It was a sold out, sweaty, smoky and squashy sauna on Friday (12 December) at the Woolly Mammoth.
There were heads spitting freestyles on the mic then diving into the crowd. There were girls called on stage to dance and drinks spilled on the gear stopping the music. The show was paused abruptly and threatened not to go on until the lighting was dimmed. All hands were raised and all necks were broken. It was a hip hop show. And hip hop was most definitely not dead that night.
The line outside Woolly Mammoth was growing fast while the early birds were already inside, drinks in hand and Go Pros up. Butch Daddy and The Born Fresh Allstars took over the Mane Stage with high energy and conscious minded compositions which already had heads amped.
The Born Fresh Allstars - image © Jann AngaraThe local crew of mostly solo emcees who came together for the night rolled about ten deep. They played on stage passing the mic to each other, showing off their technical skills and hyping the crowd. Their set was raw and fun and it was obvious that they were celebrating the night’s headliner, line-up and audience as a win for the hip hop authenticity they were representing.
More punters started taking their spots on the floor as Nick One kept bodies moving with his healthy selections.
Nick One - image © Jann AngaraDJ Total Eclipse continued with the sound era then impressed with his turntable scratch stylistics.
DJ Total Eclipse - image © Jann AngaraTechnician The DJ took his spot and started hype-man duties. He played a little and scratched a little while engaging the venue with his roaring voice.
Technican The DJ - image © Jann AngaraOne brief intro then the venue erupted. Wu-Tang Clan royalty Ghostface Killah stomped out in a black vest as his fast and booming flow hovered over the screams. The beat was almost lost as his spit overpowered, with most spitting back every word as he killed the mic while he waved his shirt around and sidestepped to his own flow.
He then introduced fellow royal of The Lox and D-Block Records notoriety, Sheek Louch who took the stage with just as much energy. It was a nice surprise for the audience to have a second, heavy hitter grace their presence. And while Louch may not have been as familiar to some, their tag team performance on the night definitely sold the “Wu-Block!” sound to the eager audience.
Sheek Louch - image © Jann AngaraA definite highlight was when GFK called for volunteers to represent Method Man and Ol’ Dirty Bastard for a ‘Protect Ya Neck’ collab. People confidently scrambled to get chosen. The two lucky heads proudly took their roles and performed the first Wu-Tang Clan song with equal crispness and energy. The proud performance ended with a stage dive and some legit hugging as both GFK and Louch smiled, obviously impressed.
Ghostface Killah - image © Jann AngaraThe night’s energy stayed at peak for the entire set with the sardined crowd tilting in unison with any slight movement. GFK called for “about 12 girls” to get up on stage but the dancing led to drink spillage, which unfortunately compromised the equipment and the music.
GFK shared the mic with a local for a freestyle while Technician The DJ attempted to save the music. But the show was clearly over and although the performance surpassed the allocated hour, people were still left disappointed at the abrupt ending.
As a safety measure and to show his appreciation, GFK had everyone raising their peace signs then told them to meet him at the merch table.
