Tha S-A-double-D-I-Q

I've been a long-time fan of Raphael Saadiq's. The man is straight-up an amazing artist, vocalist, bass player and all-around music producer. The list of artists that he's worked with and produced is legendary, including Q-Tip, D'Angelo, Joss Stone and Stevie Wonder. From the days of Tony! Toni! Toné!, the mega-trio of Lucy Pearl and through all of his solo albums he's only gotten better and better.

I was fortunate enough to have seen him live for the first time, back in 2003 during a small in-studio session for an MHz special on him to promote his first solo stint, Instant Vintage. I actually got to meet him, and he was a very chill and humble dude. I'd heard a lot of buzz surrounding his most recent album The Way I see It (have yet to peep the whole thing...), and when I learned that he was goingto be in DC at tha 9:30 club, I HAD to be there. The show was absolutely incredible!!! I'd gotten a preview from his performance of the first single 100 Yard Dash, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He came to DC with the same 6-piece band, and all of the energy of that taping, and even MORE. The band was tight, well rehearsed, and Saadiq was in absolute control at all times. The energy that they gave, and the crowd received and returned 10 fold, made it an unforgettable concert.

For a taste of what the show was like, here are some clips from his VH1 Soul Stage performance:








And, this performance from the Musicians @ Google session is nice, as well; but in no way measures-up to the show at 9:30. If you take this and multiply it by 100, you might be close...

MOS(t) DEF(initely), LAME...

So, things are straight strugglin' over in my corn3r, right now. Life stress has hit the max, my most important personal relationship has taken a hit, and to add to the pile o' $hit, I'm now a recent casualty of the great recession of '08/'09; and was laid-off last week. But like my boy Vic has reassured me: "Being unemployed is what's HOT in the streets, right now..." So, at least I'm still 'cool,' I guess : /

Anyway, as I'd already purchased tix first-thing, and had not left the house nor my room for that matter since I was given my walking papers last Wednesday, I figured it was time I ventured outside for some fresh air, and a nice hip-hop show courtesy of "First name: Dante, last name: Beze" or otherwise known as Mos Def.

I'd already braced myself for the worst, considering that tha 9:30 club had greedily (let's face it, it all comes down to the dough...) added a second "later" show.

In PJ Urquilla's review, he "...gives credit" to tha 9:30 club, for this. But, as a die-hard fan, I find it a bit shiesty that they even attempted to fit-in a second show (plus, isn't there a midnight 'curfew' in DC for 'all ages' shows?? AND, where's my opportunity for a second Lily Allen show, ehh!!?!), which in the end, gives the 'bigger' fans who didn't sleep initially and acted on tix first, a sub par experience. By any 'second set,' the artists, DJs, hypemen, engineers...fuck it, even the bartenders and bouncers are all more relaxed and know what to expect. I think that this would always be the case, and unfortunately it all came true for the 1st, and it seems 2nd show, as well.

As I wasn't there for the 2nd show (again, for the low-down, see PJ's review), and can only attest to the 1st show's experience, I'll only speak on that...but, I was highly disappointed.

From the get-go, I could already tell that the tour's opening (and, for an hour-and-a-half unexpected intermission's...) DJ was timid, at best. Assuming that he 'understood the crowd' and fans that a Mos Def show would bring, I'd expected a lot more of the Rawkus and Soulquarian type sounds that we'd all have loved to hear, while waiting around aimlessly. Instead it was a handful of standard random '90s underground hits, and more than a few ALT-finger-snappin' tracks, and even a '98/'99 R&B group Next, remix (...I mean, really!!?). Apparently, the 2nd show was treated to Mos voicing-over a bit of Outkast's "SpottieOttieDopalicious" instrumental (although maybe in essence, just a hidden sound-check...), while we in the 1st show heard it more than once, and initially on repeat for what seemed like 15-20 minutes. And, while some find it a respectful "nod" to the DMV to drop the staple of Chuck Brown and other Go-Go music tracks, at any DC area hip-hop show...I find it to be somewhat of a lowly insulting cop-out. It's like opening sets in NYC with the standard Rakim tracks, or Philly with the Roots...for those of us 'in the scene,' it gets super-stale and expected after a while. And, while I love dude, and hope for him to get us out of this recessional-black-hole...how many times do we need to be reminded by out-of-town-artists, who is in the White House now??? We live here, and we KNOW this...

The evening seemed saved with the opening act, Philly's Hezekiah, straight ripping it; with the help of his DJ (who really should've stayed-on for the unexpected intermission) and the funky blasts from the back-up pipes of Sax/(electric flute/clarinet?)Trumpeter duo, "Me So Horny." (<-- LOVE the name!!) Hezekiah and Co. did more than their share of getting the crowd warmed up, but then it would be a chilly hour-and-change before we'd even hear Mos' hype-man assurances that he was "on the way."

I know we can't hold Mos responsible for a late Continental flight from NYC, cause I know how that can be...but, it was very poor, as his fans who wanted to see him first (...and more, lets face it, we stepped-up and bought or tix, on time) to be treated to nothing more than a glorified sound-check session. Although we could hear him, and the music levels were 'fine'...we were subjected to constant lamenting from Mos on the state of sounds in the venue. He had his back to us for most of the show, chatting it-up (bitching) to his two DJ/Soundmen (...really, you can't just have dude #2 run the MPC from side-stage??).

And, even his attempt to blast the 9:30 engineers for unknowingly having the 1947-1951 Maya Deren, Haitian-Voodoo DVD, Divine Horsemen, accidentally stuck on repeat for the first scene, for a good 20-30 minutes. The fact that he even became aware of this, with the jumbo-tron screen up-above-and-behind him, is proof that he had his back to us, his fans, long and often enough to notice. Plus, by this point; I think we'd all had enough of the chicken neck wringing, and goat-blood letting for the evening, so keeping it on repeat may not have been such a bad thing, after all.

Ahhh, I have enough going-on to dwell on the negative, so I will just leave it at that. It was a very disappointing experience. I've loved Mos since the days of Soundbombing, and have defended him from naysayer’s, peeps around the way in Brooklyn, and even former classmates of his who've always clowned him and my respect for dude; but, my days of all of that may be numbered.

He straight rocked it at the old DC Nation venue with Black Jack Johnson (...please bring that sound BACK!!!), and killed it this past summer; on his own, as well as teamed-up with Q-Tip at the Rock The Bells show. Perhaps I was simply expecting too much from someone who I felt was one of "real/underground" hip-hop's brightest and 'Mos' talented stars?? But, who knows, the clouds must have just been extra thick the other night, on 9th & V...

2009 DC Dilla Event - Dilla's Nite/Kev Brown's B-Day!!

So, as you can see, I've been kinda slummin' on the bloggin' tip. A lot going on in the personal life, work's been killer, and the DC area has been dealing with enough lately regarding our new Prez's (big-up to OBAMA!!!) stimulus package, and coming down from all of the incredible inaugural excitement.

Just when it seemed like we had nothing to get hyped about in this area until our perennial/obligatory 4th of July BBQ/Party (...MAN, summer '09 seems years away, don't it??); it's time to celebrate the life, legacy and AMAZING (<-- I try to only use that word when truly applicable...) catalog of James Dewitt Yancey, a.k.a. Jay Dee, a.k.a. J Dilla, a.k.a. Dilla Dawg!!!

For the rest of my life, Feb. 7th - Feb. 10th, and which ever week(s) those days fall on, will be Dilla Week, to me!!! Last year's was spent between BKNY's Donuts are Forever and DC's unmatched XM Radio event featuring Dilla's Moms, Pete Rock and Talib Kweli (see post below!!).

Washington, DC's Red Lounge is already the jump-off every Tuesday night, featuring resident DJs 2 Tone Jones, and my mans Roddy Rod. The cherry-on-top tomorrow, is that there will be Dilla's music on BLAST, all night long. Plus, it's also one of the DMV's greatest producer's, Kev Brown's B-day, so be sure to wish him a "Happy 30-somethin'!!!" And as always, one of the area's GREATEST MCs (as in skillz on the mic...AND...awesome Master of Ceremonies) Grap Luva of INI and brother to legendary producer Pete Rock, will be in the building to keep things moving all night.

Not that it's anything new, but I've been specifically filtering the Jay Dee tracks on my iTunes, all week. I seriously can't wait to hear some more, among his great fans, some of the area's best Hip-Hop/R&B/Soul artists, and LOUD as F*&<, just as it was always meant to be played.

So, just like Dilla said: Turn it UP!!!

Dilla's Nite/Kev Brown B-Day
Tomorrow, Tuesday 2.10.09
9:00pm - Until
Red Lounge
2013 14th Street, NWDC
$7 Cover, or FREE if you go HERE and cop a T-Shirt and bring proof of purchase!!

(Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, the mother of the late James “J Dilla” Yancey, is currently battling Lupus/Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP or Moschcowitz disease), the same disease that took her son’s life. Proceeds from the purchase of this shirt, as well as the DC event will go towards Ma Dukes. So, show your love!!!)

The Lines Have Been Drawn...

So, which producer showcase/battle will you be attending, this evening??!

In one of the most highly contested battles to hit DC, until this November's upcoming presidential election, it's down to these two jump-offs:

The Tru Skool "Beat Grinder Championship"

...and

The Red Bull Big Tune

One is Free/$5 (...depending on your connex/RSVP game...), while the other is $7. One features, Nottz (MY NUUUGH...Vee-Aye, ALL DAY), and DC's current "prince" Wale; while the next has my mans Grap Luva on the M-I-C, and features DJ Roddy Rod ( and the Low Budget Crew...not to be F*%#ed with!!). One features 10 producers while the other 12...and accusations of "biting" run the gamut; Yet, both are guaranteed to have some really nice up-and-coming producers, and neck-snappin' beats.

So, it may just come down to which venue you prefer. I personally get down equally with LIV and da 9:30 cluuub; so remain torn...

Either way, it's good to have some healthy competition out there in the streets of DC, and as always...I welcome a flooding of ill hip-hop producers and beats, any day.

PUTS @ 9:30

Aiighty, then...So, lets get this thang on-and-poppin'!!


People Under the Stairs brought the fiya to tha 9:30, last night. Unfortunately, preforming for room full of "middle-schoolers" didn't really give Thes One and Double K much to work with. Having seen them in front of way more energetic and responsive crowds...the set was definitely missing something; but, to no fault of the crew. For true veterans of the underground hip-hop game (...10 years and counting!!!), they definitely deserved better.

Regardless, it's always a great time seeing PUTS, whether in a packed arena, or crowd of 6...And, getting a taste of some of the jams that will soon be dropping from their upcoming FUN DMC album, was worth toughing out the tweeny-rocker crowd.

So anyway, the duo is headed up to B-more's Sonar this evening where PUTS will be headlining a show with Busdriver, Soul Cannon, Greenspan, and Jade Fox.

Sonar is always a good time...tix are only $12, and the beverages from soft-drinks, brews and even 'top-shelf' tend to be a bit cheaper up that way, as well. So, there's a good chance that I may end-up going to that show this evening (if anything, to erase the sub-par "one-hit-wonders" [...yeah, I said it...WHUT!?] Flobots/9:30 experience). We'll see...