DJ Intro
As a Dj, genre- bending is a cornerstone of my style. Taking two songs from complete opposite ends of the spectrum and letting them ride together in harmony. I felt in my bones that hip-hop has been headed for a cultural shift in landscape for a while now. I imagined what it would sound like, what it could sound like. What I could infuse it with. I experimented like a mad scientist. But then last night it finally hit me, like a wave. A new wave, where the future of hip-hip is headed, all because of a band called: Nite Box.
Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not saying Nite Box is a hip-hop band, at all. On the surface, they have all the makings of a true rock band. But their influences are such a melting pot of styles that I would be doing them an injustice if I tried to categorize them so specifically. I would be doing hip-hop an injustice. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
July 4th
My superstar agent Kenny Mondo booked me for The City of Greenacres “Ignite the Night” 4th of July Celebration. Funny thing was, I thought I was djing the event. It just so happened it was an Mcing gig, so I didn’t need my Roland Dj 808
They booked a huge sound crew for the event, who I felt horrible for because it was pouring down rain and they were struggling to keep their equipment safe. Rouge Theory was the main act. They fucking rocked. I offered to spin in-between their sets, but they had that covered too: Nite Box
I honestly didn’t know what to expect. My expectations were nill. I thought they were little kids who had just begun to pick up their instruments. Boy was I wrong, they blew my mind. Rocked my fucking world. I hadn’t been that excited about a performance in a longtime. I was hearing something really new, something futuristic, yet rooted in classic musicianship.
Influences
Right out of the gate, I could hear elements of Tame Impala, Tom Petty, The Beatles, & The 1975. Mix that with a little Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Blink 182, and the funk band Wild Cherry, and that’s what I heard. It was dope. I couldn’t make out any of the songs they were playing, so I knew they weren’t playing covers. Then they bust out a rendition of MGMT’s Time to Pretend and suddenly I wasn’t so sure. It was a bold choice, but it worked. It wasn’t till I got home and checked out their Instagram and YouTube that I realized what a huge Influence Hip-Hip had on their music.
Nite Box- Those Days
Those Day’s is their first official single, as it’s now streamable on Spotify. It’s a great introduction to the band as a whole, and really showcases all of their individuality. Walker Macmillan on the Drums, Jacob Thomas on the Bass, Beau Eavenson on Guitar, and Dylan Thomas on lead vocals, guitar, piano and sax. They told me after the show that’s it’s Dylan who does most of the writing as well. At such a young age, it’s inspiring too see just how far they’ve come in mastering their instruments.
It caught the attention of Jason Newsted (The Bassist from Metallica) as well, as seen here as he jams with Jacob and Walker for a rendition of Folsum Prison Blues. Before the jam session, he gives Jacob a huge compliment stating: “I got my first bass when I was 15, and I sure as hell couldn’t do anything like that. This kids my new hero.” Mine too Jason. Mine too.
Swampgrass Willie’s
It’s no secret that many bands get their start playing at bars like Swampgrass Willies, but the crazy thing is that these kids aren’t even old enough to get into bars. Luckily Swampgrass has an all ages Nite. From all the applause coming form the audience I’m positive age wont be a factor for them performing too much longer.
Visit their YouTube to see the full set list from Swapgrass Willies. I’m going to post my most favorite song from the set Narnia, which is a psychedelic journey through jazz, funk, blues and rap. Favorite moments are when Jacob sings the hook, Walker spits a rap verse, and Dylan grooves on the Sax. I’ll let you watch the rest and leave your comments below on this post.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS13ZPUWfgCiO0lJ6yvzG-w
Buddha The God – Own My Own Remix Feat. Nite Box
Here’s where it all comes back full circle, to the hip-hop. “A whole new wave of sound and energy.”- To Quote Buddah the God’s YouTube page. We’re all gonna need some surfboards in the future of Hip-Hop because a fusion of Rock & Rap is inevitable. Unfortunately I don’t know the details of this collaboration, or how it came about, but as soon as we can get them on Boombox Broadcast for an interview, we’ll find out more.
Watching Nite Box rap makes me think back to the early days of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and how their lyrical style of rap has influenced so many generations. From Post Malone, Wiz Kahlifa, to Ty Dolla $ign, and more, to the next generation: Nite Box. I will be sure to ask them if they are Bone Thugs fans if we get them on the podcast.
Till then, make sure you follow Nite Box on all avenues of social media and keep up with offkeymag.com for more news on the band as it unfolds.