For a few years in the mid-'90s, Jeru the Damaja was one of the greatest MCs ever. His extraordinary skills—nimble flow, vast vocabulary, authoritative, stentorian delivery, and scimitar-sharp mind—all jelled on 1994's The Sun Rises in the East, one of the greatest hiphop debuts. (Some are still justifiably salty about that "faggot flambé" line, though.) Boosted immeasurably by DJ Premier's weird, wired, and funky production, that album and 1996's Wrath of the Math mapped out a radical streetwise and book-smart rapping style that rarely surfaces these days. If this show were to consist strictly of extended versions of "Come Clean," "Statik," and "Jungle Music," I wouldn't be mad at it. With Porter Ray, Zoolay, Kung Foo Grip, Nu Era, Romaro Franceswa. Nectar, 8 pm, $10 adv, 21+.
Nordic Soul and Kadeejah Streets' Studio 4/4 weekly at Q has been snagging quality DJs, as you'd expect from Decibel's director and one of the key figures in DROP and other quality parties over the years. This week's catch is DJ Tennis (aka Berlin-based Manfredi Romano), who has 12-inch releases on the esteemed techno/house labels Kompakt and Life and Death. Tennis got his DJ name from playing the sport semiprofessionally and playing gigs at a tennis club. On the decks, he serves up expansive, melodic cuts that bump with subtlety and suaveness. Plus, you have to give it up to anyone who does a remix for Invisible Conga People. With FooFou and Kyle Winters. Q Nightclub, 9 pm, $8 adv, 21+.
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