It began with a childhood dream of becoming a radio personality. But when Angel Macon sent demos to countless area radio stations, none responded. Instead of idly waiting for that big break, Macon took matters into her own hand s by creating an opportunity for herself and others attempting to enter the radio industry.At a Feb. 26 party, Macon officially launched power217radio.com “” possibly Springfield’s first online urban radio station. More than 100 people gathered at Springfield’s Hilton Garden Inn for the event, and partied to original tunes of more than a dozen unsigned artists trying to make it in the music industry.One by one, artists from as far away as Pennsylvania belted out tunes that often rivaled well-known artists heard daily on radio stations across the country. Hip hop artists, such as Springfield’s Chad and St. Louis group Dem Couzins rocked the crowd with their funky, infectious vibes. R & B artists, including Springfield’s Gumbo Child and Champaign’s TL, as well as the groups TCG and Latrice Chantel, whose members are natives of Springfield and Champaign, were also crowd pleasers.Springfield’s Q Bronson and ZR, as well as Decatur’s Scooby the Lyericis, and Pennsylvania’s Nük brought the crowd to its feet as they spit out raps that had the room bumping. Bronson was met with wild cheers as he wowed the crowd with “Sex Machine,” “Replacement,” and “Where Did She Go,” in which he melodically switched back and forth from rap to R & B.Many musicians came to Springfield for the 217 Power Radio Launch Party including Pennsylvania independent rap artist Young Nuk. -Though not scheduled to perform, St. Louis’ Shut Em Down was one of the crowd’s favorites. Living up to his name, the rap artist performed two hits: “Break Bread” “” about networking and meeting different people “” and “Baw Chicka Baw-Baw” “” a phrase signifying a person who sees someone who “catches” his or her eye. The rhythmic flow of Chicago rapper DeKapa, featuring Calhoun singing “I Got Plenty” and “What Up,” resulted in an encore performance. [read more here]
