Black Alt Magazine

Quick confession: I love fast rappers.  I almost in awe of spitfire rhymers who make your head spin; I'm convinced anyone who can do it is some sort of superhero and deserves their own comic book series. I love underground rappers.  They typically write the best shit; unshackled by million-dollar contracts and pressure to maintain a certain image, they write whatever the hell they want and they're not afraid to say it. I love rebellious rappers, hence why I love, love , love Le1f (pronounced "leaf"). I first noticed Le1f (born Khalif Diouf) when vlogger Kid Fury was listing all the people who needed to stay in 2013, and Macklemore was #8 .  Kid Fury then brought up how Macklemore got put on blast by Le1f (see tweets below), and the rest was history. Le1f produces his own tracks and runs his own label, hence the respect.  He's a strong, openly gay black rapper who possesses a distinct style; in addition to being able to effortlessly spit at a thousand mi...

I first was introduced to "powerhouse" blues rocker Davina Robinson on through the AMBW crowd.  To be honest, I was simply blinded by her beauty and managed to sweet talk my way into an interview.  It was a great opportunity to complete this with her . So how are you doing? Tell us a few things about yourself, including your favorite drink . Doing well in the heat - working hard and thanking the inventor of air conditioning. I'm a night owl. One of my friends calls me "Vamp", as in vampire. Of current TV shows, I love Breaking Bad, Dexter, Homeland and anything Gordon Ramsay does. I was a lurker on the Vote For the Worst website. RIP. I have a black pug named Bruce and a black cat named Bella. I LOVE super flare jeans. Superfly, like the 70s.

(h/t Racialicious) From Drafthouse Films : Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band called Death . Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early '70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco. Record companies found Death’s music— and band name—too intimidating, and the group were never given a fair shot, disbanding before they even completed one album. Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family love story, A Band Called Death chronicles the incredible fairy-tale journey of what happened almost three decades later, when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of the attic and found an audience several generations younger. Playing music impossibly ahead of its time, Death is now being credited as the first black punk band (hell...the first punk band!), and are finally receiving the...

Tanya Tagaq Gillis So Amaya recently mentioned getting back into listening to music from around the world, which got me thinking I should talk about a few folks who've been on my mind. While searching for videos of Kinnie Star (another post, another day), I came across and immediately fell in love with Inuit chanteuse Tagaq , who specializes in Inuit throat singing and is a full-figured force of nature. Before we continue, some of you are saying, "Oh!  I love Mongolian throat singing!" Yeah...the two are nothing alike. Inuit throat singing or katajjaq , also known as (and commonly confused with) the generic term overtone singing, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among the Inuit. (There used to be a similar style, Rekuhkara , practiced by the Ainu in Hokkaidō, but that has since died out.) Unlike the throat singers in other regions of the world, particularly Tibet, Mongolia and Tuva, the Inuit performers are usually women who sing only duets i...

After months of trying, the Bar is excited to welcome singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Diamond Rowe of rock band  Tetrarch . For those just joining us, tell us a bit about yourself. Well, my name is Diamond Rowe, I'm 22 and I was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga. I play lead guitar for the band Tetrarch which basically my life. Since I am always doing something Tetrarch related, I dont do much outside of music, but when I do, I like to hang with friends, eat (haha), watch sports (ROLL TIDE!) and just have a good time! So is Diamond Rowe your real name? Yes, Diamond Rowe is my real name haha. I think I get asked that question at least once a day haha. The real kicker is when people find out my middle name is Rose. They're like "OMG!! DIAMOND ROSE ROWE!!". Not to toot my own horn, but I think I have a pretty cool name. Haha. :)

Fans will recognize metal chanteuse Alexis Brown as the lead singer of Straight Line Stitch . It was a great honor to complete this interview with her today, while she's currently on tour. Alexis, welcome to the bar; pull up a stool and order whatever you want on the house. While you’re at it, tell us about yourself. Thanks for having me. As for a drink...I'm always good with an ice cold Bud of some sort. Now about me... I love Walt Disney's Goofy, old scary movies, love to read old school Harlequin Romance books, love sushi, I have a orange tabby named Waffles (named after Goofy's cat on the Goof Troop Series), I have a Chorkie (Chihuahua & Yorkie mix), & I'm also in a band that I've pretty much lived out on the road with for about the last 10 or so years. How’s the tour going so far? Tour is going well, just busy everyday. I noticed how you mention not intentionally going into heavy metal. How’d that happen? Basically my older brother Moses...

... To Kittie , that is. Bad-ass bassist  Trish Doan returns to all-female Canadian metal band Kittie this year, hopefully completing the final incarnation of the band.  Seriously, there's an entire section on their Wikipedia page dedicated to chronicling the comings and goings of various members. With the constant changes in their lineup, I can't even imagine what hell it is to have to teach new members old songs every couple of years.  So it's good that the band is getting to celebrate the return of a member, rather than just a departure. Fans will recall that Doan performed in Kittie from 2005 - 2007, when she left, in part, for health reasons.  The Bar hopes she's triumphed over her demons and is ready to spend the rest of her life igniting the stage, because I'll be honest; I tend to pay much more attention to these bands when a beautiful woman of color is part of the lineup.