OAKLAND — Sunspot Jonz, the stage name for Cory Johnson, doesn't have kind words for commercial hip-hop and the radio stations that promote it. "It's conditioning. They play ignorant music promoting misogyny and hella hatred. They play it over and over. Kids listen to it and think that's how they are supposed to act and think," Jonz said. "This music has created a fake reality for so many kids. It's corporate thuggery."
Jonz may have some of the trappings associated with mainstream hip-hop — he wears a black baseball cap backwards and to the side, a black hooded sweatshirt and a diamond earring. But about 15 seconds after he opens his mouth, it's obvious he has a radically different vision of hip-hop.
"I want to get people back to thinking," he said. "The music is a way out, not a way in. It's not a way into the club but a way out of what you see."
Jonz was pulling together the loose ends before tonight's Broke Ass Summer Jam featuring 12 artists from the underground hip-hop scene. In addition to radio and newspaper interviews, he was arranging for a TV broadcast of the concert, doing a video of the behind-the-scenes preparations and preparing for a Colorado tour.
"We leave 8 a.m. the morning after the show," Jonz said, smiling at the impossibly hectic schedule. It's all part of what he calls urban guerrilla marketing.
"It's about materializing stuff you feel is impossible," he said. "Taking it from the block to around the world."
He only has to refer to his own experience. As the duo Mystik Journeymen, Jonz and Luckyiam.PSC started out dubbing their tapes at home, copying covers on Xerox machines and having the tapes shrink-wrapped at Leopold's music store. In the summer of 1996, their "Never Forget" was the top-selling tape.
"It was always sold out at Leopold's," he said.
They started producing concerts of other independent hip-hop artists ignored by radio stations and created a magazine, "Unsigned and Hella Broke," referring to the fact they were not signed with record companies. They threw weekly parties at La Pena and a grand finale concert, the Broke Ass Summer Jam, which started in Oakland and regularly sold out the Fillmore and Maritime Hall venues in San Francisco.
"We charged $3.99 to get in with a pack of Top Ramen. At first we were eating the Top Ramen; I ain't going to lie. No one was eating pork so we said, 'No pork Top Ramen,'" he recalled, laughing.
In the process, Living Legends, a group of eight independent hip-hop artists, including Jonz and Luckyiam.PSC, came together.
"We blew up in 2002, 2003," Jonz said, describing the group's international popularity. They have toured in Australia, Japan, Canada and across the United States. "We felt we'd done everything we could do in the Bay and it was time to leave." The group headed for Los Angeles.
But Jonz never completely left — he commutes between the two cities. And when he saw the underground hip-hop community dissipating, he decided to bring the Broke Ass Summer Jam back to Oakland.
"This is where it started. People are dying to see underground hip-hop. We want to rebuild the underground scene," he said.
Jonz thinks of himself primarily as a writer.
"I write lyrics, music, screenplays, plays. They are different media for me as a writer." He stressed the phrase "empowering yourself with words."
He said La Pena taught him the concept of building a community.
"There I understood the
underground was dealing with issues facing our community, that we were building a community," he said.
While they have a loyal fan base, Jonz decries the fact independent hip-hop artists and their progressive messages are not more popular.
"Ignorance sells. But that's not who we are," he said. "This isn't about being hyphy and dumb." He called the Bay Area's progressive tradition inspirational.
"It's a struggle all the way around, a struggle against the system or a struggle just to be yourself," he said.
Living Legends is joined by 11 other independent hip-hop artists at 7 p.m. tonight at Historic Sweet's Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. An "Unsigned and Hella Broke" Summit at 3 p.m. will explore independent and underground marketing strategies with Davey D. The summit is free, the concert is $15-$20. All ages are welcome.
Listings
-Today — Building the New East Span, black and white photographs by Joseph A. Blum, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 2nd floor West Corridor (check in with third floor receptionist), 101 Eighth St., Oakland (at Lake Merritt BART station). Exhibit through Jan. 5, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-Tonight — Anna W. Edwards Paintings, opening reception, 5:30 to 8 p.m.; artist talk Sept. 10, 3 to 5 p.m., Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibit through Sept. 30, gallery hours Wednesday through Friday noon to 7 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m.
-Tonight — "Welcome Home," new work by James S. Pitt, Carson Murdach and John Tracy, opening reception, 5 to 9 p.m., Ego Park Gallery, 492 23rd St., Oakland. Exhibit through Sept. 27, gallery hours Sundays 2 to 5 p.m. Free.
-Tonight — "Jugglers of Color" features the work of Albert Hwang, Douglas Light and Sue Averell, artists' reception, 5 to 9 p.m., Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. Exhibit through Oct. 2. Visit http://www.estebansabar.com for gallery hours.
-Saturday — New Visions: Introductions 2006, Pro Arts annual juried exhibit, noon to 6 p.m., Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. Free. Last day.
-Sunday — Porter Sessions, featuring the faculty of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 6:30 p.m., Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Sliding scale donations $7 to $21 fund youth programs at the conservatory.
-Wednesday through Sept. 10 — 2nd International Small Film Festival, screening 36 juried films from around the world, screenings begin each day at 7:30 p.m., daytime installations Thursday through Sunday, Berkeley Art Center Gallery, 1275 Walnut St., in Live Oak Park, Berkeley, $2 to $10 film screenings. Visit http://www.berkeleyartcenter.org for more information.
-Thursday — Chroma Collective artists and two guests, gala opening reception, 5 to 9 p.m., artists talks, Sept. 9 and 23, Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave., Berkeley. Exhibit through Oct. 1.
Jonz may have some of the trappings associated with mainstream hip-hop — he wears a black baseball cap backwards and to the side, a black hooded sweatshirt and a diamond earring. But about 15 seconds after he opens his mouth, it's obvious he has a radically different vision of hip-hop.
"I want to get people back to thinking," he said. "The music is a way out, not a way in. It's not a way into the club but a way out of what you see."
Jonz was pulling together the loose ends before tonight's Broke Ass Summer Jam featuring 12 artists from the underground hip-hop scene. In addition to radio and newspaper interviews, he was arranging for a TV broadcast of the concert, doing a video of the behind-the-scenes preparations and preparing for a Colorado tour.
"We leave 8 a.m. the morning after the show," Jonz said, smiling at the impossibly hectic schedule. It's all part of what he calls urban guerrilla marketing.
"It's about materializing stuff you feel is impossible," he said. "Taking it from the block to around the world."
He only has to refer to his own experience. As the duo Mystik Journeymen, Jonz and Luckyiam.PSC started out dubbing their tapes at home, copying covers on Xerox machines and having the tapes shrink-wrapped at Leopold's music store. In the summer of 1996, their "Never Forget" was the top-selling tape.
"It was always sold out at Leopold's," he said.
They started producing concerts of other independent hip-hop artists ignored by radio stations and created a magazine, "Unsigned and Hella Broke," referring to the fact they were not signed with record companies. They threw weekly parties at La Pena and a grand finale concert, the Broke Ass Summer Jam, which started in Oakland and regularly sold out the Fillmore and Maritime Hall venues in San Francisco.
"We charged $3.99 to get in with a pack of Top Ramen. At first we were eating the Top Ramen; I ain't going to lie. No one was eating pork so we said, 'No pork Top Ramen,'" he recalled, laughing.
In the process, Living Legends, a group of eight independent hip-hop artists, including Jonz and Luckyiam.PSC, came together.
"We blew up in 2002, 2003," Jonz said, describing the group's international popularity. They have toured in Australia, Japan, Canada and across the United States. "We felt we'd done everything we could do in the Bay and it was time to leave." The group headed for Los Angeles.
But Jonz never completely left — he commutes between the two cities. And when he saw the underground hip-hop community dissipating, he decided to bring the Broke Ass Summer Jam back to Oakland.
"This is where it started. People are dying to see underground hip-hop. We want to rebuild the underground scene," he said.
Jonz thinks of himself primarily as a writer.
"I write lyrics, music, screenplays, plays. They are different media for me as a writer." He stressed the phrase "empowering yourself with words."
He said La Pena taught him the concept of building a community.
"There I understood the
While they have a loyal fan base, Jonz decries the fact independent hip-hop artists and their progressive messages are not more popular.
"Ignorance sells. But that's not who we are," he said. "This isn't about being hyphy and dumb." He called the Bay Area's progressive tradition inspirational.
"It's a struggle all the way around, a struggle against the system or a struggle just to be yourself," he said.
Living Legends is joined by 11 other independent hip-hop artists at 7 p.m. tonight at Historic Sweet's Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. An "Unsigned and Hella Broke" Summit at 3 p.m. will explore independent and underground marketing strategies with Davey D. The summit is free, the concert is $15-$20. All ages are welcome.
Listings
-Today — Building the New East Span, black and white photographs by Joseph A. Blum, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 2nd floor West Corridor (check in with third floor receptionist), 101 Eighth St., Oakland (at Lake Merritt BART station). Exhibit through Jan. 5, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-Tonight — Anna W. Edwards Paintings, opening reception, 5:30 to 8 p.m.; artist talk Sept. 10, 3 to 5 p.m., Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibit through Sept. 30, gallery hours Wednesday through Friday noon to 7 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m.
-Tonight — "Welcome Home," new work by James S. Pitt, Carson Murdach and John Tracy, opening reception, 5 to 9 p.m., Ego Park Gallery, 492 23rd St., Oakland. Exhibit through Sept. 27, gallery hours Sundays 2 to 5 p.m. Free.
-Tonight — "Jugglers of Color" features the work of Albert Hwang, Douglas Light and Sue Averell, artists' reception, 5 to 9 p.m., Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. Exhibit through Oct. 2. Visit http://www.estebansabar.com for gallery hours.
-Saturday — New Visions: Introductions 2006, Pro Arts annual juried exhibit, noon to 6 p.m., Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. Free. Last day.
-Sunday — Porter Sessions, featuring the faculty of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 6:30 p.m., Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Sliding scale donations $7 to $21 fund youth programs at the conservatory.
-Wednesday through Sept. 10 — 2nd International Small Film Festival, screening 36 juried films from around the world, screenings begin each day at 7:30 p.m., daytime installations Thursday through Sunday, Berkeley Art Center Gallery, 1275 Walnut St., in Live Oak Park, Berkeley, $2 to $10 film screenings. Visit http://www.berkeleyartcenter.org for more information.
-Thursday — Chroma Collective artists and two guests, gala opening reception, 5 to 9 p.m., artists talks, Sept. 9 and 23, Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave., Berkeley. Exhibit through Oct. 1.
