Image via Complex Original
With the Budweiser Made in America Festival currently circling its hometown of Philadelphia upon Jay Z-helmed, Clydesdale-drawn chariots, it only makes sense to continue our “On the Rise” tour with Philly.
With music history stretching back past the historic Philadelphia International Records, which had a major hand in developing ’70s soul, funk, and disco, the city has always done things its own way. In the ’80s and ’90s, artists as diverse as Schoolly D, the Roots, Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff, Boyz II Men, Beanie Sigel, and Eve all helped shape the national hip-hop and R&B conversation from the City of Brotherly Love.
Even so, Philly’s long had to pull itself up by its bootstraps. Hip-hop’s ascendant stars and scrappy rock bands all built their own scenes here, and musicians stuck together long enough to actually build a community that has thrived largely without outside pressure to change. As Kevin O’Halloran, the guitarist for local pop-punk band Little Big League, told us, “There’s always been this ethos—the DIY mentality here seems to really take ground. People are just doing it for the love of it.” So with that in mind, let’s jump in to the people and places of Philadelphia that make its music scene what it is today.
Meek Mill
The hip-hop industry has been good to Meek Mill in the past few years. No one in the Philly hip-hop scene has even come close to matching his success or his loyalty in representing Philadelphia. Born and raised in North Philly, Meek came up with a number of mixtapes, catching the eye of T.I.’s Grand Hustle label before quickly switching over to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group. “Amen,” the first single off his latest record, is up there with even the best gospel-sampling of Kanye’s early catalog. With the artist currently locked up until October, his highly anticipated album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, will most likely be postponed past its initial release date of September. Here’s to hoping that both Meek and the record are out soon.
Kurt Vile
In a city that’s chock full of charming lo-fi acts, Kurt Vile is probably the most well known of the bunch. A former member of the equally loved and dreary-eyed band The War on Drugs, Vile has put out a number of cult-favorite records like Constant Hitmaker and Smoke Ring for My Halo, but his last full-length, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, was by far his biggest commercial success, making him somewhat of a spokesperson for the Philly rock scene.
Santigold
Almost immediately after she released her first album, Santi White, a.k.a. Santigold, went on to tour with M.I.A., Bjork, Coldplay, Jay Z, Kanye, and the Beastie Boys. With a third album rumored to be in the works, she has also been busy as of late curating shows and developing her own cosmetics and sock lines. Her collaborative nature solidifies her position as a definite standout in the Philly music scene.
Spank Rock
Naeem Juwan, better known as Spank Rock, has been making music for the underground scene since his debut record, Yoyoyoyoyo, came out in 2006. Often considered as an early force in “post-millennial” hip-hop, Juwan (and his former co-producer Alex Epton, a.k.a. XXXChange) mixed Baltimore club, Miami bass, and other dance styles in Spank Rock’s gritty sound. With a second record under his belt and a third seemingly on the way, the Baltimore native turned Philly convert has also collaborated regularly with Boys Noize, Santigold, and Le1f.
Noah Breakfast
Noah Breakfast got his start as one half of alternative hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang, as a producer and beat-smith known for sampling indie hits like MGMT’s “Kids.” After a few years of successful growth and touring, Breakfast decided to focus strictly on production, and it seems like that was a good call; nowadays he’s busy producing tracks for Big Sean, Ellie Goulding, and Wet.
R5 Productions
If you’re familiar with the punk scene in Philly then you’ve heard of, or been to shows at, the iconic First Unitarian Church. Since the late ’90s, shows here have been booked by R5 Productions—a brainchild of former punk rocker Sean Agnew, which came about as a way to solve a simple problem: There weren’t enough medium-sized venues and all-ages shows in Philly. By booking shows at unexpected places—basement shows, house parties, and churches—R5 was able to contribute to the development of a thriving DIY music scene. Today, R5 books shows featuring both local and national touring bands at Union Transfer, the new Boot & Saddle, and plenty of other local venues.
Diplo
DJ, producer, label head, and taste-maker Diplo may not spend as much time exclusively in Philly as he used to, but he and his Mad Decent label both got their starts in Philly, and they continue to rep the city with plenty of respect and enthusiasm. If anything, both he and Mad Decent do their best to cover whatever might remotely inspire a positive party mindset, from baile funk to moombahton to hip-hop.
PhilaMOCA
Even though Mad Decent moved its base of operations to L.A. a few years ago, they got their start in a former tombstone display room in North Philly at the Finney & Son building. In 2010, the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (PhilaMOCA) took over the space, and it remains a rad live music, performance, and art space. They still embody the Philadelphia DIY mentality, hosting a bevy of all-ages punk shows, parties, film screenings, and performances.
Philadelphia Record Exchange
Since 1985, Philadelphia Record Exchange (or P.R.E./ P.R.X. depending on which local you ask) has been dishing out records and cassettes to Philadelphia’s music fans of all stripes. Last year they moved from their original location on South Fifth Street, just off of the highly tourist-trafficked South Street, to a new, larger location in Fishtown. The store still has a huge selection of used vinyl, and Jacy Webster and his team have thoughtfully curated the vinyl and cassettes they have on display, with plenty of psych rock, jazz, R&B, as well as new releases from local acts.
Hop Along
A local rock band that has more than played its fair share of R5 shows is Hop Along. This band is fronted by Frances Quinlan and backed by her brother Mark Quinlan on drums, Tyler Long on bass and Joe Reinhart on guitar, and they have developed quite a fervent following in Philly for their indie folk-rock sound. They’ve recently backed up the classic Philly art rock band mewithoutYou on tour, and rumor has it that they’re working on new tunes.