Citrus City Presents
Honored to be highlighting this amazing body of work in a deserving physical medium. Come out & support a one of a time lineup.
Mckinley Dixon & Friends, Tape Release show for “The Importance of Self Belief” ♥ With special guests..DC’s own GUMP, South Carolina’s finest Contour & VA’s rising star Shormey
McKinley Dixon – https://mckinleydixon.bandcamp.com/album/the-importance-of-self-belief
GUMP (DC) – https://soundcloud.com/abandcalledgump
Contour (SC) – https://soundcloud.com/con_tour
Shormey (Chesapeake) – https://shormey.bandcamp.com/
DOORS: 8PM / TUNES: 9PM / ADV: $6 / DOS: $10
BUY TICKETS–> https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1719985
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Mckinley Dixon ~
“A self-described “angry black boy who’s lucky enough to talk about it,” McKinley Dixon found his voice through rap. The Richmond native’s debut mixtape, 2016’s Who Taught You To Hate Yourself?, tells the story of a young boy inundated by the harsh realities of police brutality, gang violence and self-hatred after witnessing a drive-by murder in his neighborhood. It’s a fictionalized tale reflective of a particular kind of black experience. Dixon’s own coming of age was marked by an identity crisis of a different sort. The dissociation he experienced growing up black in a primarily white environment caused him to distance himself from hip-hop, until he came to terms with internalized racism.
Dixon reflects that angst and anger, but also the hope of a young man trying to hone a sense of pride that contradicts messages to the contrary. “Story of a little black boy with his nose all runny / trying to shoot for the stars like them n——- owe him money,” he raps on “Sitting On Wire.” Rooted in the jazz-rap tradition, his musical journey is equally ambitious — with the help of 20 musicians, he recorded his first mixtape in his bedroom. But it’s Dixon’s forthcoming mixtape, The Importance Of Self Belief (due in March), that showcases his maturation. On that second installation in his planned trilogy, he plans to continue his quest with an added emphasis on “uplift[ing] voices of black women, femme and trans femme,” he says, “whether in my life or outside of it.” – Rodney Carmichael, NPR Music”
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GUMP ~
GUMP is an alternative-hip-hop/rock outfit based outside of Washington DC. With souls too tired for punk music, yet too restless for a mellower hip-hop alternative, the members of GUMP respectfully disregard traditional genre boundaries, as they sit somewhere in between.
Formed in late 2013, the band is fronted by DC rapper Uno Hype, drummer Zeeshan Shad, guitarist/keyboardist Ali Badalov and bassist Joey Pappas. The band’s debut EP ‘SLEVEN’ was released in June 2016 via AFROPUNK and now on all available streaming platforms, gained additional support from leading music outlets and figures including Sway Calloway, Pigeons & Planes, Viper Magazine & Billboard, who called lead vocalist Uno Hype a “leading voice of the DMV”.
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Contour ~
Contour is the musical brainchild of Charleston’s Khari Lucas, who uses the project to explore various methods of communication through songwriting and production. The four piece band format of the project draws from jazz, psychedelic, and world music to craft its own brand of soul
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Shormey ~
Shormey is one to watch out for. Shormey blends R&B/Indie in her own unique way; she performs solo live and already has an excellent stage show. I caught one of her first performances ever last year at Charlie’s and was so impressed with how well she delivered all of her songs and how much promise she shows. Maybe it’s one of her originals that will catch your attention, like “Party Down” (below) or her cover of Mac DeMarco’s “No Other Heart.”
