NOLA Underground Hip-Hop Award Nominees Finalized

Nola Underground Hip-Hop Awards

As underground hip-hop in New Orleans continues to grow, it’s time to celebrate the artists and their music with the NOLA Underground Hip-Hop Awards, taking place Tuesday, October 19 from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Howlin’ Wolf. Winners in some categories will be chosen by panelists from the local hip-hop and media community (disclaimer: OffBeat is represented), while other categories will be determined by online public vote, including an open vote for the big prize, NOLA Artist of the Year.

The awards will be hosted by Shiny Green along with DJ Rqaway on turntables, and will feature live performances by many of the nominees, with a closing performance by native buzz-artist Jay Electronica. Special tributes will be given to two of local hip-hop’s deceased leaders: Soulja Slim and Bionik Brown, as well as the incarcerated rapper Mac. In addition, lifetime achievement awards will be given to some of New Orleans most prominent hip-hop DJs: the Psychoward DJs, Ice Mike, Wild Wayne, DJ Ro, and DJ Jubilee.

Event organizer/Traffic Boutique owner Lawrence Parker (who, under his alias CrackTracks, is up for the Producer of the Year award for his work crafting beats for Aquaforce, Kashflow, and others under his Supreme Street banner) said about his motivation for putting on the awards, “[New Orleans underground hip-hop] hasn’t been getting the light shined on it like it is supposed to. I see a lot of artists, I see how hard they work. I wanted to reach back and show the guys who have been putting in the work that I have respect for them and what they have being doing the last year or so.”

Presale tickets are available for $15. More details at nolaundergroundhiphopawards.blogspot.com.

The full list of nominees are as follows:

HOTTEST FEMALE ARTIST

Allie Baby

Bzy Bee

Ms. Tee

Na’Tee

TheSeKondElement

HOTTEST MALE ARTIST

Dappa

Dee-1

Impulss

Lyrikill

Nesby Phips

Truth Universal

HOTTEST GROUP

Aquaforce

Tha Cartel

I.C.U

TheSupremeTeam

TNC Boys

Tygah Woods

HOTTEST NEW ARTIST

A. Levy

KashFlow

Lil Dee

Lyriqs

Rico Got’em

Tacaloc

LYRICIST OF THE YEAR

Caligula

Impulss

K. Gates

Lyrikill

Lyriqs

Na’Tee

TheSeKondElement

The Show

Slangston Hughes

HUSTLER OF THE YEAR

Ben Brubaker

CurtStar

CrackTracks/Lawrence Parker

Holly Hobbs

“OnPoint” El Williams

Sess 4-5

Slangston Hughes

HOTTEST DJ OF THE YEAR

Black N Mild

DJ Chicken

DJ Def D

DJ RQAway

Tony Skratchere

Mike Swift

HOTTEST PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

CrackTracks

The Hut

N.O. Bricks

Prospek

Quest

S-80

HOTTEST BLOG OF THE YEAR

AshleeNicoleSpills

Aye Lifestyle

Idle Mindz

Soundclash

The Sweet Lyfe

Visual Crack

HOTTEST MIXTAPE OF THE YEAR

CrackTracks, Motivation 504

Dee-1, I Hope They Hear Me

Lil Dee, The Spokesman Vol. 1

Na’Tee, Guess Who’s Comin To Dinner

Nesby Phips, The B Side

The Show, D.O.B. (.zip)

HOTTEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR

K. Gates, The Shaikback

Impulss, Marie Laveaux’s Hustle

Monsta Beatz, Monstaz On Mars

The SeKondElement, The Kommencement

Truth Universal, Guerilla Business

Lyrikill, Heart & Sole

NOLA ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Caesar Parkway

Dee-1

Impulss

K. Gates

KashFlow

Lyrikill

Na’Tee

The SekondElement

The Show

Truth Universal

HOTTEST COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR

Caesar Parkway feat. Na’Tee — “Bite Ya”

Impulss feat. Nesby Phips — “Fly Talk”

Kashflow feat. Supreme Team — “Supreme Street”

Lil Dee feat. Snipe — “Never Let Go”

Mike Swift feat. 9th Ward Gucci & Na’Tee — “Back It Up”

Quest feat. PhatWord — “Dope”

Rico Got’em feat. Blair Taylor — “Can’t Hold Me Down”

TheSekondElement feat. Lyrikill — “Dead Or Alive”

Sess 4-5 feat. Ms. Tee — “Stingy”

Suave feat. Lyrikill & Caligula — “Don’t Sell Your Soul”

Tacaloc feat. TonToe, Na’Tee, Kendra Williams — “One Thing”

HOTTEST VIDEOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

B. Mike

Big Chance

Craig “Craigo” Carter

Film Junkies

Kevin Davis

Leagaux

Rome Julian

TNC Films

HOTTEST SONG OF THE YEAR

10 Finger Orchestra — “You Wanna Be Like Me”

A. Levy — “NOLA”

AquaForce — “Who the Fuck Are You”

J. Dubble — “1,2,3,4”

KashFlow — “Big City Dreams”

Lyriqs — “Amazing Dae”

Truth Universal — “The GrassRoots Campaign”

Tygah Woods — “Fuck Yeah”

Y. Luck — “Walkin’ Thru New Orleans”

HOTTEST BOUNCE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Big Freedia

Gotti Boy Chris

Magnolia Shorty

Monsta Wit Da Fade

Sissy Nobby

HOTTEST BOUNCE SONG OF THE YEAR

Big Freedia — “Rock Around The Clock”

Crowd Mova Krystal — “6th Ward Dumaine”

Kourtney Heart feat. Magnolia Shorty — “My Boy”

Magnolia Shorty — “Smoking Gun”

Monsta Wit Da Fade — “Hut Hut”

Sissy Nobby — “Beat It Out the Frame”

 

You can vote for the public-choice categories right here: