Overview
“Unplugged Sessions,” hosted by Tampa Bay’s event promoter Killa Studios, launched in January 2023 to feature up-and-coming artists in an intimate, relaxed house/cafe setting. Unplugged would be the first official music event where I performed under the APOLLYON name.
I would open the event with an hour-long curated DJ set mixing old school and new school hip-hop from current and established artists. Ahrod, a spiritually inclined, multi-faceted rapper/singer-songwriter from the Bay area would also join in for the event, providing an electric performance that captivated attendees of the event with his gripping sound.
In addition to opening and closing the event, I would be the backing DJ for Chicago hip-hop artist and headliner Gil Yaniv, making his first visit to Tampa to debut his EP “Chevy Benatar” and introduce poet/writer Guyanese Gypsy to the Bay area music scene. Prepping with Gil and G.G. over a week-long period enabled us to provide a chill, coherent experience for listeners.
Although not the first time performing in a public setting, the Unplugged Sessions experience would serve as a springboard that kickstarted my introduction into the Bay area scene and propelled my ongoing journey as a DJ.
* Special thanks to Killa Studios, Bula Kavananda, and OthelloC Photography for contributing the success of the event. You can follow Gil Yaniv, Guyanese Gypsy, and Ahrod by visiting the links in the credits section below.
