News Round Up • Vic Mensa Performs on Kimmel, Joey Purp Impresses on Tim Westwood TV & More
It seems as though the cycle never ends! We did all we could to try and diversify the news a bit, but you can't ignore the happenings and once again the Bennett clan found themselves front and center as both Taylor and big brother Chance made moves in and out of the city. Check out the stories below to keep yourself up to date and make sure you check back with our News section daily, with new exciting additions coming soon!
Vic Mensa Joined by Travis Barker on Jimmy Kimmel Performance
Vic Mensa on Jimmy Kimmel? Yes, it's 2016 and SaveMoney continues to infiltrate mainstream America. It's also 2016, and we have an election on our hands, an important one. Vic feels the same way, and performed "16 Shots" to provide context for the struggle African - Americans have felt in regards to law enforcement, at the same time shedding light on why this election is so important. Backed up with a pounding drum beat from Travis Barker that felt like footsteps against the pavement in protest, Vic Mensa gave one of the more impressive performances you'll see on late night television. At the end, he delivers one final message that's so worth repeating; if your idea of criminal justice reform is more "law and order", you need to take a step back, and you damn sure have no business running the country. As we saw in our past cover story on activism in the Chicago music scene, this thread of political running through the musical is nothing new in Chicago, a city charged by politics for the last century. Find Vic Mensa's music video for "16 Shots" here as well.
Joey Purp Delivers Impressive Freestyle & Interview on Tim Westwood
It's good to be Joey Purp. Hitting the tail end of what is sure to have been a raging European tour, Young Purple has been hitting the press circuit hard off of the the strength of his tour-de-force project "iiiDrops". Meeting with one of the music world's best radio minds, Joey Purp chopped it up with Tim Westwood to discuss just how exciting his life has been of late. Yes, he's touches on how he's got a new project in the works (debut album), dives into the music that influenced him at a young age and why he believes rap music is just better these days. Finally, he leaves his mark a really impressive freestyle, something we're sure he made a point of doing, having grown up watching the channel and the legendary flows that came with it. Of course, he's got a history of crushing radio freestyles, so nothing new here.
Whitney Featured on Over/Under
Without a doubt one of the top rock bands out of Chicago right now, Whitney continues to set their sets with new achievements and goals. The band just finished a tour in Europe, building their fan-base and spreading their name far beyond the reaches of the midwest. It was their album Light Upon A Lake that really caught the world's attention last year, and now the accolades are rolling in. If you haven't caught a ride on the Whitney train yet, you can find out more about them in our cover story here. Anyways, in the above video you'll find Whitney frontmen Max Kakacek and Julian Ehrlich interviewed by Pitchfork for their popular 'Over/Under series, what is quickly becoming a fan favorite. If you've been waiting for the right time to learn about arguably the fastest rising band in Chicago music right now, their 'Over/Under interview would be a great place to start.
Chance the Rapper's "No Problem" goes #1 on Urban Radio Charts
No problem, no problem at all. On a day that saw him throw a free concert with tons of Chicago talent, including Twin Peaks, Taylor Bennet, Eryn Allen Kane, Malcolm London, oddCouple, Stefan Ponce and much more, all with the stated and admirable purpose of leading thousands of Chicagoans to vote, Chance The Rapper's career milestone isn't even his biggest achievement of the day, although we're damn sure going to celebrate it. Yes, "No Problem" went #1 on urban radio, a huge success, especially given his unconventional approach. As an independent artist, Chance didn't hit the top of the charts through the path of least resistance, but utilizing the strength of his immovable and unquestionably loyal fan base by using Rapper Radio. We've seen a lot of Chance this year, but how are you supposed to cheering for this hero? With everything from his work with Austin Vesely on Slice, his campaigning for Hillary Clinton, his work influencing the grammys, and so much more. This is a man who just can't stop.