What Do You Sound Like?
Throughout music history there has always been that one venue or event that has provided a rite of passage for music acts. From Vaudeville and Carnegie Hall to the Grand Ole Opry and the Apollo Theater, these stages have offered a point from which so many legendary musicians have launched their careers. Queens-bred Brey King is trying to create that same energy and opportunity with his showcase, the SoundCheck.
Years ago, a young Brey found himself inspired. First, when his mother surprised him with a trip to the Apollo Theater, where he saw Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and Rakim rock the legendary stage where the James Brown, The Jackson 5 and so many others rubbed the tree stump for luck, “I just grew up loving live shows.“ Second, a similar feeling of inspiration, years later, in Philly at the Black Lily music festival. “There was this enormous energy. I absorbed all the energy of the artists, and I’m trying to recreate that with SoundCheck.“ The SoundCheck is the most recent incarnation of Brey King Productions Presents…, a showcase for up-and-coming musicians, performers, designers, etc., to show their work to the masses.
A producer himself, Brey lets it be known that this isn’t some amateur talent show; these artists are out there and dedicated to their craft. “The ones that are up and coming have to have something to grow into, you gotta be working. You gotta be out there on your grind,“ he stressed. “I’m looking for that talent. Are you really moving forward, or are you just playing? Put your work in; the music has to sound like it’s ready.“
That’s what it’s all about - moving forward. By featuring artists that are on the brink of something beyond their current station, the SoundCheck attempts to be the launching pad for sounds that the rest of the world has no idea are coming. “I’m trying to take the SoundCheck to another level,“ the level where “in order to get on, you gotta come through the SoundCheck.“
But beyond notoriety and recognition as a brand, in the end it is what it is. “It’s our culture. It’s music based, but our culture is more than music. We dance. We make music. We build. We create.“ Brey stresses that it’s not all about hip hop either, “It’s not just coming and listening to a bunch of people rap. As i grow, my event will grow. I want to showcase all different types of artists, totally mixing up the genres to bring different people together.“
Past BreyKing Productions Presents… and SoundCheck showcases have featured performances from the like of Fresh Daily, Theophilus London, John West and Children of the Night, just to name a few. The most recent edition of the SoundCheck was a different taste of something we’ve never had with dope live performances from emcees Poe Picasso, Iron Lyon and Eric Sosa, and Jonny Go Figure rocking in front of a live band, with the always entertaining Ms. Mo Browne Suga as the host controlling the stage and DJ Jasmine Solano controlling the beats. On October 2nd, the SoundCheck will bring the hard rocking Shinobi Ninja, Anton Glamb, OverFab and Rockstar Society (RSNY). It should be an amazing show.
Brey’s aspirations for the future of the SoundCheck? He’d love to rock SoundCheck at Madison Square Garden one day. And beyond the Garden? “I’d like to inspire young artists. I’m looking to expand beyond just the show part of it ... build and create artist development. Just building a lifestyle.“
(Photo Credit: Rameen Gasery)
