From the Aug 12 – Aug 18, 2004 issue

Music

My Philosophy

by Larry Mizell Jr.

It's been a minute since I took my ass down to the Baltic, but I might have to go, as word on the street is that Piece and Reggie Watts are back at the illustrious Friday-night Jambalaya weekly there. And speaking of dope live music, I've been catching some of Molimo's shows lately and I'm feeling their funky-ass, party-rocking steez... besides the trump-tight band, Slim Weez can sing his ass off and emcee Candidt kills it on the mic. Catch Molimo at Des Amis every other Friday--and for that matter, look for Candidt onstage at Bumbershoot this year.

On Saturday, August 14, make sure your ass is at Premier to catch Hiphop Hall of Famers Slick Rick and Kool Keith. It's been far too long since Slick Rick has blessed us with an appearance--of course, being locked up again and damn near deported due to an INS snafu will definitely keep one off the tour circuit. The Ruler has only gotten better with age, his immaculate boasts and cultured Brit-born elegance as evident as ever. His appearance on Ghostface's white label "The Sun" with Raekwon is a prime example of Rick's effortless, grown-ass-man's perspective that hiphop needs so very badly these days. Rick's last album, The Art of Storytelling, was a slept-on return to form. Of course, MC Ricky D will always be relevant, especially as long as he keeps getting covered by rappers ("Lodi Dodi" gets the treatment again by Tame One on the hilarious "Druggie Fresh" off the excellent Leak Bros. album).

Now, I may not be the biggest fan of Kool Keith (AKA your herb roommate's favorite rapper), but I still treasure the Dr. Octagon album and everything he did with the Ultramagnetic MC's--and his upcoming collabo with MF Doom might make me check for homie again. Doubtless he'll be up to his fried-chicken-slinging antics at Premier. Also appearing that night are some of the 206's very best, DJ Topspin, Silent Lambs Project, and Blue Scholars--who just shot a video for their song "Freewheelin."

Beef Watch: It was inevitable--the bad blood between Cam'ron and his old runnin patna Mase surfaced recently during a live radio interview. Cam and fellow Diplomat Jimmy Jones called the station to question Mason Betha's motives for returning to rap, and, as in Jimmy's case, to straight threaten the rapper-turned-pastor-turned-rapper-again. Harlem, sit down! In other news, Joe Budden and the Game are still at it; seems every other exclusive either one drops on a mix tape references the other. The Game may have a more credible street history, not to mention the considerable force of the Interscope hype machine behind him, however, on some straight emcee shit, perennial underdog Budden has the stronger bars--so it's still hard for me to buy Game's claims that he's "lyrically Big Daddy Kane in Converse".... If you ask me, lyrically, he's closer to Drag-On in Dickies.

hiphop@thestranger.com

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