Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Where's the Love?

Knoxville, which has yet to establish itself as a hip-hop friendly city, has a new store for all things hip hop. Elementz is located behind Kinko's on the Cumberland Avenue strip, the spot previously occupied Down to Earth, one of Knoxville's now defunct hip-hop stores. The store is owned by Jakira and Mary Kaos, the latest devotees to try to bolster the fledgling scene here.

The store carries vinyl, CDs, cloths, magazines and other hip-hop gear—specializing in underground.

"It's kind of frustrating because a city the size of Knoxville, they should have a lot more going on," Jakira says. "You go over to Asheville, they've got four or five different things....They have two or three huge hip hop shows a month over there."

A friend in Asheville told him that Erykah Badu was recently spotted at one Asheville hip-hop party. "You don't hear about things like that in Knoxville," Jakira says.

Jakira is one of a handful who have been promoting hip-hop shows around Knoxville in the past year, in Market Square and at the Pilot Light, among other places. Although the shows have drawn good crowds, the effort is starting to take its toll on him. He's contemplating a move to Asheville if things don't get better by the spring. "Every time a hip-hop scene gets going here, people [behind it] get frustrated and end up moving to Atlanta or some other place," he says.

The biggest problem is that there are few places to hold shows regularly. "We can bring in crowds, it's just nobody wants to deal with it. I guess there's still this stigma that hip hop is all about gangster rap. It's like comparing Slayer and the Rolling Stones. It comes from the same roots, but you wouldn't compare them."

But for now, Elementz is up and running, and the hip-hop scene is alive and kicking. Check out the store's website at www.ratchet.djcentral.com. Open every day (except Wednesdays) at noon, the store also features live DJs on the weekend nights.

Your Neighborhood Radio Station

On Nov. 10, an old 8-track tape of Lord of the Rings was broadcast on 90.9 FM from a secret location in South Knoxville. Later in the week, the same frequency aired hip hop and bluegrass, along with a program by death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. Thus First Amendment Radio—billing itself as a true non-commercial community station—began broadcasting.

For now the station is on only sporadically and its signal is a weak 25 watts. But within three or four weeks, the station should have a signal of 100 watts and broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, says Chris Irwin, one of the founders.

The station can now be heard in Vestal, Chapman Highway, and most of Fort Sanders. At full strength, it should be heard in all of the center city and its surrounding neighborhoods.

First Amendment Radio doesn't have a license to operate. The Federal Communications Commission created new low-power community station licenses last year, but heavy lobbying from National Public Radio and the broadcasting industry forced the FCC to prohibit these stations in urban areas. Knoxville residents who had hoped to get one of those licenses decided to start a radio station anyway. However, they're avoiding the word "pirate" since they believe they have a right to broadcast over the public domain.

Irwin says they're not too worried about heat from the FCC. They have a good transmitter that shouldn't interfere with other stations. There have also been so-called pirate radio stations operating in Asheville and Atlanta for years, with no problems from the FCC, Irwin says. (Those cities have FCC officies, Knoxville does not.) "We're not broadcasting on anybody's signal and our equipment is really, really clean—the signal doesn't bleed at all," he says.

The transmitter was purchased with about $1,200 raised at community fund-raisers and another $600 from the organizers. The group will have more fund-raisers to pay for more equipment and cover their debt. "We need a good CD player. The cheap ones create distortion. And music too—albums, tapes, CDs," Irwin says.

The programming is planned to be diverse and eclectic, with an emphasis on local news, music and entertainment, Irwin says. Local news—with an alternative, progressive bent—is being reserved for 5 p.m. each day. There are plans for shows of all music genres, including a few shows that were canceled by WUTK, UT's college radio station. Live bands will be welcome to come in and play, community groups will be invited to have their own shows. Lectures—including Ralph Nader's recent one at UT—will be broadcast. "I've talked with a lot of the non-profits like [Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network] and said, 'Look,' this is your venue—here you go.'"

About half of the time slots are currently reserved, Irwin says. Anyone interested in starting their own show, donating equipment or money or time can email [email protected] for more information.

Go.

Wednesday: Pegasi 51 with the Westside Daredevils at Pilot Light. Rockin' Turkey Eve.

Thursday: Enjoy.

Friday: Peter Pan at Oak Ridge Playhouse. Boys who can fly rock my world.

Saturday: Crystal Waters at Electric Ballroom. '90s nostalgia trip with some new tunes.

Sunday: Fantasy of Trees at Convention Center. 'tis the season.

Monday: Meditations: Mandalas and the Sacred at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalists Church. Art by Candace Finely-Brooks and Mona Shiber deKay.

Tuesday: Scandinavian Couple Dance at Laurel Theatre.

Wednesday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Blue Cats. Check out the spotlight.

—Emma "Cranky Pants" Poptart with Joe Tarr