Oldominion at Ear Peace Records in Berkeley

View From the Front Row, 4/10/12

On Easter Sunday, I was lucky enough to bear witness to a damn near private performance from one of my favorite groups in all of underground hip hop, Oldominion. Granted, this show was just a handful of core members from the massive Seattle-based crew, but it was still a line-up that you don't see every day (or every decade) outside of Seattle. A booked spot at the Paid Dues festival in San Bernardino brought these dudes out to Cali, and their mini-tour back in the direction of Portland landed them at Ear Peace Records in the center of Berkeley. It was kind of surreal to see these guys kill it at such a tiny spot with only a few people in attendance, but they delivered a full set worthy of their reputation and had fun regardless of the minimal turnout.

The Oldominion line-up at this show consisted of Onry Ozzborn, JFK, Destro, Syndel, Bishop I and Mr. Hill. Sleep and Rob Castro were scheduled to be part of the line-up as well, but ended up taking a detour off to LA instead, snagging a bunch of clothing tour merch along with them. They ended up being the punchline of a number of well-timed jokes from the other members of the crew at this show, which was hilarious and not done in a mean-spirited way. The turn-out to the event was small to the point where it felt disheartening, with only about three or four fans in attendance, and I include myself in that round-up. The worst part about tiny crowds like this is that they tend to make fans feel self-conscious about getting involved with the music, and I was the only one there doing call-and-response stuff when the artists prompted it. Fortunately, the lack of a hype crowd did not impact the quality of the performance.

Oldominion started off their show with a series of solo sets from a bunch of the talented rappers in the crew. Bishop I went on first to perform a couple of numbers, and really impressed me with the vicious energy of his verses. I'd never seen him live before and wasn't familiar with much of the material he played, but I definitely dug his raw voice and style. JFK stepped up front to watch him play and started mean-mugging him, and Bishop I responded by improvising his verses to playfully diss him, which worked well and had people cracking up. Syndel went on after Bishop I, and switched gears a bit with a smoother and more soulful performance that showed off her relaxed style and confident delivery. She performed songs from her "Enchantress" album along with a couple of Siren's Echo verses, and it was great to watch her do her thing since she was constantly smiling and clearly having a good time rocking the mic for a select few. Destro went on after Syndel, and had the roughest of the three solo sets since his voice was a bit shot from Paid Dues. His boom bap call-and-response hooks felt a little out of place in such a tiny crowd, but he still killed some songs from his "Ill.ustrated" album, particularly "Rest When I'm Dead" which brought the best out of Destro's cadence and rock steady flow. All of these Oldominion solo sets felt like proper sets that you'd see at a concert, with each of the rappers in question delivering at least 5 songs and giving people a full performance of their work.

Onry Ozzborn and JFK teamed up for a set as Grayskul once the solo sets were done, and they really killed it with the best performance I've seen from them as a group to date. The last time I saw Grayskul play was probably opening for Atmosphere on one of the early Rhymesayers tours, and I remember being kind of unimpressed with their set back then. They've released a wealth of quality material since then, and that was reflected in the quality of their set at Ear Peace. Onry and JFK covered some newer songs and some older Grayskul tunes, alternating between performing solo numbers from their various side projects and group songs. Out of their Grayskul material, the songs they played from the Maker-produced "Graymaker" album worked exceptionally well live, with the grimy boom bap beats showcasing the strength of their voices and flows. They also did some serious justice to a couple of older Grayskul joints, including "Prom Quiz" and "Scarecrow," which both sounded great. I haven't always been impressed with Onry Ozzborn's solo stuff live, but he seemed animated and on-point at this show, occasionally throwing awesome head-nodder joints like "The O.O" and "No Hoax" into the mix. But JFK was the star of the set and of the show in general, boasting the best live stage presence and the rowdiest personality of any member of the crew. He was killing every track he touched with his wicked voice and flow, including solo jams like the unfuckwitable "Paranoid" or the poppy Jake One-produced "High School Sweetheart." He was also great at motivating his Oldominion fam to bring their A-game, as his funny dance moves and occasional mock stare-downs brought the best out of his rap brethren's verses. Grayskul finished their set with the track "Missing," where JFK flipped the hook at the end to include "Sleep" and "Rob" in the list of missing people, crooning about how they were off at Disneyland and getting a lot of laughs from the crowd.

But Grayskul's performance was not the end of the show. Everyone from Oldominion who was present came out to play a collective group set as the final act of the night, and they kicked a variety of collaborative numbers you'd rarely get to see outside of their hometurf. Most of the songs they played were improvised reinterpretations of solo tracks from different members of the crew, which each of the rappers took turns rocking verses over. The most memorable out of these cuts was a reworking of Onry Ozzborn's "That Good" that had everyone killing it over Sapient's ill instrumental. Near the beginning of this final group performance, SF resident Karim of Oldominion/Boom Bap Project showed up at Ear Peace to watch his homies play, and many bear-hugs were exchanged mid-set as he mingled with his crew. This added more fuel to Oldominion's fire, particularly for Destro who started killing his verses super hard, as if wanting to prove to his good friend and former partner in rhyme that he was still carrying the Boom Bap torch. JFK and Bishop I were ready to engage in a comic rap battle by the time the music stopped, but it was decided by the rest of the crew that they had rocked it long enough. Great set and show from Oldominion.

The extremely low turn-out to this event was a great injustice considering the awesome talent of this collective, but the fact that they gave a complete performance to the couple of fans in attendance speaks volumes about their integrity as artists. Hopefully, future Ear Peace Records in-stores will not be as criminally slept on. Check out Onry Ozzborn and JFK rocking the Graymaker song "Crazy Talk" below:

Sole, Ceschi, Bleubird and Kirby Dominant at Elbo Room, SF

View From the Front Row, 4/4/12

A few nights ago, I went and caught the latest Fake Four North American Tour over at Elbo Room in San Francisco. On my way to the venue, I ran into several crazy hobo musicians on the street, including one who felt the need to beatbox all up in my face and another who was yowling and dancing crazily while going apeshit on his guitar. It was an appropriate prelude to a performance from a headlining act who could viewed as an insane Oakland hippy himself, with over a decade's worth of puzzling left-field rap music to prove it. Sole has put out a lot of albums that I've enjoyed over the years and has had a strong influence on my tastes in music growing up, but hasn't generally impressed me live and wasn't the main draw of this event for me. Ceschi and Bleubird were the two MCs that I was looking forward to seeing the most - Ceschi for his track record of amazing live shows, and Bleubird because I'd never seen him play on a proper stage before.

Another act that I was looking forward to seeing was Kirby Dominant, who kicked the night off with a super entertaining solo performance that conveyed his charismatic personality and got the crowd in a really good mood. Apparently Kirby was booked as an opener since he's so strongly associated with being a local Oakland part of the Fake Four roster, but he's been living in New York as of late and nearly forgot about the show, making the flight out to SF in the nick of time and barely reaching the venue as an opener. Equipped with only his iPod, a microphone, and a stiff drink from the bar, Kirby Dominant breezed through a number of songs from his recent Paranoid Castle album and a few of his older joints with his trademark humorous style. He comically addressed the crowd on songs like "D.U.I," "The Mature Life" and "Red Carpet," even poking fun at his own hooks and wylin' out on stage. He also offered up some hilarious banter between songs, begging one of the many nerdy white people in attendance to hook him up with a proper twitter feed. By the time Kirby was done, the crowd was all smiles. Excellent set.

Bleubird took the stage next, and continued the evening's trend of entertaining personalities with a killer performance that may very well have been the best set of the entire show. When I saw Bleubird play in his RV Van last year I became acquainted with his storytelling skills and charismatic ways of interacting with people, but on stage at Elbo Room he was a different beast entirely. The spacious stage gave Bleubird the freedom to turn the energy of his rapping up a couple notches, and he was in constant motion as he performed his numbers with an intensity that went unrivaled through the rest of the evening. Bleubird kicked an interesting variety of songs, keeping folks guessing by switching it up between quiet personal numbers like "Giehe 1977" and rowdy club affairs like the Chris Brown "Look at Me Now" flip of his song "Hand Holdin." He also did justice to his Swashbuckling Napoleans material with a killer performance of "One Lovely Bastard," and rocked a crazy rap rendition of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" over Lil' Wayne's "A Milli" beat. This left the crowd feeling very hype and appreciative. Like Kirby Dominant, Bleubird was also very skilled at entertaining the crowd with the occasional bit of witty banter between tracks, frequently addressing the dragon statues that Elbo Room had surrounding the stage and even building off of some of Kirby's lines with some improvised comedy. He brought Ceschi to the stage to finish his set with their collaborative song "Time 4Real," which was an amazing closer that had the crowd screaming the hook at the top of their lungs. Awesome set.

Ceschi got up to play next, and worked his way through a strong set of signature hip hop folk songs. Ceschi and the rest of the Fake Four tourers were all deep in the grips of some nasty San Francisco sickness, and he seemed tired when he first sat down to tune his guitar and get his laptop prepped. The lighting of the venue was bright, and he had the lighting people turn the lights off entirely for his set so that he could see the crowd better. This proved to be an awkward decision at first since the lack of lighting made it hard to see Ceschi do his thing on stage, and this is just me speaking from my spot in the front row. But on the plus side, the darkness did add to the intimacy of the set a bit, and Ceschi got into the crowd to perform a number of his tracks where people could see him up close and personal. Despite having a bit of a hoarse voice, Ceschi still performed his songs super well, covering numbers like "Bite Through Stone," "Count On It" and "No New York." He sat on a corner bench next to a bunch of people to perform "Black & White & Red All Over" without the use of a microphone, which sounded good, and he ended his set with a rowdy rendition of "Half Mast" that had him playfully tackling a bunch of his friends in attendance. Not the best set I've ever seen from Ceschi, but definitely a great performance that would have instantly converted me to a fan had I not seen him play before.

Sole was the final act to go on in the evening's line-up, and he once again failed to really impress me in a live setting. For the most part, the set felt like Sole was reaching to achieve the brilliance he caught on record with his verses, but wasn't quite hitting the mark on stage. His noisy and challenging choices of beats were a little overbearing at times, and there were points where the performance just sounded noisy and not that musical or impressive. Sole also tried his hand at witty banter between songs in the vein Bleubird or Kirby, but most of it was boring and it didn't really hold any of the crowd's attention. Having said this, the set did have a couple of major highlights, including an epic half-acapella performance of "I Think I'm Noam Chomsky" that really captured Sole's dense lyrical approach to rap music. He also killed it with a throwback to his song "Year of the $exxx $ymbol," which brought a huge smile to my face since I used to bump that song all the time and he really did it justice at this show. Sole brought Ceschi to the stage for a rendition of "We Will Not Be Moved" which was good, but the high point of the set was definitely when Bleubird joined Sole to play the track "Hustle Hard" from the "Nuclear Winter" mixtape series. That track was the rowdiest moment of the evening by far, and had the entire crowd jumping around and raving to the hook like mad. Overall though, Sole's set was fairly mediocre compared to the other exceptional acts of the show's line-up.

In the end, this was a very good show and another Fake Four event that I'm happy I attended. Another point that I'll definitely give in Sole's favor is that he draws a very odd and interesting crowd... I think about a third of the people at the Elbo Room were members of Sole's message board who were geeking about meeting up at the event, and it was a lot of fun chatting with some of'em and seeing their reactions to Sole's songs. Good times. I leave you with a video of one of my favorite moments of the night - Bleubird and Ceschi performing their collaborative track "Time 4Real" together:

March 2K12 in Hip Hop Terms

The Lowdown, 3/31/12

So given the outbreak of awesome new releases in February, March 2K12 was a little barren by comparison. A couple of projects looked promising but ultimately ended up being disappointing, and there wasn't really a huge amount to look forward to to begin with. One release did catch my attention though:

1) F. Stokes "Love, Always EP" (self-released)

Despite it's short running time and the inclusion of two songs already available on past recordings, this EP stands out as a very cohesive piece of work and is F. Stokes' strongest offering to date. At times poppy, at times experimental, and at times grimy and traditional, the music here still feels very unified in its tone and focus. F. Stokes' lyrics are at their best on this EP, centered around different aspects of love but not afraid to shine some light on his rough childhood. His delivery ranges from spoken word to passionate rapping, but is always on point and is complimented by some strong beats from a wide range of lesser known producers. The two previously released songs feel right at home in context, and the other 5 tracks are F. Stokes' best recordings to date. Really looking forward to a new full length from this guy after hearing this, check out the well-made video for the potential pop hit "My Simple" below:

Parks and Rapper Recreation

The Latest Greatest, 3/30/12

The Park. Playground to birds, bees, and ill MCs... no wonder it's a place threatened by the national budget. It's also the title of the new album by JB & Poe, who I first heard when they opened for Souls of Mischief as part of the group Candlespit Collective back in Twenty10. I scooped up a copy of their freshly pressed album at the Slim's merch booth, and was impressed by the fun, good-natured old school hip hop vibes contained within. Having heard the new album that JB & Poe are about to unleash on May 1rst via their own Ear Peace Records imprint, I'm pleased to say that their upbeat styles are alive and well for 2012. Despite the absence of Candlespit's producer Cyberclops, the beats on this new one still fall on the traditional party-rockin' end of the hip hop spectrum, with producer Tim Adoradio delivering a strong set of polished throwback style beats that vary in mood and tempo. JB and Poe both show off their flows while having fun with the hooks and lyrics, and the album plays through it's short running time with a strong momentum that makes it easy to listen to from front to back. Crowd rocking tracks like "Jump Sauce" are balanced by smoother joints like "I Still Got That," and the feel good nature of the music ties the whole thing together. Hell, there's even an anti-weed song weed song on there for the MJ aficionados. Expect to read more about The Park once it drops in May, but for now listen to the neck-snapping beat and catchy verses of "That's Muh Name," featuring a verse from Nick's Bar Karaoke Night superstar Cyberclops.

1. Beautiful Day
2. Grains
3. Jump Sauce
4. I Still Got That
5. That's Muh Name (feat. Cyberclops)
6. Sound Basics (Interlude)
7. I Am Not
8. Rattle Bap (feat. Cyberclops)
9. This is NOT a Weed Song
10. On One Hand
11. Slow It Down
12. The End

Marking the Keys for Breath

The Latest Greatest, 3/26/12

So in case you haven't heard, one of my favorite underrated LA rappers (and one of my favorite people in general) Neila will soon be releasing her new full length "Marked for Breath" in an extra limited run of 100 eco-packed CDs. Neila has been one of LA's most distinct musical voices for over a decade now, and despite getting dealt a bad hand or two she's continued to be a very positive and motivational force in the LA scene. "Marked for Breath" is a full cohesive album of Neila songs recorded from 2001-2009 that somehow never saw a proper release due to life circumstances, and I'm truly stoked to see that it's finally being offered up as something official, with gorgeous artwork from the insanely talented Albane. I had the opportunity to listen to this project and went in expecting to hear some B-sides that never made the cut, but was blown away by some of the best Neila songs ever recorded. There are a number of tracks on this album that are like personal anthems to me, and one of my favorite of those songs is the beautiful and melancholic examination of self "Lost," which you can listen to below. Backed by a gorgeous evs beat that brings images of rain and a chanted hook that will resonate through the softest corners of your soul, the track is one of those songs that you can come back to in times of need and listen to as therapy. Truly great stuff, don't sleep. At the time this is being written, there are only 24 copies of "Marked for Breath" left for sale, which means it's safe to say that this album will never manage to make its way to a record store. You can reserve your copy today by e-mailing Neila at laura@iloveyeti.com or getting in touch with her on Facebook. Now breath.

1. On the Run
2. You Are Me
3. Golden Silence (feat. Jason the Argonaut)
4. Mother (feat. Jimi the Mantis Claw)
5. Paper Airplane
6. New Day (feat. Lord Zen)
7. Garbage Bag
8. Broken Compass
9. Plastic Gun
10. Lost
11. Bubble Up (feat. evs)
12. Invisible Scars
Bonus Tracks:
13. Hermit (feat. Doc Lewd)
14. The Hardest Love (feat. Riddlore)
15. Marked for Breath

Radio in Akashic Land

The Latest Greatest, 3/26/12

Looks like after a fairly lengthy hiatus, the one-and-only shapeshiftin' log cabin dwellin' West Coast work forcer Radioinactive is returning with a brand new studio album. Dubbed "The Akashic Record," this full length is slated to drop in May and apparently features the likes of Busdriver, Ellay Khule, 2Mex, and Andre Afram Asmar amongst others. Radioinactive has a pretty excellent track record of creative and unpredictable projects, with a playful style that's always fun to listen to and that takes on many original approaches. He was also one the most impressive live performers out of the Shape Shifters when I saw them live as a crew, and the only one capable of competing with Existereo's chop shop flows. Definitely looking forward to this album, especially after watching the video for the lead single "Mint Tea" (featuring 2Mex & La Caution), which you can view below:


Radioinactive - Mint Tea (feat. La Caution & 2Mex) by laitdbacrecords

Sixo "Tracking Perception EP"

Expanding the Backpack, 3/3/12

Terrific new free EP from Texas producer Sixo, presented to you by Fake Four Inc. Sixo's last full length "Fruits of Labor" was kind of an undiscovered gem that was handed to me at a Busdriver show. The album was good enough for me to feel the need to review it long after having originally received it, which is a rarity for strange CDs handed to me at shows. It's great to see this guy rolling with the Fake Four roster now, and also great to hear that his production has continued to improve while maintaining its grimy qualities. Like Sixo's last full length, this EP boasts a scary amount of MC talent: Ceschi, Onry Ozzborn, Awol One, Noah23 and Sole all make noteworthy guest appearances amongst others. You can stream Sixo's new EP under the tracklisting below, or download it for free via the Fake Four Bandcamp Page 2012 is officially the best year for free music in... ever!

1. Snowballs 2012 (feat. Ceschi & John McGee on guitar)
2. Daggers (feat. Noah23 & Gregory Pepper)
3. Dance With Stars (feat. Sole)
4. Calculated Trust (feat. Cainam, Poindexter & Onry Ozzborn)
5. For the Blind
6. Melting Away (feat. Awol One)
7. Cop Gods (feat. Heir Max, Poindexter & Sixo)
8. Mammoth