The Spitkicker collective is a group of artists that collaborated in the early 2000s to produce a variety of media, mostly focused on

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

and

social activism Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

. The group was founded in 2000, and its core members included

De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

, and

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...

. Members of the group have reconnected for collaborations until at least 2020.

History

Spitkicker Tour

Spitkicker started via a U.S.

tour for a set of socially conscious

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

s in 2000. The first tour featured

Biz Markie Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer who gained prominence during hip hop's golden age. He was particularly recognized for ...

Hi-Tek Tony Louis Cottrell (born May 5, 1976), better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, ...

, and

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

. The tour was designed with "like-minded lyricists" in mind, rather than "label-mates", and according to one review, the name "Spitkicker" "borrows from the notion of spit, or water, being the most necessary ingredient for growth". The tour met with positive reviews, which labeled some of the artists as revered in the

underground hip-hop Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or ...

scene, and largely described concerts as entertaining, comedic, clever, and thoughtful. Critics noted that acts tended to cut against the dominant style of rap at the time, focusing on underground hip-hop rather than

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...

hardcore hip-hop Hardcore hip-hop (also known as hardcore rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is ge ...

. Reviews also directly compared the messaging of the Spitkicker tour to the simultaneous Up In Smoke Tour and its artists like

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

. After the success of this tour, the collective aimed to repeat yearly national tours, and completed at least three, but the 2001 tour had scheduling issues when it merged with the Mekka Tour, which was then cancelled. By the time the 2001 Spitkicker tour was rescheduled, only De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, and Biz Markie remained on the roster.

Spitkicker Community

The Spitkickers collective formed around many of the same artists from the inaugural Spitkicker tour, but added new artists like those of

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip< ...

, and other types of performers like comedian

. During the year 2000, while the first tour was going, the Spitkicker artists branched into online media, centering around their new site spitkicker.com (later changed to spitkickers.com). The site became an online community for the Spitkicker artists and their fans, with some noted parallels to the

Okayplayer Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...

online community that grew out from

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

. The first question in the Spitkicker.com FAQ addressed this topic from the collective's perspective:

While there are many similarities between us and our fam, Okayplayer.com, there are just as many differences as well. Aside from having different artists involved, Spitkicker is a movement that extends far past the website. Spitkicker offers Tours, MIX CD's, merchandise, SpitKronicle, parties, exclusive downloads, Spitkicker radio, charity auctions, contests, as well as opportunities to chat with some of your favorite artists. You will also see more differences as we continue to involve.

Spitkicker artists used their website to communicate directly with their fans: De La Soul ran their own promotion via the site after the collapse of their label, and artists shared exclusive news via the site's mailing list. In February 2003, De La Soul claimed the site got 250,000 hits each month, and by 2005, they were using the website to spur a fan petition towards MTV. The website also appears as a character in their Art Official Intelligence albums. Message boards on the site focused on hip-hop and pop culture, while Spitkronicle (later, Spit) was a staffed online magazine that hosted interviews, reviews, and updates on collective members. Other projects hosted by the Spitkickers included Spitkicker Radio, collaborations and

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

s, and recurring parties. The collective released eight CDs under the "Next Spit" name, and inclusion in one of these compilations was once a prize for independent artists participating in a Music Nation hip-hop competition.

Discography

* Spitkicker Mixtape Vol. 1 - 2003 - mixed by Knockout Kingz, DJ KO and DJ Rahlo - Hosted by De La Soul * Spitkicker Collabos Vol. 1 - 2004 - mixed by DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven - Hosted by De La Soul * Spitkicker Collabos Vol. 2 - 2004 -mixed by DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven - Hosted by Phife Dawg, J-Live, and Wordsworth * The Best of Talib Kweli - 2004 - mixed by DJ Eleven - Talib Kweli * Rock Co. Kane Flow - 2004 - De La Soul ft. MF Doom * The Best of A Tribe Called Quest Vol. 1 (with Smokin' Needles) - 2005 - mixed by DJ Rasta Root - Executive Producer Phife Dawg * Fight Music - The Best of M.O.P. - 2006 - M.O.P. * The Next Spit, Vol.s 1-8 - mixed by DJ Crossphada, DJ Eleven, J-Live, DJ Balance

Members

- hip hop group ( Dave/David Jolicoeur, Maseo/Vincent Mason, Posdnuos/Kelvin Mercer) *

- rapper * Pharoahe Monch - rapper *

- comedian *

Freddie Foxxx James Campbell (born March 27, 1969), is an American rapper and record producer, better known by his stage names Freddie Foxxx and Bumpy Knuckles. Biography Foxxx started rapping in the early 1980s. In 1986, he recorded "You Gotta Come Out Fre ...

- rapper *

Phife Dawg Malik Izaak Taylor (November 20, 1970March 22, 2016), known professionally as Phife Dawg (or simply Phife), was a Trinidadian-American rapper and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (and for a short ti ...

- rapper (announced June 5, 2003) * Res - singer * Black Star - rap duo (

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

and Talib Kweli) *

Marcus Samuelsson {{Infobox chef , name = Marcus Samuelsson , image = Marcus Samuelsson 2012 (cropped).jpg , caption = Samuelsson at the 2012 Göteborg Book Fair , birth_date = {{Birth date and age, df=yes, 1971, 01, 25 , birth_n ...

- chef (announced September 11, 2003) *

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

- rapper * Black Ice - rapper *

M.O.P. M.O.P. (short for Mash Out Posse) is an American hip-hop duo composed of rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, best known for their song " Ante Up." The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier. The group is part of the Gang Starr Fou ...

- rap duo (Billy Danze, Lil' Fame) *

J-Live Jean-Jacques Cadet (born February 22, 1976), better known by his stage name J-Live, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Life and career J-Live released his debut studio album, '' The Best Part'', in 2001. It featured production by ...

- rapper * MF Doom - rapper *

Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae, is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. She emerged in New York City's underground hip-hop scene and developed an international following. Throughout her music career, ...

- rapper *

Zion I Zion I was an American Hip hop music, hip hop project founded by Rapping, MC and Record producer, producer Baba Zumbi (real name Stephen Gaines) in Oakland, California. K-Genius and Amp Live were also project members. Career Originally formed ...

- hip hop group (Baba Zumbi, Amp Live) *

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ...

- rapper *

Michael Rapaport Michael David Rapaport (born March 20, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and podcast host. Beginning his career in the early 1990s, he has made over 100 appearances in film and television. His film roles include ''Zebrahead'' (1992), '' ...

- actor, comedian * DJ Balance - DJ * DJ Eleven - DJ * DJ Rasta Root - DJ * The Knockout Kingz - DJ *

Ali Shaheed Muhammad Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, rapper and bass guitarist, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip (musician), Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the grou ...

- DJ, producer *

Anson Carter Anson Horace “Ace” Carter (born June 6, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eight teams from 1996 to 2007, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and ...

- ice hockey player

References

{{reflist American music websites Hip-hop collectives American artist groups and collectives Co-headlining concert tours Concert tours of North America 2000 concert tours

History

Spitkicker Tour

Spitkicker Community

Discography

Members

See also

References