Truthspeaker: Truth is Love (Dread Piper Sounds)
Nirvana: Bleach deluxe edition (Sub Pop)
Rita J: Artist Workshop (All Natural)