The DRG Films crew went out to film U-N-I’s FOUR performances out in Austin, TX for the South By Southwest festival. The trip was very interesting. And it wasn’t because we got pulled over 3 times on our way out there by cops that wear cowboy hats. And it wasn’t the fact that we took a longer route than what we were supposed to take.
As soon as we enter Texas, we stop at some small town to use the restroom. This town looks like it could be in that movie “The Hills Have Eyes” because it was desolate as can be. Some young dude with long hair walks up to us and starts talking to us. He’s from a rock band that’s from L.A. and their on their way to perform at SXSW. Their van broke down the following night and they were stuck there since then. He says it’s just like a scary movie because the mechanic can’t figure out how to fix the engine and they had to stay in some crazy-scary hotel that night. We don’t wait around for anymore details and head out.
We arrived a few hours before U-N-I performed at Karma Lounge. After haggling with security for about 15 minutes about not letting us in, everyone is in safely. U-N-I starts their performance and decides to tell the stagehand to turn off the lights because they want to perform in the dark. After a song and a half, we tell the same stagehand to turn the lights back on so we can see the performance on video (sorry guys, but we still had a job to do). Thurz and Y-O kill it and when the “headliner” Camp Lo comes on, the energy has 1/4 of what U-N-I had going on.
We shake from that spot and head over to the Red Bull party. Unfortunately, we don’t know where it’s at. But it doesn’t matter because as we’re walking, an Reggae artist stops us and starts freestyling in front of the camera. Meanwhile, as some of the rest of the crew gets something to eat, they get into an argument with some Texans about how Obama is a socialist, he’s going to destroy American values, or something of that nature (we were smack dab in the middle of Republican-Bush-Country).
They go back to the car, walk under a parking structure, and get pissed on by someone pissing off of the side of the ledge 4 stories up. They run up to get the guy that was pissing. They stop on the floor right below where the pisser is and they see a guy getting out of his car and cocking back the chamber of a glock 9mm gun. They shocked at what they see, but the guy loading up the gun is shocked once he notices them looking at him. The crew then proceeds go back to the stairs and continue their pursuit of the pisser. They find him on the following floor. Their so discombobulated from seeing the guy with the gun, that they forget to rough up the pisser once they see him. But it’s all good because the pisser is a promoter and he proceeds to give the crew flyers for a party that’s the following day that’s going to be hosted by Mya the singer.
The other half of the crew is still with U-N-I wondering around the main street of SXSW. We can’t figure out where the Red Bull party is, but walk past the venue where Kid Cudi is performing and decide to go it. The security hassles us about getting in but once we get in, Cudi’s wrapping up his performance. I see one of the baddest white chicks dancing on the stage and I immediately get infatuated with every white chick in Texas hereafter. We head back to the car and see another dude pissing off of the side of another parking structure (luckily we were across the street). We continue to walk towards the car and I hear a gun shot coming from a parking structure. I don’t pay it too much attention because there’s some dudes laying on the sidewalk with blood coming from his nose and his face all bruised up. Apparently he got in a fight because his friends were scrambling to get a taxi to go to the hospital. We head back to the hotel.
Day 2
We head over to the Nah Right showcase and there’s too much music to handle. Blu, Exile, Charles Hamilton, B.o.B., Currensy, and Tanya Morgan. I spot the homie DJ Low Key from Colorado, but he has to get ready for his set with T Morgan, so we don’t get a chance to chop it up. Spotted the homie Noah Ayala and met up with Dae One for the first time. Then, Elliot Wilson walks past us and we connect with him. I spot another white chick that’s working behind the bar and I start to get worried that I might try to get a one of these Texas chicks, her boyfriend gets mad, starts a fight with me, and it somehow escalates into a city wide riot like in the movie Rosewood. We leave.
We head over to another showcase and glance across the street and see that some dude walking under a parking structure just got pissed on from above. We catch up with Donny Goines and 6th sense over at another spot that on the other side of the city. We split up and head back to the hotel.
As soon as we get back, Super Manager C London calls us and says that we have to get to the DubFrequency spot where Thurz and Y-O are performing. We immediately head back and see a extra long line of people trying to get in. Super Networker JJ makes a few calls and gets us in ahead of the line, but not before we hear some white guy that was walking by with his girlfriend blurt out “HEY HONEY, THIS MUST BE THE JIGGABOO LINE!!! HAHAHA!!!”. Nobody else hears him except us, but we’re still in shock that he said it. But then he blurts out the same exact thing to that everyone can hear. As he passes us by, some cat from Atlanta looks at us and says “Did he just call us Jiggaboo’s?”. We say yes and then head inside (so apparently the term “Jiggaboo” isn’t South thing, it’s a Texas thing”.
We get inside and the place gets ridiculously crowded. U-N-I is scheduled to go on at 11:30. We head to the stage (which is nearly impossible because there’s no pathway through the audience and there’s no backstage area. They tell them that they’ve been pushed back because their running late. Not a problem. 45 minutes go by and then B.o.B. comes into the venue. U-N-I still hasn’t gone on yet. Thurz and Y-O are heated. C London starts yelling at some dude. I’m smashed up against the wall trying to keep the camera out of harm’s way. B.o.B. starts setting up his band’s equipment. London says that their going on now because Curtains (who is performing with them) has to get over to another performance on the other side of the city. U-N-I takes the stage and make B.o.B. and his band stand to the side. Once again, Thurz and Y-O kill it.
Day 3
Fatigue has set in. We head over to the Okayplayer showcase and nothing ridiculous happens. Thurz and Y-O close out the weekend with another outstanding performance. We finally meet up with DJ Low Key and Tanya Morgan and give a quick interview for the Love Supreme documentary. They give an outstanding interview considering the circumstances. We then go to this Mexican food spot that served us the worst Mexican food I’ve ever had in my life.
We head back home to L.A. right after that. We take the quicker route this time and have to drive on some secluded road for about 3 hours. This road takes us thru Fredricksburg, Texas, which scared the living bejesus out of me at the time because it was in the middle of nowhere, there was a bunch of old buildings, and there was nobody on in the streets. We drive thru that town and go thru the backwoods of Texas until we get back to the 10 freeway.
We finally get home, I kiss the ground and thank the heavens we got back in one piece.
