Residential Address: The College of Hip-Hop Knowledge Schools Austin on Homegrown and National Talent
Organized Konfusion's Prince Po joins Fresh Fridaze on July 14
By Gary Lindsey, Fri., July 7, 2023
A short drive south from the packed streets, roadblocks, and mounted police that occupy the main artery of Austin nightlife Downtown, Independence Brewing Co. has maintained the same quiet address since 2004. There are no hot spots near 3913 Todd Ln. No barking doormen trying to lure you into a loud bar with cheap shots, and you certainly won't see anything resembling a velvet rope.
But if you trust your instincts and pull into the long, dark driveway – a hazy, muffled apparition of festoon lights, misters, and camaraderie appears in the distance. Like a desert mirage, but with a booming breakbeat. You have to rely on your long-distance vision, which is exactly what Independence Brewing and the College of Hip Hop Knowledge (CHHK) crew have in common.
"We want more artists to know about this," explains Michael "Big Mic" Pereida, co-founder of CHHK, the Austin-based hip-hop collective that has hosted Fresh Fridaze since 2019. "We want more people that want to go see hip-hop in Austin to come out and see these new artists."
Every second Friday of the month, the free, all-ages event pulls a lengthy lineup from the local underground, as well as the CHHK record label roster. This is DIY, with a touch of tailgate and a whiff of industrial revolution. The constant hum of nearby refrigeration trucks gives it the feel of going to see Richard Hell in the Bowery in the late Seventies, or trying to find a rave in the early Nineties.
Through the pandemic, ice storms, and beyond, CHHK has maintained a symbiosis with the taproom that should be more common in the live music capital.
"Even if it's not a huge show, there's always a crowd there to watch the artist," Big Mic shares. "They are engaged, and they are there to check out the performance, the new music, the vendors. It's really cool to see it, because we envisioned this community, and that's what it is when everybody comes out."
CHHK co-creator Jsun the Prophesor furthers, "When I think of good hip-hop scenes, I think back to like, Lyricist Lounge in New York where they created this space for young performers … It was about creating a genuine culture and atmosphere for local acts to come and show off their talent."
Trying to characterize CHHK with an existing industry term, I ask Big Mic to finish this sentence: "CHHK is…" He humorously shoots back via text, "Good question. LOL." But he quickly follows up: "CHHK is a business minded Hip Hop brand focused on building Community, promoting Unity & providing Opportunity by uplifting & highlighting the ATX Hip Hop scene."
They do this by offering everything from management and booking shows to recording and producing artists in their own studio, the Academy, in Bastrop. "There's always been a grander idea, of just helping the artists more," Jsun states.
Of course, fostering a nurturing environment isn't just about creating a safe haven for up-and-coming talent, it's also about showing respect to the many important and unsung predecessors of rap. This month's Fresh Fridaze, on July 14 from 8pm to midnight, includes a headliner who helped put the "original" in "O.G." Prince Po, short for Prince Poetry, worked his way up through the New York hip-hop scene in the late Eighties alongside such luminaries as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, eventually forming the incredibly influential duo Organized Konfusion with Pharoahe Monch.
Their 1994 release Stress: The Extinction Agenda is considered an alternative hip-hop masterpiece by many of the old guard. Despite Prince Po's solo releases over the years – collaborating with everyone from Danger Mouse and Madlib to MF DOOM and Raekwon – he rarely tours, making this show a definite feather in the cap of CHHK. Nick_X_Cruz, Toolman, Rumuzik, Ben Buck, and more join Prince Po on the bill, with more information at chhk512.com.
"I've had so many people tell me, 'These shows remind me of the old Hieroglyphics shows, and the old Freestyle Fellowship,'" Big Mic reflects on some of the bygone, old-school hip-hop nights of Austin. "Nobody comes out to act stupid or cause problems. Everybody just comes out here to have a good time."
