Freestyle DVD
If you’ve been anywhere in the streets of Denver, you’ve no doubt run into Joe Thunder. This considerable and extremely recognizable man can be seen at almost every Hip Hop event, usually with his humble camera in hand to document it all. Joe is the proprietor of popular blog BoxStateMusic.com, but he always has many projects going on at a given time. His latest baby, Mile High Madness is a DVD series that highlights all the elements of Hip Hop and how they’re celebrated in Denver, and Colorado, in general.
Joey T recently got the ball rolling by releasing the first two installments of Mile High Madness at a release party last month. Volume One features many live performances by Colorado favorites such as F.O.E., Karma, Big Wheel , Haven, Fresh Breath Committee and Diamond Boiz (just to name a few).
Volume Two has a slightly different format than the pilot, but showcases the same caliber of talent. Performances by The ReMINDers, Turner Jackson and many more keep the energy high, while interviews with Jher, Mr. Midas, and Lazy Eyez inform the viewer that there’s intelligence and pride in this community.
Beyond highlighting the musicians, both volumes embrace the other aspects of the culture as well. Mile High Madness features many of Colorado’s Kings of graffiti too. With nearly impossible footage of cats getting up all city, from trains to billboards to unfathomable ledges; all the way to the massive two block or more productions, we get a look at the art being created. All footage is mindful to keep identities under wraps to respect and protect all the artists involved.
Joe has a knack for making people feel at home; it could be his laid back personality, or the free-flowing chronic, but regardless of the reason, Joe always has the exclusive performances, interviews and tracks that no one else has heard. This can be found in MHM in the footage of a TKO cat bombing all of Denver in the cover of night, to blunt rolling lessons with F.O.E. or Turner Jackson acting a fool. Joe flexes his filming skills in an unforgettable scene from behind the turntables with DJ Cysko Rokwel, where the viewer gets an almost forbidden look at life on the other side of the tables. Though not edited in any professional manner, or with expensive equipment, the outcome is honest and downright, fucking beautiful.
Mile High Madness series is an insider’s perspective to all the talent, grime and drama that makes the Colorado Hip Hop Community what it is, and who can’t respect that?