At a time when contemporary Hip Hop consists of uninspired rhyme slingers rapping along to flavor of the month instrumentals, Electric City, the duo which consists of DJ Skipmode’s turntablism and the energetic lyricism of Mighty FlipSide Esq., reintroduces the almost forgotten concept of MC /DJ/Crowd interaction. Their live show is hailed as legendary and the crew boats the longest running Hip Hop monthly event in Philadelphia. Now, with the release of a studio album Everything, Everywhere, All the Time, Electric City maintains the integrity of their live performance while paring intelligent lyricism and freestyle with innovative production; proving they are not just another ordinary Hip Hop act, but true musicians. When DJ Skipmode and Mighty FlipSide Esq. met in 1997 the two already had established reputations; Skipmode was DJing parties and compiling mix tapes while Mighty FlipSide had already peeked major label interest and was making a lot of noise with his renowned freestyle in Philadelphia’s Underground. When they finally came together their rapport was undeniable and a super group was formed. The name Electric City pays homage not only to their philosophy, but to the conduit of the crews style, their native city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electric by one definition is: full of fire and energy, and able to communicate it; that raw fire and energy bred between the sounds of the inner-city ghettos where they first discovered Hip Hop and the sights of the pillars of industry that form its skyline is communicated through DJ Skipmode’s production and Mighty FlipSides lyrics. Although Hip Hop is their first language Electric City is musically multilingual. Their influences cover the spectrum of genres; ranging from classical to punk rock, from jazz to jungle. Talking Heads, Prince, DJ Q-Bert, Jon Spencer, Weezer, the Sundays, Chopin, P-funk, and a huge legacy of Hip-Hop are to whom they credit their inspiration. Their versatility allows them to continue mounting respect among Hip Hops elite, and maintain an ever-growing and diversified following. Electric City has preformed alongside the likes of Kool Keith, the P-Funk All-stars, Nelly, Xzibit, the Beatnuts, Grand Agent, J Live, and many others. They have been featured in City Paper (Oct. 2005), Philadelphia Weekly (Mar. 2004), and their music has been included on various mix tapes and movie soundtracks. The album, Everything, Everywhere, All the Time, has been honored prior to release by City Papers Choice Awards for Best Superfriends Team-up (Nov. 2005). Individually, they still rise in their respective fields. DJ Skipmode continues to earn respect for his turntable skills; winning first place in the Philadelphia City Paper Pitch Control Competition in 2001 (going on to become a judge in 2004,) he has been a featured DJ for Philly 103.9, Beat Society, Okayplayer events, Scion events, various other high-profile parties, and toured internationally. He has worked with DJ Qbert, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money and other legends of his art. Most recently Skipmode was invited to join Philadelphia’s highly reputable DJ crew, Illvibe Collective. Mighty FlipSide Esq. continues to have his finger on the pulse of the entire Philadelphia music scene; he fronts a live band Robothouse, is a much sought after host and promoter for various parties and events, has won competitions for both freestyling and beatboxing, is in production for an instructional DVD about the art of Hip Hop freestyle/creative writing & performance and has earned his reputation as a Hip Hop Educator/Activist. While continually working in electric City both plan future collaborative and solo projects. At the end of the day, isn't all we ask for is quality Hip Hop? Well, we've found it in Electric City. (www.phillyhiphop.com) Electric City 2006
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