Hey justclubinites! It is no other than the webmaster here to share something with you all. Hip Hop artist in Chicago have always longed to be the one to "put Chicago on the Map". Although there have been many successful artist that have come from Chicago and achieved success. There has been a disconnect between underground hip hop and those successful main stream artist who hail from this great city!
I am saddened to report that one of the longest hip hop open mics is shutting down after count it 8 YEARS! The reason? Lack of support. It hard for me to even digest all of this. There are so many good artist out here, but there is a lack of dedication from hip hop fans!
Here is the reality. If you have ever been to a hip hop summit there is one key factor that is hinted on every time. As an up and coming artist it is MANDATORY that you create a local buzz. That includes showing up at open mics, and street festivals to create a demand for your music.
Sunday's at the Funky Buddha where held for just that purpose. Now this will no longer be the case. Read the note below by the event organizer, no other than Mark Fullaflava himself in his own words:
Yes, the rumors are true. Unfortunately, this Sunday will be the FINAL Sunday for Supa Soul Sunday at Funky Buddha Lounge. After 8 years I have decided to discontinue the longest running weekly open mic and dance party venue in Chicago history. Over our 8 year tenure at Sinibar/Funky Buddha, the Supa Soul Sunday stage has been blessed by Chicago’s best entertainers as well as national artists such as Bilal, Eric Roberson, Julie Dexter, Slum Village, John Legend, Kanye West, Rahsaan Patterson, Questlove, Biz Markie, Luv Bug Starski, Kid Capri, Maceo (De La Soul), Chico Debarge, Spinderella, Dwele, Kindred the Family Soul, Dave Hollister, NO I.D, Pharoh Monch, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dawn Robinson, Ludacris, Estelle, The Brothers, Laura Izibor, Peven Everett, Ursula Rucker, J. Ivy, Malik Yusef, Kenny Howell, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Chris Rob and far too many more to name.
Due to the new transformation of pop culture, it is apparent that today’s population is less concerned with being entertained through the purest form, Live Artistic Expression, and is more interested in what television, and top 40 culture tells them is hot. Today, we are more interested in how sexy the club is, the eye candy, the bottle popping and the two stepping. Don’t get me wrong, even I like to get my two step on from time to time, but we also need balance in our city and it personally saddens me that there doesn’t seem to be enough of us who care to preserve the underground music scene, support local artists and keep live entertainment alive. Artists such as Jill Scott, Ursula Rucker, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu & Raphael Saadiq, each had a night like Supa Soul Sunday in their city that they frequented and used to express themselves and perfect their artistic talent. I can’t continue to fight this battle alone, I need you! If you are an artist in Chicago, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to frequent and support live entertainment venues in your city. If you are someone who appreciates live entertainment and underground music, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to take ownership of these nights in your city and support them to keep the scene alive.
The decision to cancel the night was my own and it was due to lack of support for the night. Artists from all over the USA appreciated the night and that’s why they would show love and fall through whenever they were in town, but unfortunately, we got used to it and took it for granted locally. Special thanks to our host Kevin D. Lofton and the Soul People band. I also thank Zzaje, our first band and congratulate them on the huge success that they have had resulting from being a part of Supa Soul Sunday. I also want to thank “KAT” who was one of the founders of the night and our very first host, “KAT” will be celebrating her B-Day this Sunday at the grand finale. I thank Joe Russo of Sinibar for giving us our start as well as Mark Klemen and management at Funky Buddha Lounge for hosting the night for the past 6 years. Mark and the Funky Buddha staff was the biggest supporters of the night and had my back to the fullest and I will never forget that. They believed in me, and my dream to give Chicago the funkiest night ever. Mad love to Funky Buddha for that. I remain a part of the Buddha family and continue to bring the heat on Thursdays at Butterfly and classic DJ sets on Friday nights and look forward to creating more hot and soulful events at Buddha in the future.
If you have ever been to Supa Soul Sunday and been touched by a live performance or danced your ass off to the underground sounds of Mark Fullaflava, come out and show your love and appreciation this Sunday as we celebrate the grand finale. Doors open at 9pm, we will be video taping this grand finale as I will be recording my last Supa Soul Sunday DJ set. In the words of Rick James…It’s a celebration b**tches (LOL)!!! CU There!
Sincerely,
Mark Fuller
I hope that everyone will lookout for the next open mic and support Chicago hip hop music!
Tags: Funkybuddha Openmic Talentcall Undergroundhiph Op
