Big Kahuna OG Archives - RVA Mag

RVA Mag

Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

Menu

Monday Night Conversation

|

Topics: , , , , , , , ,

Richmond rapper Monday Night is making waves around the country, from writeups in Pitchfork to props from Earl Sweatshirt. He’s affiliated with local leading lights Scheme Team and Mutant Academy. So why aren’t we seeing his name at the top of the bill more often? Hip Hop Henry sat down with him to get the lowdown.

If you aren’t familiar with the East End’s own Monday Night, who is a member of Scheme Team along with Fly Anakin, Big Kahuna OG, 3way Slim & Gray Matter, it is absolutely time to tap in with one of the current frontrunners of the underground hip hop scene; not just in VA but the entire rap game. He’s received recognition from luminaries like The Alchemist, cooperated alongside Mutant Academy, and worked with Griselda. He even got a writeup in Pitchfork last year. This year, he followed up the three projects he released last year with a collab project with Russo Beats, Dance With The Goombas. And he’s always got new singles dropping — keep up with his Bandcamp for the latest.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Monday Night about his music process, music output, trips to LA & NYC, and performing in his own city. Here’s our conversation.

HipHop Henry: It’s been a while since we last talked. Scheme Team is still going strong, the content has been steady. So let’s talk about the past year for you.

Monday Night: I’ve been doing the same thing, like me and Earl Mack was just talking about it, a rinse and repeat thing. Just switching it up. Different variations. Do the song, promote the song. You put it out. trying to go harder than people, putting more stuff out at a time. But for the most part, man, I just really been rapping, I’ve been honing my craft and trying to master what I do and try to find my specific sound, establish that and then go off and try to figure out other things to do. 

HH: You said since you started; how long has that been?  

MN: Probably since like… early 2018. Okay. So I ain’t been rapping long at all. Right. Like if you want to call it three and a half years long, then yeah, three and a half years. Probably like around the ending in 2017, going into 2018.

HH: So in three years you put out a lot of work. Let’s talk about the work ethic: Scheme Team, Mutant Academy…

MN: It’s because of them, for real man. I’m gonna be honest. Like if I never got around their energy, I don’t know if I’d have been going that hard. We’re putting stuff out and just being proactive, and like, going to the next thing, you know what I mean? Not harping on nothing. Just like, all right, [that’s] it. Move on to something else, doing something else.

HH: Right. So how do you feel about some people who think the music is being released too fast, and want time to digest and process what they hear?

MN: Well, I would say just self-awareness. It’s about knowing how many people listening to you. It’s cool to let it digest if you’ve got a million listeners, you know what I mean? You kinda gotta let them get it, and let them sit with it. But it’s like, if you’re not super lit, or if you’re not lit at all, I feel like you should be trying to beat it down people’s heads. I feel like you should be trying to beat people up there with [your music]. Some people’s audience are like, cult followings, and they don’t care that you released that much. They want you to release that much, because they’re gonna listen to all of it, right? They don’t give a fuck. But you should know what your fans want after years of doing it. You should kind of know what the fans want from you. And if you haven’t known, that means you ain’t paying attention enough. That’s how I feel.

HH: True.  Also this past year, with the pandemic and things getting crazy, you put out a couple of solid projects.

MN: I put out Holly Favored [with Foisey], S. Block Carter, Shark Report [with Big Kahuna OG], that’s three. Including all the singles — mad singles, too. I did mad shit during the pandemic, it was like a gift and a curse for everybody. It was a little bittersweet, you know, because you get to sit back for a second and really look at the shit. Instead of moving too fast. Everybody was moving mad fast before the pandemic happened, and then it slowed everybody down. And either you let that joint just eat you up, or you let it open your mind to other shit.

HH: Speaking of the single and things outside of the projects: “2nd Scheme,” the joint with Swarvy.

MN: That song was like a year and a half old; I did that song in LA. That was the first time we went to LA. We had a little tour, you remember all us out there? That’s how I got the joint. We pulled up to the studio, and we did one song in there. Kahuna and Slim left, and I was still there, because he had played another beat I wanted to get on. They weren’t fucking with it. So I was like, yeah. let me do this joint. He was with it. He let me get on that shit for free.

HH: Let’s talk about the LA trip. I know you went out there twice.

MN: One of the best trips I’ve ever took in my life. It was pre-pandemic, so niggas was outside. It wasn’t no restrictions, niggas still living life without thinking about everything about COVID. [At that time], I ain’t never been to Cali. The environment, the atmosphere, the energy is kind of addicting, you know? Just off that, and listening to Cali music while I was there — that shit hit way different. So all that was great. Then I did, like, five performances out there, getting paid for them. I ain’t never got paid for no shows till I went to LA to do shows. And some of these people didn’t even know me. Like, they giving me bread off the strength of I’m with Mutant Academy, you know what I mean? But I smoked them, though. I gained mad fans out there. Nobody really ever saw me do that good. Fly Anakin came to me after and was just like, “I’m proud of you.” And then he was like, “Cuz wanna talk to you.” It was Earl Sweatshirt. Earl came up to me, literally that man was like, “Bro! You killed that, bro.” I’m like, what is going on? 

HH: We’re talking about performances in LA last year, and also performances in New York over the summer. But when are getting Monday Night headlining in Richmond?

MN: It has happened, but that was when we had to put it together ourselves. It’s easier when somebody else sets it off. I’d be too cluttered to even think about carrying something out like that. I don’t think the moment is right just now for me to do it. And like, I don’t know, bro. I couldn’t tell you why. Strange Matter, I guess. I guess Strange Matter is the reason — that’s the only reason I can think of, you feel me? I ain’t never got hit up ever again after that for no show, ever, since then. I feel like somebody blackballed me after that.

I’m like, well it don’t matter. It don’t even matter. You know what I mean? Because I’m still doing shows, [but] its wack. You know what I mean? It’s a wack thing that I got to go to North Carolina to get paid, to do a show which has happened. I got to go to New York and have a 20 minute set. You know what I mean? And people receiving me out there, like, really? They’re coming up to me, fans and all that, all types. I performed in Texas, I performed in LA, DC. What the fuck? That’s all I’m saying, bro.

—

Since this interview took place, Monday Night has performed at Chilalay and The Spot. He’s still looking for a headlining show, however. If you’ve got one for him, get at him on Instagram @mondaynighthb. If nothing else, keep an eye on his Bandcamp for new joints — they’re coming.

Photos courtesy Monday Night

The Scheme Team: The Next Generation of Richmond Rappers

|

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This Saturday, a showcase of several up-and-coming Richmond rappers comes to The Dark Room at the Hof, presented by The Cheats Movement.

The Richmond rap scene is alive and buzzing, and the next generation of RVA rappers is here to stake their claim. 

Many who follow the illustrious Richmond rap scene are familiar with longtime local stars like Nickelus F, Ohbliv, and Lil Ugly Mane, who have been around and stamped their footprint across the country. 3WaySlim, Big Kahuna OG, Monday Night, and Graymatter are some newer faces in the scene, and with a familial bond and their arsenal of beats and bars, they’re going to remind everyone why the Richmond rap scene isn’t to be slept on. 

The space at Holly Block, the studio where 3WaySlim, Big Kahuna OG, and Graymatter all record, is the epicenter of collaboration for the local rappers. Hanging out with the guys, we were graced with appearances from Monday Night, Fly Anakin, and Draco the Dog (who was featured on Big Kahuna OG & Graymatter’s 2017 album, Scooby Snax). Several dutches and Backwoods later, the hazy smoke gave life and inspiration to this new generation of Richmond heavy-hitters. 

3WaySlim, via Facebook

All of these rappers and producers are part of the Scheme Team, a heavily self-perpetuated group inspired by each other’s achievements, hard work ethic, and of course, style. Each rapper came into their own at different points, through different avenues of life; now they all collaborate together to release group mixtapes as well as solo projects. 

“I started in high school… the older cats would throw me in different ciphers and shit, and you had to have your talent tested,” 3WaySlim said. “Once I grew a name for myself, the older cats from around the city started to invest in me, as far as putting me in the studio.” 

While 3WaySlim started off jumping into ciphers (a freestyle or improvisation in which rappers jump in one after another), Monday Night credits the rest of the Scheme Team for pulling him into the game. 

“My inspiration is them. They’re working hard, I’m trying to take their work ethic and mimic it,” Monday Night said. “When people know you’re nice, people wanna work with you.” 

Being “nice” isn’t just generally being a nice person — it refers to the skill, the finesse, and the charisma one has when they rap. 

Big Kahuna OG has been releasing music since around 2013, and now works a lot with producer Graymatter, who has also produced for Monday Night, 3WaySlim, and Fly Anakin on several different projects. 

“Since I was in high school, I was recording shit with my brother and my close friends; that’s all we would do after school,” Big Kahuna OG said. “I really jumped into it when I moved back from Buffalo in 2015. I met Fly Anakin, and shit was way more poppin’ than when I left.” 

If there is one thing all the guys can agree on, it’s the culture and rap scene in Richmond. Diversity between style, sound, and even geography is enough to create different sects of the scene in Richmond. Richmond is a small city though, and while some artists and sounds don’t always mesh, there does tend to be overlap. 

“There’s a lot of hidden talent in Richmond… it’s kind of like a melting pot,” Big Kahuna OG said. “We’ve been doing it for a minute. I feel like I’ve worked with tons of people in Richmond.” 

According to Monday Night, while there are differences in the culture, sometimes they overlap. Their differences are mostly based on peers and stylistic choices, as well as collaboration with each other (or lack thereof). 

“There is a whole other side to the rap scene in Richmond… there is a trap scene, and we don’t really coexist too much,” Monday Night said. But, he adds, “Everybody respects work ethic. That’s the biggest thing in Richmond.” 

Monday Night, via Bandcamp

The trap scene in Richmond features rappers like the group Divine Council, who had a viral hit with their 2016 single “P. Sherman,” as well as Hillboy, Wardboyz, and others. Those rappers are doing their own thing and have their own following — but that doesn’t mean there is any ill will. There aren’t any notable feuds or “beefs” within the community.

“The climate here is like, if you’re nice, you all pretty much know each other,” 3WaySlim said. 

While Richmond is a relatively up-and-coming rap scene compared to other staples like New York, Atlanta, or Chicago, the crew at Holly Block are a constant inspiration to each other. Working hard, proving themselves, and collaborating to create a style of music that meshes together perfectly is their focus. 

According to Graymatter, his biggest inspirations are local legends who have put Richmond on the map, and continue to push the envelope for style and creativity in the local rap scene. 

“Personally, once I was already making beats, Nickelus F and Ohbliv were huge inspirations for me,” Graymatter said. “They made it seem like it was possible to make some crazy shit people really fuck with and respect, and still be in Richmond.” 

“Other than the two [Nickelus F and Ohbliv], I’d say we inspire ourselves… and of course, we had industry artists,” 3WaySlim said. “But I remember running into Anakin a couple years ago. I thought I had the best bars, then I heard him spit some shit and I just took note of it.” 

According to Monday Night, he had a harder go at his introduction into the game. As 3WaySlim and Monday Night made it very clear, being “nice” builds bridges within the community and opens avenues. Monday Night attributes his work ethic to being the reason he’s in on the hype train. 

“When I first started, cuz [Fly Anakin] wouldn’t even get on a song with me because he didn’t think I took it seriously,” Monday Night said. 

“I had to see it physically before I made a move on it,” Fly Anakin confirmed. 

Everyone involved in the Scheme Team has been hard at work lately.

Monday Night’s album Rather Vindictive dropped earlier this summer, in July, on his Bandcamp page. Big Kahuna OG and Graymatter just dropped Strainman Chronicles this past week on the Scheme Team Bandcamp page. The album features Monday Night, 3WaySlim, Fly Anakin and other local Richmond rappers like Nickelus F and Henny L.O. 

3WaySlim has his album Golden Child set to drop later on in the summer, with various producers involved, including Graymatter. 

The Scheme Team will also be performing live in The Dark Room at The Hof on August 24 at 8pm, hosted by Nitty Blanco. The show, which is presented by The Cheats Movement, will feature 3WaySlim, Big Kahuna OG, Fly Anakin, Graymatter, Monday Night, and some special guests. The Hof holds just over 150 people, which is exactly what the Scheme Team is looking for. 

“We’re trying to have that shit sold out, like at least 120-150 tickets,” Big Kahuna OG said. 

The members of the Scheme Team each have different fan bases, so this show is going to be a great way for all the crowds to come together.

“We’re trying to have an intimate show so we can connect with our supporters, because they’re more than fans — the people that actually listen to the music and come out to the shows,” 3WaySlim said. “We’re all artists from different walks of life. We’re bringing different crowds together.” 

The Scheme Team is on the up and up in Richmond, rising and grinding every day to produce quality rap music with a retro, lo-fi, gritty Richmond style. Each and every one of them is dedicated to their passion. The bars, the hooks, the beats, and everything that comes with it defines Scheme Team and their rise in the rap game. 

Top Photo: Scheme Team All Stars, via Bandcamp

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Lyricst Lounge Episode 5: Nickelus F at Strange Matter

|

Topics: , , , , , , , ,

RVA Lyricist Lounge Returns! Episode 5!
Nickelus F Perfoming his new album “Stuck” live!

Cole Hicks also performing live from her new project “May Day”

Special Southpaw Battle Coalition Cypher!

Live Cypher Including: Big Kahuna OG, Lisimba, Peedy Westro,
Crazique, A’Mere Fresh, Reppa Ton, and More!

IGB vs Swerve 360
Robalu vs Leek Bucks

RVA Mag #28: Turning tides to tidal waves: A day With Big Kahuna OG

|

Topics: , , ,

10:13 AM

Vibrant sunrays peer through the blinds, illuminating the meticulously clean, yet homey Museum District apartment. As Roy Ayers’ Virgin Ubiquity 2 plays in the background, there’s a warm, yet comfortable greeting to the place.

This article was featured in RVAMag #28: Spring 2017. You can read all of issue #28 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now.

“You guys hungry? You want some breakfast? Maybe an omelet?”

I decline, but am taken back a little bit by the gesture. After all, it’s uncommon for a young host to offer to make a meal for you not even five minutes into meeting them. But then again, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Kahuna — his focus is always on the details.

Big Kahuna OG recently made waves on the scene with Ocean Grown, his collaborative tape with producer Graymatter. For their first major release together, the tape has a polished, well-rehearsed sound as if the two have been doing this for years. With practical, yet vivid lyricism, Kahuna has a knack for setting descriptive scenes of his day-to-day, encapsulated with memorable hooks over Graymatter’s raw, yet melodically rich and soulful production. It’s a combination that’s undeniably intoxicating, with both Kahuna and Graymatter taking Ocean Grown to be as much energetic on the surface as it is polarizing in its depths.

10:48 AM

After some banter about music and sports (specifically, why the Bills will never win the AFC East), we decide to sit down over some morning coffee to chop it up a little bit on his origins and how Ocean Grown came together.

Originally from Richmond, Kahuna has been bouncing between here and Buffalo for the past few years. However, in late 2014 he made Richmond his permanent home, citing that the scene in Buffalo wasn’t generating anything musically, aside from Conway and WestsideGunn.

“There’s not enough popping people in Buffalo,” he reasons. “It was a corrupt place for a while. A lot of hood shit, drug shit, murder shit. It was big factories, but now they’re mad abandoned. It’s a tough city, but I love Buffalo.”

His love of Buffalo extended to a specific sound he found within the city. “It’s hard to explain the accent, but Westside [Gunn] is the best example of it,” he explains. “I have cousins that sound exactly like that, and to hear somebody rap like that it’s like ‘Wow.’ But hopefully, after they hear us, they’ll be like ‘Alright, that’s really some Richmond shit’.”

Luckily for him, the people he was most familiar here with were also aiming to cultivate a Richmond sound too.

“I’ve known Koncept [Jackson] for a long time, since High School, so when I came back, I linked up with him,” he details. “He was already chilling with [Fly] Anakin and was in Mutant Academy. They introduced me to BSTFRND, Unlucky Bastards, and then Graymatter hit me up on SoundCloud from knowing all of them. He told me to come through for some beats, so I went there one morning and he played me like seven beats. We made “Fly The Coup” first and were like ‘Damn, this shit is tough!’ So we put that out. A lot of those songs on Ocean Grown were some of the first I made when I came back.”

“Everybody wanted to help out when we played it,” he adds, noting the collaborative efforts on the tape “Our friend Ziri helped, BSTFRND helped out. Mad people helped. Duce is on the tape. I’ve known Robalu since high school. All my friends are a part of Ocean Grown, so that joint is classic.”

12:07 PM

Wrapping up our sit down, it’s time to go take photos and check out the Baptism By Fire show fellow Mutant Academy rapper Henny L.O. was battling in.

“You trying to roll, Duce?” Kahuna asks.

Duce declines, opting instead to continue working on the first-person video game he was designing for his upcoming album. Who knows? He might be the first artist to have a #1 album on Newgrounds.

2:36 PM

After snapping some photos and taking a quick lunch break, we head to Graymatter’s house to meet up with some fellow Mutant Academy members before the battle.

The walls of the apartment are lined with stacks of vinyl, with the majority of the room being dedicated to his studio. With BSTFRND, Koncept Jackson, and Fly Anakin arriving, much of the discussion focuses around music, including the upcoming battle, local music, national music, old music, and new music. Make no mistake, this is more than just hobby or side-hustle for these guys: it’s every damn day.

3:32 PM

We’re patiently waiting in Strange Matter for Baptism By Fire to begin. The crowd is packed out, with a diverse mix of fans coming from all over the area. Although it’s one of Henny L.O.’s first battles, Kahuna, Graymatter, and the rest of the Mutant Academy crew are all out to support.

“Are we all going to go on stage when he’s up,” someone asks.

“Nah, there’s too many of us,” Kahuna replies. “That’d be packed out.”

As I look around at what makes up only about half of Mutant Academy, it occurs to me that almost all of them have put out quality projects over the past year. And while Kahuna and Graymatter love that Ocean Grown was largely a collaborative effort, they realize the work they put individually is what’s going to keep not just the group’s attention, but the rest of the city as well.

“You’ve got to do as much as you can on your own. That’s the best, you do it all yourself and try to master it. But there’s a lot more work to do. Graymatter and I just finished another project. But still, there’s a lot more work to do.”

And with tenacity like that, Kahuna and his colleagues will be making waves for a long, long time.

soundcloud.com/big-kahuna-og

Photo Credit: Christian Hewett

RVA #28: Turning tides to tidal waves: A day With Big Kahuna OG

|

Topics: , ,

10:13 AM

Vibrant sunrays peer through the blinds, illuminating the meticulously clean, yet homey Museum District apartment. As Roy Ayers’ Virgin Ubiquity 2 plays in the background, there’s a warm, yet comfortable greeting to the place.

This article was featured in RVAMag #28: Spring 2017. You can read all of issue #28 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now.

“You guys hungry? You want some breakfast? Maybe an omelet?”

I decline, but am taken back a little bit by the gesture. After all, it’s uncommon for a young host to offer to make a meal for you not even five minutes into meeting them. But then again, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Kahuna — his focus is always on the details.

Big Kahuna OG recently made waves on the scene with Ocean Grown, his collaborative tape with producer Graymatter. For their first major release together, the tape has a polished, well-rehearsed sound as if the two have been doing this for years. With practical, yet vivid lyricism, Kahuna has a knack for setting descriptive scenes of his day-to-day, encapsulated with memorable hooks over Graymatter’s raw, yet melodically rich and soulful production. It’s a combination that’s undeniably intoxicating, with both Kahuna and Graymatter taking Ocean Grown to be as much energetic on the surface as it is polarizing in its depths.

10:48 AM

After some banter about music and sports (specifically, why the Bills will never win the AFC East), we decide to sit down over some morning coffee to chop it up a little bit on his origins and how Ocean Grown came together.

Originally from Richmond, Kahuna has been bouncing between here and Buffalo for the past few years. However, in late 2014 he made Richmond his permanent home, citing that the scene in Buffalo wasn’t generating anything musically, aside from Conway and WestsideGunn.

“There’s not enough popping people in Buffalo,” he reasons. “It was a corrupt place for a while. A lot of hood shit, drug shit, murder shit. It was big factories, but now they’re mad abandoned. It’s a tough city, but I love Buffalo.”

His love of Buffalo extended to a specific sound he found within the city. “It’s hard to explain the accent, but Westside [Gunn] is the best example of it,” he explains. “I have cousins that sound exactly like that, and to hear somebody rap like that it’s like ‘Wow.’ But hopefully, after they hear us, they’ll be like ‘Alright, that’s really some Richmond shit’.”

Luckily for him, the people he was most familiar here with were also aiming to cultivate a Richmond sound too.

“I’ve known Koncept [Jackson] for a long time, since High School, so when I came back, I linked up with him,” he details. “He was already chilling with [Fly] Anakin and was in Mutant Academy. They introduced me to BSTFRND, Unlucky Bastards, and then Graymatter hit me up on SoundCloud from knowing all of them. He told me to come through for some beats, so I went there one morning and he played me like seven beats. We made “Fly The Coup” first and were like ‘Damn, this shit is tough!’ So we put that out. A lot of those songs on Ocean Grown were some of the first I made when I came back.”

“Everybody wanted to help out when we played it,” he adds, noting the collaborative efforts on the tape “Our friend Ziri helped, BSTFRND helped out. Mad people helped. Duce is on the tape. I’ve known Robalu since high school. All my friends are a part of Ocean Grown, so that joint is classic.”

12:07 PM

Wrapping up our sit down, it’s time to go take photos and check out the Baptism By Fire show fellow Mutant Academy rapper Henny L.O. was battling in.

“You trying to roll, Duce?” Kahuna asks.

Duce declines, opting instead to continue working on the first-person video game he was designing for his upcoming album. Who knows? He might be the first artist to have a #1 album on Newgrounds.

2:36 PM

After snapping some photos and taking a quick lunch break, we head to Graymatter’s house to meet up with some fellow Mutant Academy members before the battle.

The walls of the apartment are lined with stacks of vinyl, with the majority of the room being dedicated to his studio. With BSTFRND, Koncept Jackson, and Fly Anakin arriving, much of the discussion focuses around music, including the upcoming battle, local music, national music, old music, and new music. Make no mistake, this is more than just hobby or side-hustle for these guys: it’s every damn day.

3:32 PM

We’re patiently waiting in Strange Matter for Baptism By Fire to begin. The crowd is packed out, with a diverse mix of fans coming from all over the area. Although it’s one of Henny L.O.’s first battles, Kahuna, Graymatter, and the rest of the Mutant Academy crew are all out to support.

“Are we all going to go on stage when he’s up,” someone asks.

“Nah, there’s too many of us,” Kahuna replies. “That’d be packed out.”

As I look around at what makes up only about half of Mutant Academy, it occurs to me that almost all of them have put out quality projects over the past year. And while Kahuna and Graymatter love that Ocean Grown was largely a collaborative effort, they realize the work they put individually is what’s going to keep not just the group’s attention, but the rest of the city as well.

“You’ve got to do as much as you can on your own. That’s the best, you do it all yourself and try to master it. But there’s a lot more work to do. Graymatter and I just finished another project. But still, there’s a lot more work to do.”

And with tenacity like that, Kahuna and his colleagues will be making waves for a long, long time.

soundcloud.com/big-kahuna-og

Words by Joseph Genest. Photo Credit: Christian Hewett