Tag: Bashiri Asad

They call our city Nap because it’s the most slept-on city in America.

This is Native Sun’s answer to the question of how Indianapolis came to be nicknamed Nap Town. All too often, Indy locals lose faith in the spirit of their city and insist it’s named so because it’s a sleepy metropolis in the Midwest with nothing to do or see. This cultural crippling has subdued the drive to create in much of the city’s talent by bogging down artists with despair and leaving them with little hope for a chance to gain national recognition.

But the native sons of Native Sun have a different outlook on their city of Nap. It is their belief that Indianapolis harbors a wealth of talent, particularly in the vein of hip hop. Leading by example, the band envisions that traditional hip hop elements (compelling lyricism, dusty samples, dope beats) paired with the versatility of live instrumentation has the potential to create music that sounds like nothing before it.

Leveraging more than 20 years of combined experience as professional musicians and performers, B Meeks (bass), Sleepy (drums) and B Young (emcee) began to intertwine their musical backgrounds within the context of hip hop when Native Sun formed in 2008. The resourceful musicians draw from their familiarity in gospel, rock, electronic, jazz and soul, creating music that sounds much bigger than what one would expect from a 3 piece act. It is this solid foundation in live music (as compared to produced beats) that sets Native Sun apart from other hip hop groups.

Through their vision to be an example of success to artists in Indianapolis and similar places, Native Sun has earned a reputation as a first call backing band in the Indianapolis hip hop scene. They’ve had the honor of performing with Elzhi of Slum Village and DJ Logic, as well as opening for Foreign Exchange, Musiq Soulchild, Mayer Hawthorne, Black Milk and Muhsinah. After putting in more than 30 hours of grinding in the studio, Native Sun released its full-length debut album, Step Into The Light in August of 2012. Continuing to further push their creative limits, the band looks forward to releasing, The Undeniable EP and subsequent tour to follow in the Spring and Summer of 2014.

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7the Studio Album FromSince his 2007 debut as the frontman for Indian City Weather, Sirius Blvck has been leaving his mark on the Indianapolis music scene as one of the city’s premier emcees. With Indiana City Weather, Sirius released two album that blended the group’s diverse backgrounds in hip-hop, funk, and rock. In 2012, Sirius released his debut solo mixtape titled Smoke in the Trees, which was followed by the first two of three albums with producer Bones of Ghosts. Around this time, Blvck began surrounding himself with like-minded emcees such as John Stamps and formed the Ghost Town Collective. Having laid the foundation for success, Sirius has teamed up with Rad Summer for the forthcoming release of Light in the Attic, his third album with Bones of Ghosts Indianapolis Rapper Sirius Blvck.

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From the inception of the Birdmen of Alcatraz, to the pre-super stardom scribble jam battles against greats such as Eminem, to the decade long takeover of the Indianapolis Hip-Hop scene by The Mudkids, to the present day where the name Rusty Redenbacher can be heard on WTLC, seen on IMC TV, and deciphered in blog and viral posts felt around the world, the founding member of The Mudkids, Lazarus, and Tornado Alley #ATFU.

Whether it be the thousands of albums Rusty has sold as the head of The Mudkids, the fan admiration and communal support that constantly has voted him as Indy’s Top Artist, the large quantity of free music Rusty had given away to the masses while introducing his #ATFU movement or the vast experiences gained while performing alongside legends including the Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, Dead Prez, Blackalicious, Atmosphere, and more, one thing that is for certain, legions of Hip-Hop, Rock, Funk, Reggae, and Dubstep fans alike are ready to embrace Rusty.

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Mr. Kinetik is an experimental multi-genre songwriter, instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The name was chosen out of a love for physics, specifically Newtonian kinetic energy principles where kinetic energy is simply the energy of motion. The ending “k” was chosen, as Mr. Kinetik describes:

“I really just thought it looked better than the ‘c’ at the end when it was on paper. I figured that out while doodling in 7th grade. As far as choosing kinetic energy as the basis, I wanted to stay connected to what I loved about music: the movement. As long as I can remember, I’ve moved whenever I heard music. I make music to keep track of what I feel; I make the sounds a reflection of those feelings and how I am moved at the time. And I hope that it moves other people as well. I believe in all of the music I make. It stands as a point of reference for who I am as life changes and goes on.”

Born into a family filled with music lovers and musicians, music has long been a cornerstone in Mr. Kinetik’s life. The music created is an assemblage of many influences from all genres and styles with a heavy dose of thoughtful lyricism designed to improve the lives of people everywhere. The ultimate message in the music is a message of peace and positivity through self-awareness and dedication to improving the world around us through well-planned action and motion.

Mr. Kinetik has completed several solo projects including The Isolator EP (2010), Sounds of Soul (2011), and Clockwork (2011) along with collaborations with #ATFU crew emcee Eratic (The Green Hornet released in 2010 and the forthcoming album UV Lounge) and The Professor And The Hustler (2010) with fellow #ATFU crew emcee, Rusty Redenbacher. The core philosophy of #ATFU can be linked to “all the family united” and “altogether for us” as a rallying cry signifying a commitment to community development and progress not only in music, but through everyday life. #ATFU is comprised of Gentleman Alphonse, A. Sky, Dotta, Son of Thought, Feeray, Eratic, Rusty Redenbacher, and Mr. Kinetik. Mr. Kinetik is also the DJ for the Indianapolis hip-hop group Native Sun and a member of Indianapolis’ own s.a.i.n.t. RECON. He is a member of the Old S.O.U.L. Entertainment family with close working ties to Douglas “Sir Doug” Morris.

In addition to solo and group projects, Mr. Kinetik has collaborated with many artists as a DJ, producer, musician, or featured emcee. The Indianapolis-inspired composition “Our City” was released as a featured song in The 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee XLVI Indy Music Project. Mr. Kinetik, along with Rusty Redenbacher, was recognized as a 2013 featured artist of Art & Soul 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Art & Soul is a celebration of African-American art and artists in Indiana.

Mr. Kinetik’s latest musical work Expressions was released independently on October 22, 2013 and is available at Mr. Kinetik’s Bandcamp site. The 2012 release Black Hole Rap earned 4/5 stars from NUVO’s Rachel Hanley upon its release, October 22, 2012.

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Clint Breeze is the brain child of Indianapolis native and Hip Hop Producer, Carrington Clinton. With Jazz and Soul influenced sounds, Heavy drum compositions and with a balance of raw and catchy rhythm and melody, Clint Breeze makes music for the soul.

The Groove:

Nick Tucker – Bass
Joel Tucker – Guitar
Jared Thompson – Sax
Jay Higginson – Trumpet
Reggie Bishop – Keys
Jamar Bowers – MC
Theon Lee – MC

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Acknowledging that each of us has a priceless gift that we must connect to and share with the world, Bashiri has been cultivating a relationship with his voice since childhood. From shoo-wop style singing groups and classical vocal training, to performances local and abroad, his vocal prowess has been growing into the soul-stirring entity it is known as today. The influences of Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding echo in his performance, and those coupled with his own strength and passion have come together to create his version of true soul music, termed “IndySoul.” Seeking to join the ranks of other independent artists looking to breathe new life into the soul music scene, Bashiri has begun to make a name for himself, not just around the region, but around the world. Humble in his approach, relentless in his delivery, you have to experience it to truly understand.
“Music is my weapon of choice, what’s yours?”

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Huckleberry Funk is a high-powered funk, rock, and soul band based in Bloomington, Indiana. Their live shows have earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting and entertaining live performances in the Midwest.

Hailing from Long Island, Pittsburgh, Boston, Bloomington and Junction City, Kansas, the members of Huckleberry Funk were brought together by their shared love for all things funk. After meeting at a basement jam, founding members Lex Lindsey (drums), Meg Shedlak (vocals) and Mike Gronsky (guitar) started writing music together, where the band’s beginning was sparked. Later joined by Matt McConahay (bass) and Alex Dura (saxophone, keys), Huckleberry Funk took full form in the Spring of 2016.

At the heart of a Huckleberry Funk show, the audience can expect to hear power-house female vocals, face-melting guitar solos, a crisp, East coast-style horn section, and rock-solid grooves. Drawing inspiration from artists like Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Tower of Power, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, their unique, feel-good sound is equally funky, soulful, and hard-hitting.

Although fresh on the scene, Huckleberry Funk has headlined shows at top local venues and drawn attention from premier acts like, The Vallures, NOLA favorites Water Seed, and hometown heroes The Main Squeeze. Continuously writing new music and honing their live performance, Huckleberry Funk is quickly building a diverse and loyal fan base as they transition from local, high-energy bar band into a premiere national act.

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Ed Lanier is a new artist set to pave his way into the music scene as well as the hearts of music lovers, with a fusion of rock, soul, funk, and jazz.

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