November 11th
Doors at 7pm
Show at 8pm
18+
with GREENWADE
Tickets purchased online can be picked up at will call anytime after the doors open at 7pm the day of the show.
Memphis in the 1990's: a singular and invaluable locale in the annals of gangsta rap's golden age. Marked by its trance-inducing, minimalist beat production, acrobatic and horror-movie-obsessed lyricism, and an artist-driven approach to recording and distribution that brings to mind the punk ethos of a DIY music economy, it's a moment that forever changed the narrative of hip hop and was instrumental in the ascent of the Dirty South aesthetic. Any serious discussion of Tennessee's expansive musical legacy would be remiss to exclude the Memphis rap scene, and any discussion of the Memphis rap scene is pointless without placing Tommy Wright III at its center. Though he never achieved the crossover acclaim that contemporaries like Three Six Mafia and Eight Ball & MJG enjoyed, TWIII is the living embodiment of true underground Memphis rap. A prolific producer of volumes of releases since the early 90's, Tommy's solo albums have since become standard-bearers of the genre, as have the scores of group projects he masterminded, such as The Manson Family, 10 Wanted Men, and Niggaz Of Destruction. Original copies of his releases — minimalist white-label cassette tapes, hand-produced and distributed throughout Memphis via local music shops, neighborhood barbers, and car stereo outfitters — now fetch several hundred dollars in a growing international collector's market and have been subject to relentless counterfeiting. Yet, despite TWIII's enduring legacy and international appeal, his public appearances are rare and performances outside the city of Memphis are practically unheard of. Despite living a mere 2.5 hours away, in more than 20 years of activity, Tommy has never performed in Nashville — until now. On November 11 2016, Third Man Records proudly welcomes Tommy Wright III to the Blue Room in a celebration of Tennessee's underground hip hop history.
The night kicks off with a rare appearance from Greenwade, the primary impresario of Nashville's g-funk scene in the 1990's. A prolific rapper, producer, and label head, he was our city's answer to Master P until his budding career was cut short by a widely publicized drug bust gone awry. Now, after nearly 2 decades of incarceration, Greenwade is free and back on his feet, ready to reclaim his title as king of the Nashville underground.
DJs Poppa Pill and Big Perpetrator (aka Tha Glimma Twinz) and DJ Lil Clear Eyez will be manning the booth, jamming 90's Tennessee rap classics all night long to keep the party atmosphere bumpin'.
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