Omaha rapper TKO has been striving for nearly two years to make a name for himself in the city’s hip-hop scene. It’s a task he feels has been difficult for many aspiring artists.
“I want to be the voice of this city for hip hop,” says TKO, who prefers his stage name. “There are many talents, and some do get great exposure, but it’s a select few. I aim to change that for myself and my peers.”
To that end, TKO will release his third full-length album, Punisher, this Saturday at Slowdown (RSVP here). He will be joined on a stacked billing by Omaha rappers J Crum, Rippa, P-Tro, AJ The Dread and Danny Che.
Punisher represents a breakthrough point for TKO. His first two albums, TKOmaha and Geneius, were largely autobiographical, meant to introduce a new audience to his raw style. He now feels he’s able to branch out on the new record.
“The idea going into Punisher was to make some heavy hitting music,” TKO says. “You know me and my back story so now I can just have fun doing what I like to do.”
TKO says the new LP is the result of more than 11 years of independent recording, over which he has become more comfortable. Punisher was cut in his basement, then mastered via Tunecore.
TKO has also shared the first single from Punisher in “What You Know,” mixing his ultra-confident delivery with smooth sampling and hard-cracking snare-heavy beats. Hear “What You Know” below in advance of the album release (via TKO’s Bandcamp page).
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HN intern Lindsey Yoneda went to Vega last night and caught performances by Lincoln’s Sleep Sinatra, Cool Nutz, Hakim and Yung Steez.
See Hammar’s photos below:
Cool Nutz
Sleep Sinatra
Hakim
Yung Steez
photos by Lindsey Yoneda
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HN contributor Huy Nguyen captured photos of Twenty One Pilots’ performance at Sumtur Amphitheater last night. The pop duo of vocalist/pianist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun performed to a rain-soaked crowd for a show that was moved up due to inclement weather.
See Nguyen’s photos below:
photos by Huy Nguyen
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Catching up from Tuesday, HN visual editor Chris Dinan was on hand at O’Levaer’s for Vegetable Deluxe’s debut performance. The new Omaha band comprises Vince Franco (Stomach, Dads) and Nick Waggoner (Brimstone Howl, Forbidden Tigers). Columbus, Ohio, band All Dogs, Omaha songwriter Sean Pratt and Jettison filled out the billing.
See Dinan’s photos below:
All Dogs
Vegetable Deluxe
Jettison
Sean Pratt
photos by Chris Dinan
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This evening, Izzy Dominguez plays the final installment of Downtown Lincoln Association’s Tower Unplugged acoustic series. Dominguez released his self-titled EP June 26 on Fantastic Cassettes. RSVP to the free outdoor show here, and let’s hope the weather holds.
Later tonight, Satchel Grande plays Slowdown in support of Justice For Our Neighbors, an organization that helps welcome immigrants to Omaha communities by providing free, high quality immigration legal services, education and advocacy for low-income individuals and families. The event promises a bevy of food trucks as well. RSVP to the 7:30 p.m. event here.
As always, head to our statewide calendar at hearnebraska.org/events for a fuller listing of shows. If you do not see your show or one you plan to attend, email us at news@hearnebraska.org, or add it yourself. And keep those song submissions, story ideas and news tips coming.