Just when you thought the Nappy Roots show couldn’t get any wilder, the party took an even wilder turn when the group invited local ladies on stage, ripped a few songs and then surprise guests, The Georgia Gurlz blazed their way on the Vinyl Music Hall stage.


It was a wild, music-filled night that started with local Alt-rock unit The Icarus Effect. Led by Scotty Houseknecht (vocals), Josh Apple (guitar), Mike Bersabal (guitar/DJ), Cory Dull (bass) and Ray Ruddy (drums) the Pensacola group delivered heavy hits of rock to move and warm up the Vinyl Music Hall crowd.

Following The Icarus Effect were hip-hop group SubjecTmatTerS. The Mobile, Alabama trio of DJ “Fragmaent” (B. Korhman) and Emcees “AfterSchock” (J. Schock) and “535 the Poet Tree” (S. Maness) threw a solid flow that was reminiscent of old school De La Soul with modern Southern flair.

As SubjecTmatTerS left the stage, the crowd grew in intensity while waiting for the headliners to begin. Keeping the party atmosphere alive, hip-hop classics were played on Vinyl’s PA system and the crowd danced until Skinny DeVille grabbed a mic and told them to cut the music because it was time to start the show. With a DJ table adorned with enough booze to rival most liquor cabinets, the Nappy Roots began a party that had the crowd screaming, jumping and yelling for their entire set.

With a history that spans over 15 years, the Nappy Roots was formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky and has received nominations for American Music and Grammy Awards. With a high-energy set that had members DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Cluth, Big V, and Fish Scales bouncing from space to space on stage, each member had their time to shine throughout the set.

As the clock ticked away at nearly 1am, the party blew up as Big V invited ladies in the audience to join the group on stage. With a full set under their belts and the stage packed with people, the Nappy Roots threw another surprise when they announced that their friends, the Georgia Gurlz (Miss Holliwood, Phat Gul Da Massacre, Jolly Mac and Big Manda) were going to join them on stage. Mixing elements of Wendy O. Williams (not the talk show host, but the original, bad-girl lead singer of the Plasmatics), Mary J. Blige and SWV, the Georgia Gurlz brought an intense mix of soul, headbanging and fun to round out a full night of music, dance and partying.

-Michael L. Smith