Winter Sessions Show at the Shark Club

Maybe I am a little biased, because I think he is a great guy, but I am a BIG fan of Josh “Handz Onn” Russell. I have said it before, and I will say it again, he is one the hip hop artists in this area that in my opinion gets it. He truly understands that this business, this genre is just about money, hoes, and clothes. It’s about the MUSIC. It’s about crafting good songs that make people want to listen, have fun, and most importantly, come see you when you perform.

Handz Onn put together a show recently at the Shark’s Club on College Avenue in Appleton (which seems to be quite the music spot lately; a few weeks back I went and checked out a Spotlight Entertainment show in the same venue) called Winter Session. Incidentally, another thing about Josh that I really respect is his humbleness. He put the show together, he did a LOT of the leg work, but at the end of the day, he WASN’T the headliner, but I will touch on that in a bit.  

The first act, Looni Tunes, did a nice set. Apparently, it was their first performance together, but you really couldn’t tell, simply because they were both already seasoned solo performers.

Big H out of Minnesota hit the stage as well, and I gotta say I was impressed with his flow.

The energy from S.M.O.K.E.D. filled the entire place. Actually, THEY filled the entire place. At one point I think they were both in the back of the place, cordless mics in hand rocking the crowd.

Josh, joined by drummer Jaime Varela of the metal band Evoked, tore the stage DOWN, and Tha Regime just completely shut the door.

Tha Regime, the headliner of the show, impresses me more and more every time I see and hear them. When you watch them on stage, it is hard to believe that they have been a group only since August of 2012. Their ebb and flow with each other is just effortless and on point. And their styles complement each other so well. With Tha Prophet’s low DMX-like growl to S.O.T. rapid fire Twista-esqe delivery, Tha Regime are the complete package.

Since I have mentioned the Spotlight show, there were some VERY obvious differences between the two shows, although both were hip hop shows. The first glaring difference was the lineup. The Spotlight show was just that: A Spotlight Entertainment show. Every act on the bill was a Spotlight act. And that makes perfect sense. For Josh’s show, he brought in acts the liked, respected, and felt deserved a spot. I respect that as well.

The second difference the start time. When there is a Handz Onn show, it starts when it SAYS it is going to start. (I will throw in this caveat, though. THIS particular show started about 15 minutes late; so there were no breaks between the acts. Just kept right on rolling.) One of my biggest pet peeves as always been the RIDICULOUSLY late start for some of these hip hop shows. If your flyer says show is at 10, why in the hell is it 12:30 before the FIRST act hits the stage? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Don’t get me wrong, I have MAD respect for a LARGE number of the hip hop artists around here (some, not all. Some of them are just flat garbage), but let’s not get it twisted. NONE of them are superstars. I respect your grind and your talent, so me dropping $5 or $10 at the door to see your show isn’t really a bother. But I want a SHOW. Not two or three songs from the act that is SUPPOSED to be the headliner at 1:30 in the morning because everyone has been bullshitting around for the last three hours.

Anyway, I digress. I talked to Josh about his show before they hit the stage.

What are you trying to accomplish with what you have going on tonight?

Tonight is completely focused around the fact that I want to show that I am different kind of hip hop artist in this area. I want to show that I am a performer, not just a rapper. I can get in a booth and spit a verse all day. I want to show that I am a performer. I want to show that there IS performing in hip hop. There should be lights. There should be a stage. There should be all kind of fun goodies. I have a live drummer behind me tonight. I want to show that I am more than just an open mic hip hop artist.

What else you got going on tonight?

Man, I got performers from all over. I got acts from Sheboygan, Appleton, and Minnesota. I am also going to be videotaping the show from multiple angles so I can put together a promo video to send to record labels to show that I am not just part time rapper. This is my job and this is my life.

What was the thought process behind all ages and no cover for this show?

There are not enough places that allow you to do all ages, you know? And it really sucks, because the younger crowd is the next generation of listeners. The younger kids are the next generation of Handz Onn fans, and I want to be able to throw all ages shows so they have a chance to be a part of something.

So what is next for you?

Well, I am going to finish up my CD, then go do another show in Vegas in April and then in June I am doing a 30 day tour around the United States.  I bring everything with me too; I am the full show, not just one performer. Handz Onn is not a rapper anymore. Maybe at one point he was, but at this point now Handz Onn has become an industry. Yes, I am the rapper, but I have so many people that are behind me. Photographers, security, stage hands, sounds guys; the name Handz Onn is no longer just me.

Hip Hop Artists Tha Regime

Sometimes, no matter how hard you push and work, you need some support or back up to make it to that next level.

Sometimes, you just have a connection with someone that you just KNOW means great things for everyone involved.

For Tha Prophet and S.O.T, joining forces and becoming the Tha Regime gave them the best of both worlds.

Formed in August of 2013, Tha Regime (‘Tha Prophet’ Joe Jones, and ‘S.O.T.’ Nick Bottine) came to be when both rappers decided that the other would be the perfect foil for their style. S.O.T. is the rapid fire, Twista type rapper that makes you stand up and really pay attention. Tha Prophet is more guttural, the deep-voiced spitter whose voice is so huge that you can’t help but listen.

Tha Regime will be rocking the stage at Shark’s Club on January 18^th together, but Tha Prophet and S.O.T. have been dropping solo projects as well, such as Jones’ new video for the song ‘Voices’.

A former solider in the U.S. Army from Louisiana, Jones sat down with me to talk about Tha Regime, and whose ankles he wants to break and why.

What is going on in the life of Tha Regime?

Right now, we are in the process of putting out our ‘Frontlines’ album. We have a show coming up January 18^th at the Shark’s Club with Handz Onn. We are also getting into the act of shooting our own videos.

Tell me about Winter Session?

This hip hop invasion started years and years ago with Josh Hands Onn Russell. Every time he would put something together, regardless if I was in a group or not, he would invite me down to perform. Now that he is doing it, and since we have a bit of a local buzz, he asked us to come and perform. We get a 45 minute set that night instead of the usual 2 or 3 songs we normally get asked to do.

What brought you two together?

He was at the same show that I had done, and I had never met the man. I talked to him back stage, and we listened to each other rap. I dropped a comment on someone’s Facebook page about basement studios killing hip hop. My comment was basement studios aren’t killing hip hop; what’s coming OUT of the basement studios is what’s killing hip hop. He agreed with the comment and hit me up on Facebook. He said he was looking to start a group as real as the comment you made. That was August of 2012.

How is being in a group different from being a solo act?

As a solo artist, I don’t have to do as much work (laughing). His style is completely different than what I am used to. I normally listen to a beat, play the beat over and over again, and then write my lyrics. Him, he can take two minutes to listen to the beat in the studio, write his verse and be done with it. His work ethic is crazy.

How do the things you learned as a solo act help you now?

It helps me because I know how to promote. Nick is great, but he is a fairly young cat. He doesn’t know as many people as I do. I mean, I can teach him a few things, but at the same time, I am learning from him.

Tell me about RGM Entertainment?

RGM is a dream I have been having for years. What it stands for is Real G Music, or Real Guerilla Music. It is something we want to build more into a movement than a label.

The video for Voices you did with your phone. Tell me about that?

It was a very personal song and I didn’t want to get out there with real expensive equipment and shoot the video. I wanted it to be raw and gritty. It’s in my house, it’s in my studio. I wanted to keep it that way because that is where my creative thinking comes from. All I had was my cell phone, so you use what you got.

Describe your music.

We are more in your face, brash and raw with it. We don’t believe in doing the same stuff that everyone else is doing, talking about money and cars and women and all that stuff. Our style is pretty much the essence of what hip hop was.

Who are your music influences?

The biggest influence I have is Tupac. The stuff he did back in the day smashes a lot of stuff out today.

When did you first fall in love with music?

If you are old school, you will remember this. I will have to say back in the Biz Markie days. The way he did that video, with the Mozart video and all that, it made me realize that someone could get on TV like that and clown and be successful.

As a fan, what was your first concert?

I went and saw Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown back in the day. I first saw Bobby Brown, and then I saw Whitney Houston.

Name and artist, alive or dead, that you would want to do a song with?

Alive it would have to be Eric B. from Eric B. and Rakim. Dead, it would have to be Tupac.

One song that describes your life?

In a nutshell, ‘Voices’. That whole song is the truth. We deal with voices every day. You deal with your own voices, and sometimes they can be your worst enemy.

You are making a mixtape of your all-time favorite songs. What is the first song on it and why?

I would have to say Dear Mama by Tupac. That song was a classic. For someone to write a song that praises his momma like he did…yeah. Not too many people do that anymore.

What are some of the good things in your mind about the music scene in this area?

The fact that there is actual TALENT in this area. A lot of undiscovered talent. That fact that this talent is out there and will continue to grow. They will come out of the closet and get themselves heard.

What can be improved about the music scene in this area?

What needs to be improved is the unity. I am not saying that to step on anybody’s toes, I am saying it to step on your ankles and break the motherfuckers. The unity needs to improve in this area as far as the hip hop scene goes. There is too much hatin’ and not enough congratulatin’.

Best Performance you ever gave?

I would have to say a performance we gave at the Legion Hall in Racine. That was our best performance. That was crowd was nuts and we fed off the energy of the crowd. That show was nuts.

Worse show?

The one down here at Antro. It wasn’t even a show. We got the mics, and the sound wasn’t that great. Needless to say, after one song we were done. We just gave the mics back and walked off. And we had NEVER done that before.

When all this is said and done, what do you want people to say about you?

I want them to say that Tha Regime is one the realest groups out there. They don’t fabricate nothing and they bring it to you raw. If you want to listen to real music, listen to Tha Regime.