When I emerged from my hibernation – don’t call it a comeback – one of the first people to welcome me back was Zilla Rocca, Philly’s noir-hop Mad Man. I’ve gotten to know Zilla a bit over the years, so I feel bad that my inactivity on the site meant not continuing to spread the … Continue reading Zilla Rocca: Neo Noir
It was a collaboration that was likely bound to happen, but if bringing Philly’s Zilla Rocca and Los Angeles’ Open Mike Eagle together for a show I put on last February in Phoenix helped hasten the process, then I’m proud to have played some (very) small part in the birth of this jam. “Full Spectrum … Continue reading Zilla Rocca: Full Spectrum 2 (feat. Has-Lo and Open Mike Eagle)
In the dead of Phoenix summer, when sweat trickles down body parts unknown, I typically stick to three colors for clothes: white, black and plaid. (Pro tip: Generra Hypercolor is a big mistake.) Fashion was never really my forte anyway. I strive for boring and functional – I’m content so long as I have a … Continue reading New Zilla Rocca (feat. Has-Lo): Full Spectrum
After about three dropped calls in a failed attempt to record using Google Voice, I scrapped that plan and typed as fast as possible to keep up with everything Zilla Rocca had to talk about – from the pitfalls of the scene in his hometown Philadelphia to his love of noir fiction to 5 O’Clock … Continue reading Q&A with Zilla Rocca
So inspired about their jaunt from Philly to the West Coast, Curly Castro and Zilla Rocca put together the Str8 Westcoastin’ Mix, a collection of hip-hop goodness – cover art and all – to whet the appetite for shows at the Hidden House in Phoenix on Friday and Los Angeles on Sunday. I know, these … Continue reading Curly Castro and Zilla Rocca: Str8 Westcoastin’ Mix
If I procrastinate posting about Zilla Rocca’s new Fade to Blonde: A Summer Mix the way I have the 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers’ excellent Broken Clocks EP – and I have a draft that I started in March … sorry, Zilla and Douglas – then summer will be over and, well, what would be the point? … Continue reading Zilla Rocca’s Fade to Blonde: A Summer Mix
The 37th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R., a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from MC/producer/writer Zilla Rocca, whose first solo project, Bring Me the Head of Zilla Rocca, was released Sept. 23 (a mixtape to which I give my highest recommendation). He’s also … Continue reading I Used to Love H.E.R.: Zilla Rocca
Oh … hey. How you doing? It’s been a long time! How’s the wife? The kids? Job? Great, good to hear. Let’s grab a beer and catch up, shall we? This one’s on me. I know: It’s been quiet around here. Too quiet. The last post went up in October (thank you, Harris Pittman). The … Continue reading A few words about 2013
Leave it to a former teacher to base a song/video on a literary classic. Phoenix rapper Random (aka MegaRan) left the classroom behind to make the full-time jump into music, but he can’t quite seem to shake the teaching, uh, bug. Of course, this is the man who earlier this year released an album called … Continue reading Random: Buggin’ (The Metamorphosis)
Like listening to his albums, conversations with Open Mike Eagle tend to be enlightening, thought-provoking and pretty damn hilarious. The L.A.-based emcee is due for a big year: After headlining our Friday bonanza at Hidden House as part of the Desert Viper tour with Has-Lo, he’ll head to Uganda for three weeks on a hip-hop … Continue reading Q&A: Open Mike Eagle talks hip-hop in Uganda, 4NMLHSPTL and the misery of the letter C