Tomorrow night is the night, friends. The third-annual Frederick Music Showcase is set to go down at the Weinberg Center for the Arts and you have t-minus 14 hours to still grab those $10 tickets. Local hip-hop artist Stitch Early is going to kick things off in all types of style when he hits the stage at 7 p.m., pronto. We recently caught up with the rapper, along with members of his band, to get a Celebrity Playlist together that might just be a bit more surprising than you had initially thought (System Of A Down?! Really?!). It makes sense, considering how he’s got some surprises up his sleeve for tomorrow night. And you won’t want to miss that … would you?!
DJ MINUS NINE (DJ)
James Brown: “Funky Drummer Parts 1 & 2”
His ability to communicate control in his band is unmatched in music. Everything is fluid and seamless. This is a combination of soul, funk, and jazz at its finest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-UpSVo0qg
MARCUS SAMPSON (KEYBOARD)
Indeep: “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”
I love that song because I love the way music can affect all parts of my life, no matter the situation. And I think the song is funky (laughs).
DAN LEONARD (KEYBOARD)
JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise: “Lord You’re Mighty”
Whenever I’m going through a tough season in life, I think about this song and meditate on how awesome and powerful and mighty God is. It gives me strength and motivation to keep pushing forward.
STITCH EARLY
MIDWEST
Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco: “Touch The Sky”
From production, to hook, to lyrics, it’s a near-flawless track from one of my favorite albums. This was my first time hearing Lupe Fiasco and it made me take my lyricism and song writing to a whole other level.
EAST COAST
Nas: “I Gave You Power”
What can I say – he literally raps from the perspective of a gun … and then drops the mic! He introduced me to what a concept record truly was. The fact that he was able to give a gun human qualities and emotions with flawless execution was great. He’s one of the biggest reasons I love and create conceptual albums.
SOUTH
Outkast: “B.O.B.”
The ultimate mashup. Hip-hop, drum & bass, dance, gospel. It’s all in there. To this day, when that song comes on … man! You can’t help but move. It’s one of my favorites off of one of my favorite albums. They showed the importance of being versatile.
WEST COAST
Snoop Dogg: “Gin & Juice”
I remember when my uncle gave the album this song is on. I was 9 years old. That’s still funny to me. Once again, flawless execution. His ability to connect with the audience using a drink was great. Add to that his storytelling ability and the fact that you can see the song as you listen – everything is elevated higher. This song highlights the importance of storytelling.
R&B/SOUL
D’Angelo: “Brown Sugar”
Stand out. When this song came out, it was different from anything else that was out at the time. The song seemed as if it was written for a rapper, but given to a singer to add some melody to it. It was smooth, soulful and jazzy with this hip-hop edge to it.
ROCK
System Of A Down: “Chop Suey!”
The transitions in this song are epic. I remember being in my room hearing it on MTV or something and turning the volume all the way up on my TV, like what is this? Serj Tankian’s voice was perfect on this track and “Toxicity” was a great album. I remember banging this in my car and people looking like … “That’s a black guy!” Ha!
