HipHopotamus

HipHopotamus won our attention... While the ears may have been hungry for music, the band delivered a nice, satisfying performance. The five-piece group offered rapid-fire vocals over tight funk, with words that flowed over the music similar to Anthony Kiedis or Matisyahu. "Get Up and Groove" (Soundwaves) featured nice solos from both the guitarist and DJ, and at times it seemed they were more rock than hip-hop. A few songs later, and the guitarist was pounding the keys while the DJ spit on the mic center stage. "Hip Hop Is Lost" came late in the set, and typified the heart-on-the-sleeve appeal of the Tulsa quintet. HipHopotamus proved to be a solid party band, and one worth keeping tabs on. - Nathan Rodriguez

"It's socially conscious, positive hip hop with MCs rapping over a live band with an indie-rock tilt... and you'll still hit the streets with a grin afterwards."
GARY HIZER
Urban Tulsa
- Urban Tulsa

Dfest is not only a big chance to catch some unique underground national acts; it's also a great chance to catch a cross-section of local bands.

For example, check out the band-based hip hop from HipHopotamus, a relatively new group that's been taking its socially conscious rap to local clubs. From the chikka-chikka on Aaron Davis's guitar to Tip Crowley's bass thump, HipHopotamus knows how to make the audience shake it while also bringing food for thought to the table.

The beats (from drummer Kevin Lantz) and rhymes (from Ray Conde) are important but so is the message, Crowley said. The band shows that on songs such as "Contact Sport," "Hip Hop Is Lost" and "Shade of Brown."

"I think it's important because a lot of people look up to musicians," Crowley said. "They listen to the lyrics and they sing along to them, but they don't always understand what they mean."

He derided the wilderness of mainstream hip hop that recycles the same series of hooks over the same beats with weak raps about the same subjects, usually women and materialism.

The lack of originality thrown into the mainstream acts is part of the inspiration behind the song "Hip Hop Is Lost," Crowley said.

"We just think it's been lost to commercialization and just like easy hooks being thrown in there," Crowley said. "We think it's better to have real musicians and to have real lyricists and all this other stuff instead of just copy and paste this beat over this copy-and-pasted hook."

The group got together a year ago this July. Influenced by underground hip-hop groups such as M.F. Doom, Crowley said his band wants to bring music back into hip hop and keep out the sexism.

Check them out at 8 p.m. Friday at Exit 6C, 222 E. First St. - Tulsa World

Tired of being cooped up?

Then tomorrow night, get out and get down with local, live-instrument hip hop act HipHopotamus.

It's a free show with local band Jirrhaff also performing, at 10 p.m. the Continental, 421 E. First Street in downtown Tulsa.

"We play positive music, stuff that is meant to uplift you, not just distract you from the world. No leaning with it, no rocking with it, no making it rain on anyone, no nasty hooks, no prerecorded beats, no bull****, no stupid gimmicks. Just pure, true, uncorrupted, unadulterated, creative, REAL hip hop," said band member Tip Toasty in a recent email.

It's jazz, rap, rock, old school, trip hop, rock, ska, you name it, it's cool like that. Now, get out there and make happy!

JENNIFER CHANCELLOR
Tulsa World - Tulsa World