Kool DJ Red Alert brings that beat back

With the exception of the contributions of OutKast and a few others, Atlanta's hip-hop empire has been built largely upon the ignorant braggadocio of trap-rappers and the bass-tastic, window-flexing, brain-deadening beats that Lil Jon and his acolytes concocted while in a chemical trance.  And that’s fine – I love getting some crunk in my system as much as the next guy.  But for those who occasionally want evidence of a little more intellectual ferment in their lyrics, the Atlanta hip-hop scene can be a little discouraging.  That’s about to change.

Hip-hop pioneer Kool DJ Red Alert will be spinning at Ixtlan tomorrow night, and at the Ambiance Lounge in Stone Mountain on Thursday…and every Thursday after that.  Red Alert, a Bronx native who transplanted to the A just a few years back, hung out with DJ Kool Herc back in the day (the 70’s) and was one of the first to play hip-hop records.  Not impressed?  He also managed A Tribe Called Quest.

Kool DJ Red Alert. Wed., March 17. Ixtlan Lounge, 2160 Monroe Dr. 404-549-2433. Thurs., March 18. Ambiance Lounge, 5580 Memorial Dr., Stone Mountain, GA. 404-968-9695.