The South Dallas Maverick

Pikahsso is weird. What else can you say about about a rapper that goes by aliases such as: Pikahsso Allen Poe, Clayface, Pikahssablanca, Dr Kahssenstein, Pik James (Bitch!), Osshakip, Boo Boo Boy, Odarius Mayweather, First Round Draft Pik, Pik On Someone Your Own Size, etc? What do you call a rapper that describes his sound as if "Mel Tourme got in a fight with George Clinton and slapped the shit out of The Pharcyde while playing virtual thumps with A Tribe Called Quest as Stevie Wonder played his mental harmonica in your sub conscious mind?" What about a rapper who's first video for his song "Verb" was a mishmash of ideas stemming from multiple color changes, the backwards antics of The Pharcydes "Drop" video, the movie "The Full Montey" and .. the Cosby Show? Yeah, Pikahsso is weird... but not crazy. There is defiantly a method to the madness, if of course, you can get past the madness.

When the "souf" Dallas MC talks he speaks rapidly and with a slight stutter as though the thoughts are fighting to leave his mouth. It's obvious that he wants you to understand and feel everything he has to say to you. For instance when I ask him what started his love affair with hip hop he goes on to tell me about taking a road trip with his mother to Washington DC and listening to his walkman. ("Not a CD player, a walkman as, in cassettes.") In his walkman was a tape of the Fat Boys. (Not Rakim, not KRS-One, not LL Cool J. The Fat Boys. Weird.) Apparently when he heard Buffy the Human Beatbox he knew he had to be down. He even
beatboxes for me, not to show off his skills as a "360 degree's B-Boy" but to make sure that I get exactly what he' talking about.

His love affair grew as he got older but it wasn't until High School that he discovered a hidden talent that would eventually become his trademark. When he got in trouble for "getting smart" in class, instead of sending him to detention, his teacher made him join the choir. The choir director told him he was a bass so he took it as truth. (He sings a little tune for me... he is indeed a bass.) It was then that he decided to add harmonies to his raps and Pikahsso Jones was born.

Shortly afterwards Pik became the buzz around town. He decided to shoot his first video for the aforementioned song "Verb" and had his friend and fellow MC Tahiti direct it. After the video wrapped he got a call about joining a group that included Tahiti and fellow Dallas artist Picnic. He agreed and they formed the group P.P.T.

To say P.P.T. represents Dallas to the fullest would be a gross understatement. Fresh off of playing South By Southwest (which is an honor in itself) they realized that they were the winners of The 2006 Dallas Mavericks Playoff Theme Song contest. Meaning that their song "Rowdy, Loud and Proud" is the theme song of the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks which has opened up many other doors for them. Including performing the song multiple times in American Airlines Center in front of a pact crowd and the love and support of all of Dallas and it's Mav's fans.

But P. P. T. isn't resting on its laurels. They are planning on releasing there album entitled "Tre's Monos In Love" very soon and Pikahsso plans on releasing his solo album "The Blew Period" in the near future. The title is an obvious reference for Picaso's "Blue Period" but as Picaso painted using blue tones, Pikahsso paints using the colors that "blow" out of his mouth.

Indeed 2006 is shaping up to be a good year for Piktionary, Pikalodeon, Pikcle or whatever you want to call him. Where he goes from here is anybody's guess but I'm sure it's pretty far from ordinary.

Lee H. Tillman is a Los Angeles based MC/writer. For more information go to Calogerodean.com

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