Local rappers Mat-E-Mat and Xcess heat up the stage for Insane Clown Posse and Hed PE October 23 at Expo Five in Louisville

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 13, 2009

: Local rappers Mat-E-Mat and Xcess heat up the stage for Insane Clown Posse and Hed PE October 23 at Expo Five in Louisville

Mat-E-Mat and Xcess will share the stage with Hed PE and Insane Clown Posse when the Bang Pow Boom tour hits Louisville’s Expo Five on October 23rd. The concert is presented by www.TerryHarper.com and also includes Dead Dirty Carnies and Michigan’s The Dayton Family, a classic gansta rap group.

Insane Clown Posse, the horrorcore hip hop duo featuring Detroit high school dropouts Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope is known for elaborate, over the top live performances and lyrics that oppose racism, elitism, bigotry, domestic violence, child abuse and careless sex. ICP has multiple platinum and gold recordings under their belt and also boast the longest charting album in Billboard hip hop history. The show will be the first time ICP has played Kentucky since 2007.

The October 23rd show will mark the second time Mat-E-Mat and Xcess share the stage with “G-punk” group Hed PE this year, whose music is a fusion of hip hop and punk. The group is touring in support of their New World Orphans album.

Mat-E-Mat first burst onto the scene as half of the duo the Hectic Cillaz. He has recently completed his first solo endeavor, the soon to be released The Asylum Project Volume One and begun writing for his second release. Plans are to record the latest project in early 2010 near Detroit. A longtime fan of ICP, Mat-E-Mat has seen them live sixteen times.

Mat-E-Mat, a self proclaimed 90’s DIY style guy, is actively involved in all aspects of his music and promotions. “Right now my focus is live show after live show. I know that I might not be the greatest rapper in the world, or maybe even around here, but my hunger and drive and determination make me the best. Plus my live show is pretty energetic and intense, something no other rapper from around this area can match.”

Video: Mat-E-Mat presents Track Smasha (contains language that may offend)

Xcess a horrorcore artist on Darkside Records with Mat-E-Mat and is also known for the intensity in his live performances. He describes his music saying “My sound is a blend of dark industrial atmospheric noises with a reverse side of punishing breakdown like beats. There are soft elements to it, there are straight horrorcore sounding beats, aggressive vocals and at times it just flows. Plus, I have some light acapella vocals. There’s even spoken word thrown in for good measure.”

Though full of dark imagery and symbolism, obscenities are absent in his recordings. His messages have always been positive but never more so than now as the end of 2008 marked his conversion to Christianity. He explains the reconcilation of a positive message and grotesque imagery saying “Christ said to pluck out your eye and cut off your hand if it causes you to sin. Obviously it was a metaphor. Thats no different from my lyrics about dissecting my torso and stringing organs up from dead trees.” He also added “I don’t hold back from pain or anger. I feel it’s necessary to tell that side of the story so to speak. Too many Christian musicians and I think Christians in general tend to act like everything is fine and all happy but to be honest thats not how it is. When you accept Christ into your heart all hell breaks loose, the devil does a great job of beating you down and trying to put you back into the dirt.” Xcess believes that the avoidance mainstream Christains have for the dark side of life is the reason for what he sees as the modern church’s failure to minister in America. “Thats why they’d rather do Africa mission trips. The culture is different and it’s easier to reach out to someone with fresh water and clothes than it is to deal with someone who has everything they need but still feels like trash. It makes me sick actually because there’s so much pain here in the US were ignoring because were afraid to remind ourselves we were them.”

Xcess’ most recent album Surrender has just been released. The seven song EP, like The Asylum Project was recorded and mixed at BG Chophouse by Ryan Atkins. As with previous releases he welcomes the free downloading and sharing of his music.

Video for (K)No God (K)No Peace by Xcess:

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