Word: mcs
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...selection of socially conscious local Boston MCs Illin' P and Mr. Lif as the opening act established the show's political purpose early. While Illin' Ps rhymes were standard hip-hop fare, the dreadlocked Mr. Lif seemed a more impressive and fitting pacesetter for the night. His conga-accompanied spoken word performance addressed issues of race and class, while the crowd was wowed by his impromptu freestyle. Lif's performance during this hour-long performance set the stage perfectly for the Spear...
Plain Rap basically sums up the new album from the Pharcyde. The L.A. group spent the '90s putting out a catalog of conceptual, just-a-little-bit-over-the-top hip-hop albums and proving that they were some of the only MCs that Hammer didn't scare away from dancing on stage. The concept for this new release, though, is no concept; the Pharcyde want to tone it down and just "rap for hip-hop's sake...
That's not to say that the artists of Jungle Sky have the magic formula fully figured out. They occasionally run into difficulty integrating rap and spoken-word into their tracks-MCs such as TC Izlam and Steele, however talented, simply fail to impress with the same regularity as many of their British counterparts. And, as with any cutting-edge Manhattan release, a certain degree of pretension is to be expected. Tracks like Drum FM's "Bach & Bass," an uninspired rehash of strings over appropriately hyperactive beats, come off as warmed-over stabs at originality. A mixed bag? Certainly...
...Fourth Beastie's set was not unimpressive. Much to the dismay of the assembled mass, he stayed clear of Beastie Boys standards, opting instead for more obscure tracks that pleased the crowd at the back of the room, Boston MCs Akrobatik and Mr. Liff among them. Mike's hyperactive mix-and-scratch made things more difficult, allowing for little more time than "Oh I've heard that" before moving on to the next record...
...champs. Her lyrics can be playful or boastful or political (she appeared on Hip-Hop for Respect, a four-song CD put out in response to the Amadou Diallo shooting). Rah uses her sexuality not as a come-on but as a weapon. She wants to show that female MCs can be as tough and aggressive as men--and look good at the same time. "I gotta thank God," she raps on Curtains, "I can look this fly and rock it this hard...