The Deep End

Before a hurricane can hit its full, trailer-smashing strength, it has to build itself up from an average-sized storm, travel thousands of miles, and increase its size and ferocity with each city it rolls through. The same is true in music. So when the Storm Tour hits Miami for the...

By Jason Budjinski

July 6, 2006

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Before a hurricane can hit its full, trailer-smashing strength, it has to build itself up from an average-sized storm, travel thousands of miles, and increase its size and ferocity with each city it rolls through. The same is true in music. So when the Storm Tour hits Miami for the first time Thursday, it won't be a Category 5 — not now, anyway. The newly conceived tour brings together six of the hottest named storms of this summer's underground hip-hop season — Aceyalone, the Procussions, Ugly Duckling, Diverse, Wrekonize, and ¡Mayday!

Headlining the tour is Aceyalone, longtime West Coast rapper (remember the Freestyle Fellowship?) and co-founder of Project Blowed, a workshop that helps up-and-coming MCs hone their verbal skills. On his newest disc, Magnificent City (which features the clever beat-making of RJD2), Aceyalone keeps the creativity flowing with fun, funk-filled joints that have more in common with early '90s alt-hop than today's slow-rollin' club anthems. Hell, that's what this tour's about — creating an alternative. In that respect, all six acts on the bill (including South Florida's own ¡Mayday! and Wrekonize) carry equal weight. The Storm Tour may be off the Doppler radar of mainstream hip-hop. But then again, what good is wind strength when you're only blowing hot air? The Storm Tour comes to town at 10 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at I/O Lounge, 30 NE 14th St., Miami. Tickets cost $15. Call 305-358-8007, or visit www.myspace.com/thestormtour.

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