Crown City Rockers rapper Rashaan Ahmad goes back on the road for a few Western Hemisphere dates. Coolzey, who just dropped his new album The Honey, opens.

• 2/10: Image V.I.P. Lounge, Sacramento, CA
• 2/12: Blue Lagoon, Santa Cruz, CA (1)
• 2/13: The Whisky, Los Angeles, CA (1) (2)
• 2/16: Boomers, Las Vegas, NV (1)
• 2/17: Solar Culture Gallery, Tucson, AZ (1)
• 2/18: Blunt Club, Phoenix, AZ (1)
• 2/19: Green Room, Flagstaff, CO (1)
• 2/20: Corazon, Santa Fe, NM (1)
• 2/21: Abbey Theatre, Durango, CO (1)
• 2/22: Underground, Enid, OK (1)
• 2/23: Club Bora Bora, Oklahoma City, OK (1)
• 2/24: Cavern, Dallas, TX (1)
• 2/25: TBA, Austin, TX (1)
• 2/26: Dean’s, Houston, TX (1)
• 2/27: Hi Ho Lounge, New Orleans, LA (1)
• 3/13: Blue Moose Tap House, Iowa City, IA (1)
• 3/20: Highbury, Milwaukee, WI (1)

(1) w/Coolzey
(2) w/Medusa

Photo by Matthew Reamer.

Raashan Ahmad continues to promote his new album The Push with a short tour alongside Coolzey and Bru Lei. The tour kicked off Saturday in San Francisco, and winds through the Midwest this month.

• 9/07: Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA
• 9/11: Blunt Club, Phoenix, AZ
• 9/12: Kactus Kates, Cottonwood, AZ
• 9/13: The Green Room, Flagstaff, AZ
• 9/14: Hip Hop & Hot Wings, Kansas City, MO
• 9/15: Mad Real Mondays, Columbus, MO
• 9/16: Picador, Iowa City, IA
• 9/17: Jackalope Lounge, Milwaukee, WI
• 9/18: Atomic Cowboy, St. Louis, MO
• 9/19: Reptile Palace, Oshkosh, WI
• 9/20: State Theatre, Lincoln, NE

9/11-9/20: w/Bru Lei
9/11-9/20: w/Coolzey
9/16, 9/18: w/Plastic
9/20: w/Royce da 5’9″

Last month, I told you about Raashan Ahmad’s brief West Coast run with former Jurassic 5 rapper Akil the MC. In a few days, he’ll head out on the road again, this time with Giant Panda.

Both have new albums dropping this week. Raashan Ahmad (pictured above) has The Push, while Giant Panda have Electric Laser. Incidentally, they’ll be playing shows together as well as separately. Check out the itinerary for more details.

Raashan Ahmad and Giant Panda together:

• 5/23: Raven Theater, Healdsburg, CA
• 5/25: Silk Bar, Sacramento, CA
• 5/29: Someday Lounge, Portland, OR
• 5/30: Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA
• 5/31: TBA, Spokane, WA
• 6/01: Cactus Records, Bozeman, MT (afternoon in-store)
• 6/02: The Loft, Missoula, MT
• 6/04: Jackalope Lounj, Milwaukee, WI
• 6/05: The Dinky Towner, Minneapolis, MN
• 6/06: Norms, Duluth, MN
• 6/09: Reptile Palace, OshKosh, WI
• 6/10: One-Eyed Jacks, Dayton, OH
• 6/11: Cafe Bourbon, Columbus, OH
• 6/13: The Morseland, Chicago, IL
• 6/14: The Picador, Iowa City, IA
• 6/17: Zoo Bar, Lincoln, NE
• 6/20: B-Side Lounge, Boulder, CO

Raashan Ahmad solo:

• 5/20: Amoeba Records, San Francisco, CA (afternoon in-store)
• 6/21: TBA, Los Angeles
• 6/28: private ranch, Seguin, TX

Giant Panda dolo:

• 5/22: Little Temple, Los Angeles, CA
• 5/24: Madrone Lounge, San Francisco, CA
• 6/27: Grand Star, Los Angeles, CA

5/23: w/Pigeon John
5/30: w/Iguales, Godspeed
6/05: w/DJ Superbrush 427
6/06:w/Kritical Kontact
6/09: w/Derril Pounds
6/10: w/Possum
6/13-6/14: w/Sadat X, Coolzey
6/17: w/the Awkwords, Mo Izrael, Trinidad
6/28: Verbal Anarchy

www.myspace.com/raashanahmad
www.myspace.com/giantpanda

I already told you that positive hip hop advocate Raashan Ahmad drops his debut, The Push, via Om Records on May 20. Before that happens, though, he’ll lay the groundwork for a successful release with a brief tour.

His running partner for this West Coast run will be Akil the MC, late of Jurassic 5. Since J5 unexpectedly broke up last year, little has been heard from the quintet, save for a promise from Chali 2na that his long-delayed album, Fish Outta Water, will be out soon. (Interestingly, Chali 2na appears on The Push‘s first single, “City Feel Proud.”) Expect Akil the MC to bring everyone up to speed on his solo endeavors, including his new crew, Unified Skill District. And for those who like scouting new talent, there’s Coolzey, an irreverent comedian from Iowa City, Iowa.

The itinerary is below.

• 4/12: Jambalaya, Arcata, CA
• 4/13: Mobius, Ashland, OR
• 4/14: Greek Cusina, Portland, OR
• 4/15: Silver Platters, Seattle, WA (in-store)
• 4/15: Nectar’s, Seattle, WA
• 4/16: Zombie Room, Spokane, WA
• 4/17: The Loft, Missoula, MT
• 4/18: Zebra Cocktail Lounge, Bozeman, MT
• 4/19: Uprok Records, Salt Lake City, UT
• 4/20: Abbey Theatre, Durango, CO
• 4/21: Cervantes, Denver, CO
• 4/22: The Independent, Denver, CO (afternoon show)
• 4/22: Hodi’s Halfnote in Fort Collins, Colorado
• 5/16: The Key Club, Hollywood, CA

4/12-4/22: w/Akil the MC, Coolzey
5/16: w/Crown City Rockers, People Under the Stairs

www.myspace.com/rashaanahmad

Rashaan Raashan Ahmad, the lead rapper in the Bay Area group, will soon release his debut album, The Push. Set for release on May 20, it features guest shots from DJ Vadim, Eligh, and Chali 2na, the latter who appears on the first single, “City Feel Proud.”

As many of you already know, producer Headnodic formed a supergroup with Lateef the Truthspeaker and Gift of Gab from Blackalicious called the Mighty Underdogs. The trio released their debut EP, The Prelude, on iTunes last November; the retail version came out yesterday on March 11. A full-length is scheduled for later this year.

However, you probably didn’t know that dude launched another project with Moe Pope, former member of Crown City Rockers (back when they were known as Mission:) and Electric Company. Known as Megaphone, Headnodic and Moe Pope’s collaboration drops via NatAural High Records on May 13. It features guest appearances from Oh No, Gift of Gab and Zion-I.

Last but not least, keyboardist Kat 010 dropped an instrumental album, Natural Phenomenons, in 2007. According to the Crown City Rockers website, “Each track brings the listener closer and closer into her musical existence, introducing her growth as a producer while her tracks take you intimately through melodic phrases over electronic yet emotionally driven drum programming.”

Sounds lovely…but when is the next Crown City Rockers album coming out? While you wait, check out the track listing for Rashaan Raashan Ahmad’s The Push below.

(May 20 update: The correct spelling is Raashan Ahmad. The change has been made in the post.)

• 1. “Hello”
• 2. “City Feel Proud” (feat. Chali 2na)
• 3. “If I”
• 4. “Weight”
• 5. “The Crush”
• 6. “Close”
• 7. “Give Thanks”
• 8. “Heavenbound”
• 9. “Fight”
• 10. “Ready”
• 11. “Yusef”
• 12. “Cancer”
• 13. “Peace”

www.crowncityrockers.com
www.myspace.com/crowncity