When Boston music calls, Cliff Notez and HipStory collaborate.
As Boston Calling Music Festival unveiled its 10th edition lineup earlier this year, Sidney Gish was distinctly the only Boston up-and-comer on the bill. While Guster, Clairo, Pile, and Sasha Sloan (who has since dropped off the fest) all have Massachusetts roots, they’re also national touring acts with already-established national fan bases. Additionally, out of all five groups, none of them are on the hip-hop or rap spectrum — a change from last year’s metaphorical marquee, which included Boston rappers STL GLD and Cousin Stizz.
The shift didn’t go unnoticed.
Amongst a very public acknowledgement of the lack of local music — notably hip-hop — at this year’s version of the annual Allston festival, Notez and HipStory set their own cultural response into motion, establishing the inaugural Boston Answering at The Strand Theatre in Dorchester.
The show features performances from Greater Boston artists Red Shaydez, Forté, and Notez himself, as well as non-hip-hop acts Photocomfort and VQnC. Booked for May 25 over Memorial Day weekend, and overlapping with Saturday of Boston Calling, the event speaks for itself when it comes to Notez’s message.
“We here. We been here. We been doing dope shit. And we’ll keep doing that,” Notez affirms. “That goes for the artists on the bill. That goes for The Strand Theatre as an institution, that goes for Dorchester and the city of Boston as well. That’s what I care about. I keep saying this, but I’m not out here trying to make big statements for shock value. I’m trying to make big statements normalized. The same way Boston Calling failing the local music scene has been. I want hip-hop taking over non-conventional venues like Atwood’s with Sketchbook, or existing on a weekend that Boston Calling exists on, to not be seen as rebellious (that’s the fucking problem) but normal.”
Initially sparked by HipStory intern Muñeca Diaz roughly three months ago, Notez says that each facet of Boston Answering organically grew out of community connections, including their partnership with the Mayor’s office.
“The beautiful thing about all of this, is that it all happened naturally, because we’re actually here, on the ground floor in the city, working with the community,” he explains. “A lot of these partnerships/bookings/connections were sparked via something as simple as a direct text or phone call. The accessibility comes with being within the community, asking and knowing what the people want and need.”
Aside from tackling the matter of area representation, Boston Answering also aims to be more accessible for everyone, both price and location-wise. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and The Strand is easily accessible by public transportation. Boston Answering has also partnered with Hoodgrown Aesthetic, who will be doing a gallery opening for Inner City Circle to highlight Boston area visual artists and Paul Goodnight. Local businesses Aeronaut Brewery, Lord Hobo, and Union Sound are also sponsors.
Looking forward, Notez says that if Boston Calling wants to incorporate more local representation, they need to sit down and have a discussion with the whole community — not just fragments of it.
“It’s not my job to educate people on how to not be elitist,” Notez says. “It’s my job to make art and music. It’s my job to create platforms for marginalized voices and stories to be heard and told. It’s my job to make community. And I feel like it’s my job to combine these things as often as possible. If Boston Calling cares about those things, if they want to come off as elitist to us marginalized identities (especially hip-hop acts), if they want to be more inclusive, they can come sit down with us, not just me, us.
BOSTON ANSWERING :: Saturday, May 25 at The Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road in Dorchester, MA :: 8:30 p.m., 18-plus, $15 advance, $20 day of show :: Facebook event page