So this is springtime? Man, if Biz Markie saw this shit, he’d
hop his ass back in his golf cart and peace us the hell out!
Take in some (mostly) homespun flavor at Nectar on Friday, May
30—the Giant Panda crew are celebrating the release of
their second LP, Electric Laser! If you ain’t hip, GP’s West
Coast party-rockin’ style exists somewhere between the fun-loving
freaks of Ugly Duckling and the dusty-fingered everyman coolout
vibe of People Under the Stairs (no shock, seeing as GP is on
Tres Records, headed up by PUTS’s Thes One). The Panda are damn
near a local act, too—MCs Newman and Maanumental are both Garfield grads and both rep the town lovely. Laser is a
fun-loving, earnest, old-school-flavored treat that pumps much in the
vein of their excellent debut set, Fly School Reunion. It’s not
all fun and games though; rather than happy-go-lucky, it’s just honest,
as on the confessional antihomophobia track “Pop.” Before the Panda
take over, though, catch a soulful set from Iguales and some
jams from the talented local triplet GodSpeed.
On Monday, June 2, you don’t wanna miss the Fresh Rhymes and
Videotape tour at Neumo’s, topped off by Evidence, Rakaa,
and DJ Babu from the world-famous Beat Junkies, because
when their powers combine, you get none other than… Dilated
Peoples! Dilated have been putting it down for like 500 million
albums now, garnering respect worldwide for their L.A. b-boy boom-bap,
not to mention their riotous live show; last time I saw these guys, I
realized just how long I’d been a fan of theirs. When Babu dropped the
needle of the single that made them instant underground sensations (the
Kutmaster Kurt–produced “Work the Angles”), I lost my mind
like the teenage rap fanatic I forgot I used to be. Reeeal talk. (Good
luck, R. Kelly!)
But that’s not all! You also get Dilated’s longtime homey, former
member of the Whooliganz, the dude who made
Prodigy “Keep It Thoro.” I’m talking about the man, the myth,
the incredible producer/so-so occasional rapper they call the
Alchemist! But wait, there’s more! How about the keystone of the
ineffable Freestyle Fellowship and Project Blowed family,
the one and only Aceyalone! Will he perform anything from his
first two albums? Good lord, I hope so. Order now and we’ll throw in
(for no additional charge) 88-Keys, the dope producer for
Black Star, Mos Def,
J-Live, and Musiq
Soulchild. Keys is rapping these days (maybe he always has been!),
and this fall he’ll release an album called The Death of Adam that is being
executive-produced by that unabashed
former
backpacker Kanye West. The stuff on his MySpace captured my
interest for sure, with a variety of sounds (from gritty, dusty blaps
to Kenna-sounding epic synth-rock) and a Guilty Simpson guest shot. I will definitely keep ’em peeled for Keys in the future.
Be just like me and follow suit! 