If you talk to or at least stalk local rappers on the Internet (like I do, except that I call it "journalism"), you'll know one of the most frequently visited topics is that of unity and support. If only all SD artists came together and supported one another, we'd have a scene rivalling that of Atlanta or Los Angeles. Or so the story goes.
Well, unfortunately, rappers are rappers, so that won't happen. But, thankfully, fans are not rappers and you can actually make a difference with your support, at least in the case of local favorites Parker & the Numberman.
The bespectacled group has just launched their first Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the Kiss Our Glasses music and film tour. They're planning a 10-day tour along the West Coast, hitting spots in Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas and San Francisco. They also want to shoot footage to complete a short film for submission to various film festivals. If funded, this tour will go down in the Summer of 2014.
In case you're not familiar, Parker & the Numberman make fun, quirky hip-hop that's laid-back in approach. Also, they have excellent chemistry, especially onstage. And they have ideas for days, more ideas than they know what to do with. Last year, their Clockwork Slang EP won the San Diego Music Award for Best Hip Hop Album. If you frequent the Casbah, Kava Lounge or Tower Bar, you've probably seen them, since they perform constantly.
As with any Kickstarter campaign, your donation will also net you some cool prizes, depending on how much you can give. I'm not gonna run through the whole list, but I'd like to highlight the $25 package, which -- on top of netting you a P&T shirt, sticker and donor button -- will also give you "a surprise snack." Knowing their deep knowledge of rap trivia, I'm hoping they send out, like, Snoop Dogg-branded chips, which is a real thing that existed at some point. Another appealing option is the $65 package, which gets you a shirt, a sticker, an autographed photo and -- wait for it -- a cassette mixtape handmade by Parker himself. As any real rap fan knows, tapes are the best medium for rap.
You can show your support for P&T and cassette tapes via their Kickstarter here. Hurry now -- the campaign ends Nov. 13.
Quan Vu is the founder and editor of local music blog sdRAPS.com. He has also written about local and national hip-hop acts for San Diego CityBeat and the San Diego Reader. You can nerd out on rap trivia by becoming BFF's on Facebook or e-mailing him directly.
