BIGG NUGG on OUTHIPHOP.com!!

BIGG NUGG in SPAIN's Gayumbo's E-Zine

MondoHomo Chock Full O' Great Music

MondoHomo's Chock Full O' Nuts concert at Lenny's was chock full 'o fun. Bigg Nugg made a return appearance this year. A genuinely nice bear of a guy, Bigg Nugg's homo hop is as contagious as his friendly approach to his fellow MondoHomies. His album La Revolucion (2007) is full o' catchy rants that seem to spur us to action. The title track talks of a gay revolution that seems both in-your-face angry and uplifting. It's an interesting mix. The track I Remember is one of those songs that took me days to get out of my head. If I could stop playing it several times a day, that might help.

After seeing Bigg Nugg at MondoHomo 2007, I had befriended him on myspace. I remember getting a thank you that struck me as written by Bigg Nugg directly — canned "marketing" by an agent or manager does not usually seem that genuine and gracious. His comment to me on myspace was the same as his autograph on the La Revolucion CD I bought at MondoHomo 2008: "Thanks for the support." Bigg Nugg's second thank-you was punctuated with a genuinely warm hug and smile. I like this guy, and his music.

Also performing at Lenny's was DaLyrical, Atlanta's own HomoHopper. I first saw her perform at Black Pride a couple of years ago. She struck me then as very talented onstage and almost painfully shy offstage. A couple of years later, she seems to be growing into the increasing attention. I did not have the chance to talk with her offstage, but her onstage performance was more connected and more confident that I remembered. DaLyrical is getting sexier, and her performance with Ohio's Unecc got many of us hot from more than the Atlanta spring heat. Before her performance, DaLyrical shared that family tragedy had her distracted, but she put aside personal worries and gave the MondoHomo crowd all she had.

If you missed MondoHomo, you still have a chance to experience the triple threat of Bigg Nugg, DaLyrical and Unecc. They are touring together in a Unity Tour this year. Keep an eye on the Unity Tour '08 schedule so you won't miss the chance to experience these talents in a city near you. With luck, maybe they'll warm up Hotlanta again.

http://lifeonq.com/2008/05/28/mondohomo-chock-full-o-great-music

FRIDAY, MARCH 30: Originally, I was just going to check out renowned local homo-hop artist Deadlee. We got to the joint early and decided to stick around a while and… well, it turned into an entire night of some of the most underground shit we've seen in a long time. I don't care what you say, breeders, it doesn't get more hardcore than gay hip-hop, and the Homo Revolution Tour brought it on, big time. Hip-hop started as an in-your-face middle finger to the mainstream, and this would be the hugest one you've ever seen, with the street smarts and muscle to back it up.

Cholos, bandanas, bald heads, wife-beaters and talent were in the house—beautifully breaking down the stereotypes of what a gay man (or woman) is supposed to be. It started with show opener Shorty Roc, whose lean and mean bling could have fit right in along with Jay-Z's polished pop rhymes. JFP (Julie Fucking Potter) kicked it hilariously white-girl style, but then tears were rolling down my face when she brought out her wife to play violin on the pointed song, "San Francisco Values." Ohio native Bigg Nugg, one of our personal faves, personified a very KRS-One old-school vibe with his positive, physical energy—down to the sports jerseys and dual raps that he shared with scene mentor Tori Fixx.

Which brings me to Deadlee… another originator. Actor, rapper, gayngsta…this man brought everyone to their feet when his energy hit the stage. Believe it, he is not playing around—Deadlee is deadly serious about his message, along with a big FUCK YOU to those who think that being gay is some kind of illness or sin, especially on the urban streets. Along with his B-Boy back-up dancers (equally masculine & tough), Deadlee's lyrics were explicitly sexual and aggressive and could rival any gangsta raps in style and flow. Strong, hard and real. The creative inclusions of the soulful Micah Barnes and Phantom-esque chanteuse Dorian Wood singing over the beats brought things to another level. None of our pop/top-40 rappers could rival the kind of courage and life experience it has taken to become Deadlee, I guarantee it. Take a listen to the lyrics on Deadlee's latest album, Assault With A Deadlee Weapon… if you're man enough to handle it. This is the new revolution—and revolutions always start with the oppressed. (TT)

http://larecord.com/blog/?p=226

EVENINGS OUT September 28, 2007
Rapper's Delight
Queer hip hop hits Columbus by Anthony Glassman

With almost every genre of entertainment there now is a queer subgenre. There are gay romantic comedies, dramas, even horror and science fiction films. There are gay musicals on Broadway and off, and queer literature has been around in one form or another for millennia. With music, each type of music has its own substrata of out, queer performers pushing the boundaries of their style.

In punk rock, for example, the homocore or queercore movement started in the 1980s and still is going today. Hip-hop, however, seemed to take a little longer to get out the big gay gate. While much of punk rock was political, or at the least anti-establishment, hip-hop is as much about partying as it is about protest. For every Public Enemy fighting the power, there are a dozen Naughty By Natures trying to get some OPP.

That all began to change by the dawn of the new millennium, however. Groups like Deep Dickollective, God-Des and She, Team Gina and individuals like Tori Fixx, Katastrophe, Deadlee and other picked up the mantle of homo-hop, organizing festivals like the PeaceOut World Homo Hop Festival.

Now, the HomoRevolution tour is traveling across the country, filling in the gaps that the coastal PeaceOut might miss. Rapper Bigg Nugg, a native of Fremont, Ohio, and co-organizer of the tour, is excited about its only Ohio stop currently scheduled, in Columbus on October 4.

"Columbus' date will actually be a Bigg Nugg headlining show, due to artists having to withdraw from the tour," he said. "So it will be Unecc (pronounced Unique), DaLyrical, and myself." Nugg was effusive in his praise of the women with whom he will perform. "

Unecc has a great stage presence and her flows are off the chain. She is actually a Columbus native, so I'm sure her home town will bring the love!" he noted. "DaLyrical comes to us from Atlanta, but she too also lived in Columbus at one point in her career," he continued. "She has so much charisma on stage with her delivery that it is amazing to watch. And her tracks and her knowledge definitely need to be heard."

The rapper has been playing in bands for 12 years, but picked up the mike and became an MC as Bigg Nugg three years ago. He says that Fremont, despite being a small town, is big on hip-hop. "Fremont's culture is pretty hip-hop driven. It's a little city with big city problems, as I like to say," he noted. "So I think the people there relate to it more. There are also some tight hip-hop artists there as well. I have one cousin that flows, and another that produces tight beats."

Nugg signed with Milo Management in Los Angeles last year, putting him in a family with Deadlee, Delacruz, Salvimez, Tori Fixx and Shorty Roc, and it was through that family that the tour was created. Although Columbus' show is currently the only Ohio date, organizers are looking to bring it back through the state in 2008, possibly paired with the documentary film Pick Up the Mic by Alex Hinton. The film is where the tour got its name.

The homo hop scene is growing, and will continue to do so, he believes. "We are not quite there yet, but we are growing," he said, noting that it stretches beyond the country's borders. "It's international as well, with great artists like Qboy, Mz. Fontaine and Gay Fight Club. This gay hip-hop scene has a very underground, punk feeling about it. It's very indie, and the community is very tight." "And our followers are the most loyal fans," he said. "We are only going to grow and grow until we are in every Best Buy around the world!" That growth is the most notable change he has seen since he started following homo hop.

"The scene has seen dozens of new gay hip-hop artists lately, which is dope," he opined. "I am glad more people know they can stand up and really take a hold of this conscious movement."

"The main thing I notice is all of the artists' ability to do more shows, and to take their live shows nationally and internationally," he continued. "Artists on the HomoRevolution Tour, as well as Katastrophe who is doing a ton of dates this year, need to be commended for spreading the love."

The HomoRevolution Tour hits Jacks Bar, 2210 Summit Street in Columbus on Thursday, October 4. Doors open at 10:30 pm, the show is at 11 pm. Tickets are $5, and available now at www.gaymusicusa.com. More information about the show is available at www.homorevolution.com, and Bigg Nugg can be found online at www.myspace.com/biggnugg.