Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Join Urban Community Arts Network on December 1st, 2023 for “First Quarter”, the first show of the organization’s quarterly live Hip-Hop event series at High Noon Saloon!

Gemini birthday bash with Multi-Platinum producer DJ Pain 1(Jeezy, Pooh Shiesty, G Herbo, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Rick Ross, The Game, Jack Harlow, Nas, and many more) on the 1’s, & 2’s along with Host ShaH Evans aka Mr Get Your Buzz Up.

Hobo Johnson

Hailing from Sacramento, CA, artist Frank Lopes, who cultivated the moniker Hobo Johnson after being kicked out of his parents’ house and left to live in his ’94 Corolla, is propelling his way to the top. The half Azorean Portuguese, quarter Mexican and Native American vocalist built a grassroots following via viral homegrown style videos showcasing his singularity; an amalgamation of spoken word poetry, punk, folk and rap backed by his band The Lovemakers. Hobo’s momentum reached a tipping point after gaining feverish interest through his entry in NPR’s “Tiny Desk” Contest, which went viral(25 million streams to date) despite not winning. Bursting with unadulterated sincerity, his genre-defying sound feels akin to musical anomalies of the past and future. 2017 saw Hobo Johnson’s self-released debut album The Rise of Hobo Johnson, selling out shows everywhere and amassing over 65 million cumulative U.S. streams.

The Kaleidoscope Kid

Arizona newcomer The Kaleidoscope Kid is here with his self-titled Suburban Noize Records album debut. Blending counter-culture music with his broad musical and personal appeal, The Kaleidoscope Kid is a gifted songwriter, artist, and designer. With a humble and thoughtful approach to every interaction, it is clear that he has found clarity in his inner-self. He is wise beyond his years and breaks the stereotypes of a typical rockstar or musician. It is that much sought-after wisdom that guarantees The Kaleidoscope Kid to induce a sense of sonic nostalgia to hungry mainstream audiences.

At the age of 21, The Kaleidoscope Kid found himself in a hospital bed fighting to survive a debilitating autoimmune disease that was ravaging his body from the inside out. Exhausted by constant testing and misdiagnoses, The Kaleidoscope Kid sold his worldly possessions and escaped to the mountains of Sedona Arizona, where he learned to manage his symptoms holistically, and discovered his musical prodigy. “Playing guitar and writing was the only thing that kept me going, and in those moments music became medicine. It gave me something to live for.” After 4 years living outside, regaining his strength, and finding himself through music he signed a deal with Regime/Suburban Noize Records to bring you his eponymous LP “The Kaleidoscope Kid.”

With catchy songs that will reference “Bukowski” and a “Rubix Cube” in one line, then transition into a hook that will leave you singing it for days, The Kaleidoscope Kid could not only be what Alt Music needs, but with his humble and insightful point of view, it seems he’s what the world needs too.

Hobo Johnson

Hailing from Sacramento, CA, artist Frank Lopes, who cultivated the moniker Hobo Johnson after being kicked out of his parents’ house and left to live in his ’94 Corolla, is propelling his way to the top. The half Azorean Portuguese, quarter Mexican and Native American vocalist built a grassroots following via viral homegrown style videos showcasing his singularity; an amalgamation of spoken word poetry, punk, folk and rap backed by his band The Lovemakers. Hobo’s momentum reached a tipping point after gaining feverish interest through his entry in NPR’s “Tiny Desk” Contest, which went viral(25 million streams to date) despite not winning. Bursting with unadulterated sincerity, his genre-defying sound feels akin to musical anomalies of the past and future. 2017 saw Hobo Johnson’s self-released debut album The Rise of Hobo Johnson, selling out shows everywhere and amassing over 65 million cumulative U.S. streams.

The Kaleidoscope Kid

Arizona newcomer The Kaleidoscope Kid is here with his self-titled Suburban Noize Records album debut. Blending counter-culture music with his broad musical and personal appeal, The Kaleidoscope Kid is a gifted songwriter, artist, and designer. With a humble and thoughtful approach to every interaction, it is clear that he has found clarity in his inner-self. He is wise beyond his years and breaks the stereotypes of a typical rockstar or musician. It is that much sought-after wisdom that guarantees The Kaleidoscope Kid to induce a sense of sonic nostalgia to hungry mainstream audiences.

At the age of 21, The Kaleidoscope Kid found himself in a hospital bed fighting to survive a debilitating autoimmune disease that was ravaging his body from the inside out. Exhausted by constant testing and misdiagnoses, The Kaleidoscope Kid sold his worldly possessions and escaped to the mountains of Sedona Arizona, where he learned to manage his symptoms holistically, and discovered his musical prodigy. “Playing guitar and writing was the only thing that kept me going, and in those moments music became medicine. It gave me something to live for.” After 4 years living outside, regaining his strength, and finding himself through music he signed a deal with Regime/Suburban Noize Records to bring you his eponymous LP “The Kaleidoscope Kid.”

With catchy songs that will reference “Bukowski” and a “Rubix Cube” in one line, then transition into a hook that will leave you singing it for days, The Kaleidoscope Kid could not only be what Alt Music needs, but with his humble and insightful point of view, it seems he’s what the world needs too.

sKitz Kraven aka (Evan D. Kijek) was born on July 9th, 1994 in Madison Wisconsin. Growing up listening and idolizing music, Kraven knew he would one day be an artist. From the age of 4 he started playing the piano, drums, and many other percussion instruments. Getting into music at a young age helped his knowledge with sound. During his middle school years, Kraven soon fell in love with the rap game. Through high school he started not only falling for the game itself, but also the street life that came with it. At the age of 16 Kraven was starting to experience some mental and emotional challenges including addiction and mental illness. Dealing with those roadblocks, Kraven started looking for ways to cope. At 18 he made writing music his therapy. “I would put my pain, anger, excitement, and emotions into all of my writings and turned them into poetry, into a story.” said Kraven. That is when he knew rap was his calling.

After rapping throughout his city, people soon started to see how much talent he truly had. With his violent and cringing lyrics, people couldn’t believe the gruesome and raunchy things he would say. “I always admired the darker side to life and the darker topics, music, and movies most people would always try and avoid”. Horror movies are mainly all I watched growing up and I always wanted to collaborate horror with hip hop but in a mild more modern way”. If you mix Eminem, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and Stephen King with a little bit of Tim Burton, you get me”. said Kraven. As much as the people didn’t want to admit it, they couldn’t ignore his creative and shocking poetic flow. They soon started to follow his every move, copy his trendy “look” and wanted to be where he was. He was a true leader. Inspired by his fans’ reaction, he realized he needed to pursue his passion further.

At the age of 19, Kraven packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles, California. Now, after living in California, Kraven has a large fan base and a new sound to his music. He has shared the stage with artists such as Juicy J, Waka Flocka Flame, Ice Cube, Yelawolf, Future, Mickey Avalon, Hopsin, and many others. “His stage presence is out of this world” said Eric Knight who is a club promoter in Orange County, California. When he steps foot in front of the crowd, he makes sure he grabs everyone in the buildings attention. His aggressive, rowdy, and passionate energy truly pulls the entire audience in”. “Performing is my life”. said Kraven. “I can’t tell you how many artists half ass their performances and perform only 3 songs just to get paid. I never understood how an artist can just stand in one place while rapping some of their lyrics and move their hand up and down. That isn’t a performance to me. When I’m on stage, its not only a concert but it’s a movie. I make sure to look every person in the front 2 rows directly in the eyes throughout the entire performance and the ones that aren’t close enough to see my eyes, they will feel the intensity through my music and vibes. You will remember my energy and stage presence for years after. Thats how I come out and perform a show”.

sKitz Kraven is bringing “horrorcore” into the game and with his darker lyrics and grimy sounds, he is turning a lot of heads. He also has the mainstream listeners tuned in with his more popular singles “LMK” and “Call You Mine”, which are getting a lot of attention in the club scene this year. Not only can sKitz create dark music, he is a master at making radio/club music, r&b music, and pop music as well. sKitz’s hit single titled “Magic” which is on his “Wonderland” mixtape, and his most recent single titled “That’s All”, is a prime example of his DARKER side. With 4 full length albums and multiple smash singles, sKitz is already on track to become something much bigger than “horrorcore”. sKitz Kraven could well be labeled as the “Marilyn Manson” of hip hop, “The artist who can do it all”, or “The master of all genres”, but whichever one you label him as, sKitz Kraven will be the top of a new generation in hip hop, and that’s a fact.