If you miss the days when old school hip-hop ruled, then the music of rapper and producer Unagi is just what you need.
Based in Colrain, an area not exactly known for its hip-hop scene, Unagi released his new album “Western Mass Hysteria” on May 1. The album’s 10 tracks are heavy on the kind of samples, breakbeats and scratches that dominated the genre in the days before gangsta rap arrived and took the music in a darker direction. Unagi has been immersed in hip-hop for more than 30 years, and he said he is proud he has never changed his vibe.
Unagi will celebrate the release of “Western Mass Hysteria” with a free show at the Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. DJ Toro Bravo of Greenfield, who also worked on the album, will join him.
Unagi (born Brolin Winning) grew up in Amherst where he was surrounded by music, in part through his stepdad, a jazz musician. As a child, he played piano and trumpet and later graduated to other instruments, all the while soaking up the music around him.
“I always loved hip-hop from day one,” said Unagi. “I am kind of the same age as hip-hop and I remember going to see ‘Beat Street’ and ‘Breakin’’ at the movies with my brother when we were kids. Then there was ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ every day after school a few years later.”
“I also loved punk rock and hardcore and metal and goth and even pop music growing up,” he added. “I feel like the ‘80s really had it all.”
Unagi played his first show at age 14 at the Hadley Pub and later joined a number of noise rock bands in the area. In 1997, he started the band Discs of Tron, took on the name Unagi, and started gaining attention on the local scene.
“We had live drums and a keyboard, and a few guys rapping,” he recalled. “But everything was 100% freestyle, both the rhymes and the music.”
He also began recording on a four-track recorder and then moved on to making more traditional hip-hop beats.
“At the time, I didn’t have a sampler and just made pause tapes,” Unagi said. “I was still really into rap, but felt like it was going in a bad direction. I hated Puff Daddy and Master P. I hated the shift from samples and breakbeats to more cheesy and chintzy-sounding synth stuff, so I decided to stop complaining and start making it myself.”
In 1999, Unagi moved to San Francisco, planning to stay for just a year, but ended up staying for ten. He started his label 442 Records and released his self-titled debut in 2003. He also collaborated with underground artists like Infinito 2017, Eddie Meeks, King Cesar, and Motion Man.
While living in California, Unagi always made yearly trips back to western Massachusetts, a place he has always loved. “I remember when I was a teenager, I used to say, ‘when I get old, I want to settle down in Shelburne Falls.’ So I was turning 35 and was like, ‘That’s it, I’m old now’ and moved back,” he said. “Everybody thought I was crazy, but it was the best move I ever made.”
He moved to Shelburne Falls in 2009 and later settled in Colrain. He continued making music and set up a recording studio in the woods. Moving to an area with a small hip-hop scene has been frustrating, however, partly because there aren’t many venues that welcome the genre.
“The lack of open-minded venues and diverse programming is definitely frustrating,” he said. “I have nothing against folk music or bluegrass or Americana or indie rock, or any of that stuff, but let’s mix it up a little bit. There is a whole other world out there.”
Unagi has found places to perform in the area, such as The LAVA Center in Greenfield and the Rendezvous in Turners Falls. In 2023, he released “Terminally Eel” and now he has followed up with his 15th album, “Western Mass Hysteria.”
As mentioned, the new record is completely old school and brings back the fun side of hip-hop. All the shout-outs to western Massachusetts and the sly humor injected here add to the overall feel-good vibe of the project.
“I’m not a comedy rapper,” Unagi stressed. “I feel like you can still be a serious MC but also have a strong sense of humor in your music.”
You’ll hear smooth, soulful samples on “Flyin High” and classic beats on “Favorite ‘80s Ladies,” where Unagi shouts out some of his favorite stars from that era – from Jennifer Beals to Heather Locklear. There’s also a humorous take on aging in “AARP Card,” which benefits from a jazzy sax in the background, while the opening synths on “Punchlines” take listeners right back to the ‘80s sound. DJ Skratchmo, from Ashfield, provides scratches on that track, which is one of the many autobiographical tunes here.
“I make songs about the things I know — getting older, living in the woods, date night with my wife,” he continued. “It’s weird that just doing rap songs about normal life is such a unique and normal concept.”
Unagi will be joined by DJ Toro Bravo at the show on Saturday. He will spin classic ‘90s hip-hop starting at 8 p.m. DJ Toro Bravo will also handle the multimedia aspect of the show, which consists of projecting the videos Unagi made for the songs from the album.
So come out and enjoy a night of funky beats, nostalgic lyrics and a whole lot of fun and positivity. The free show is open to all ages. The Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley is located at 43 Bridge St.
The Unlucky Shots will perform at the Rendezvous
The Unlucky Shots, formerly known as the Lucky Shots, will perform at the Rendezvous in Turners Falls on Saturday, May 23 at 9:30 p.m. In case you aren’t aware, the band changed its name late last year after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from a band in California also named The Lucky Shots, who claimed ownership of the name.
Band leader Noam Schatz decided it wasn’t worth investing the time and money to fight this, so when one of the band members casually mentioned they were now “the Unlucky Shots,” that became the new name.
The Lucky Shots released the four-song EP “Line Up” back in March. It was recorded during the sessions for the 2025 album “Second Tongue.” Schatz noted that the songs on the EP are “heavier and darker” than the previous album.
While audiences can expect to hear some material from this EP, Noam Schatz writes a new song every two weeks as part of a songwriting game he joined with some fellow songwriters back in 2016. As a result, the band always has new material to draw from.
Matthew Larson and The Documents are also part of the evening’s lineup.
Fiery Hope Chorus to hold open rehearsal
Fiery Hope Chorus, led by Eveline MacDougall, will hold an open rehearsal on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Capen Room at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield. The open rehearsal is a chance for those interested in joining the chorus for the fall 2026 season to learn about the chorus and see if it might be for them. MacDougall said the chorus is mostly looking for tenors and sopranos, but stressed that everyone is welcome. For more information, visit fieryhope.org.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.