Pulling this out last week was prescient since Refuge is taking a week off.
Kat is in the middle of her birthday week, is closing out Soul Overdose for 2009 and there was no way we could do the final one any other day than Wednesday. We’re suspending Refuge tomorrow and will resume on December 23. Of course, we’ve got a Grammy nominee to help you get over the hump and maybe a dual Soul Controller after party to boost the usual Jahsonic throwdown.
I’ve explained before that a prime motivation for what I do is attaining those all too brief moments of magic. Not dissimilar to a drug high, I’m always chasing those fleeting experiences that flood the soul, whether on stage, in the booth or in the studio.
There have been so many… and last night will definitely be something that people will talk about for years to come.
After Wayna blessed the first INAS and set the bar pretty high, the Head Mistress and I kicked around a few ideas that didn’t come together for various reasons. Then I thought “Phonte! THAT’S IT!!!” Kat was immediately enthused. I just had to make the pitch to Tay Gravy.
It was clear to me. Take a creative dude with a huge personality and put him in the equivalent of a living room full of people that adore him. Give him free reign to stretch outside of what he’s known for and watch the magic happen. But it took some convincing. There was some concern about possible corniness. And how he’s not the comedian that people think he is (bullshit!). How LB joints wouldn’t lend themselves to an acoustic setup (wait ’til the video comes out). And what could he possibly do for 40 minutes? If you were there you are laughing hysterically at that last one. I think once we added Zo to the mix, he warmed up to the idea, to put it mildly.
With Zo leading The ELs in acoustic jazz trio mode and everyone in dapper finery, Phonte took the stage and gave a SHOW. On some supper club shit. Like when folks would get dressed to go to dinner and cats in the mold of Sammy Davis Jr. would pull from their singing, dancing and comedic/dramatic skills to truly entertain you. Like what our parents and grandparents experienced on Black Broadway back in the day. So it was truly fitting that it all went down on U Street.
With side-splitting monologues and pinpoint comic timing, Phonte wove together a set of Little Brother, Foreign Exchange and Zo & Tigallo Love the ’80s joints into a performance that had folks singing along, snapping fingers and rolling in the aisles. I can’t say much more than that because there are so many surprises that I wouldn’t want to ruin.
And then there was the interview, which pretty much consisted of me tossing him easy underhanded softballs and him mashing them out of the park. There aren’t too many folks in hip-hop who can transfix a room just by sitting on stage on a stool and talking, whether it’s his hilarious impressions, rapid fire jokes or sober takes on life.
And there was the after party. Two-stepping at Marvin and holding court among friends out on the deck. Good times.
Video soon come. And more plans to keep those memorable moments flowing. Much love to my DC arts community, the LSP crew for their professionalism and dedication and Phonte for being the damn fool that he is.
I’m increasingly known for an eclectic DJ’ing style and a crotchedy nature about the state of hip-hop so after reflecting on this past year I’m really surprised that most of my favorite tunes of 2007 are hip-hop cuts. I guess things aren’t so bad and there is a place for you if you choose not to superman any hoes.
Kardinal Offishall – Crookless Dodgers ft. Voyce (download)
Kardinal and Clinton Sparks’ Do The Right Thing mixtape got me so amped I almost threw a garbage can through a plate glass window. It’s so inspiring to me that cats like Kardinal, Skillz and others who I was checking for at the beginning of the early ’90s indie hip-hop explosion are making their presence felt stronger than ever despite the poor health of the industry. You’ve got breakout stars like Common who was in that same peer group back then but then there are dudes like Kardinal, one of the most underrated cats to spit and scarily, he’s still getting better.
Marco Polo feat. Large Professor – The Radar (Remix) (listen/purchase)
I slept on Marco Polo’s Newport Authority mixtape and his Port Authority album although he was getting buzz everywhere. My pile of “stuff to listen to” just got too big in 2007 and I never got around to it. I was banging his “Electric Relaxation” cover with J*Davey and that crucial joint he did with Masta Ace but he breaks fool with the sinister funk he gives Extra-P.
Pharoahe Monch – Welcome To The Terrordome (listen)
See my comments on Kardinal. Pharoahe is one of the greatest lyricists hip-hop has EVER seen and Desire is a snapshot of his abilities on a still rising trajectory. I dare anyone else to try to cover a P.E. classic better than this.
Kokayi – Know Us Mayne (listen)
Another theme in this list is that DC artists are still knocking out amazing music while toiling in obscurity. This banger off of Kokayi’s solo album (purchase) is a DC anthem for all of us who have loved him for years and a great introduction to his humor, grit and unique vocal character for those just coming aboard.
DJ Roddy Rod – Take In Stride (listen/purchase)
I tell him this all the time but it’s really not fair that Roddy can cut it up on the decks, bust rhymes, knock out ill beats AND create multimedia with the best of them. Get a load of him starring and bopping about in his self-directed video for this joint. I’d be hating if he wasn’t as genuine as he is talented. His bonafides go waaay back to remixes with mid-’90s R&B producer All-Star and multiple releases from New England’s finest Maspyke. He’s also been repping for the D(eecee)M(aryland)V(irginia) for the last few years and we’re more than glad to have him and his phenomenal Blunt Park Sessions album. He doesn’t only do retro-futuristic b-boy music either. Check out Cuba After Market for Roddy’s uptempo electronic side.
Oddisee – All Because She’s Gone feat. Phonte (listen/download)
Again… DC STAND UP!!! Just google him. The Halftooth releases, the Foot in the Door joint. Cop all of it. This cut here is a special treat from exclusive material available on another one of those fortuitous developments of the modern underground scene, the free mixtape. I couldn’t pick a favorite song off of the phenomenal Getback album so it’s great that LB slides into this top 10 in the form of Phonte’s contribution to this Oddisee track.
Q-Tip – Work It Out (listen)
Q-Tip’s journey has been chronicled a lot over the last couple years but it doesn’t get any less inspiring. Tribe’s amazing legacy, a crucial solo album, personal upheaval in the loss of his home to fire and two albums scuttled by major label buggery. Through it all his own music has been following an ever more pleasing path down a road of organic instrumentation over crunchy beats and Tip’s trademark charisma. Some folks frowned upon the club treats on Amplified but as a DJ who traffics in the art of moving butts, I welcome all the smart, slick dancefloor jams I can get. If “Work It Out” is any indication, Tip will continue to oblige.
UGK – International Players (feat. Outkast)
I tend to highlight the underdogs and the overlooked but even though this song and its stellar video got all the shine it deserved in ‘07 I couldn’t leave it out in favor of a more obscure pick. It’s just too good. Andre 3000 is back in the rhyming game full force and this joint speaks to what lurks deep in the hearts of men, high-minded and ignorant elements alike. Rest in peace Pimp C.
Rich Brown – So Many (MDCL Remix) (listen/purchase)
This is the pick that will not only preserve your sexy but enhance it. Your pheremones will increase in potency just by listening to it. If you play this in the car on a first date you might get laid. At the very least you’ll score huge brownie points and send your companion scrambling to write down the title and wondering how you got to be so cool. I’ve long been a big fan of Mark de Clive Lowe but I’d never heard of Rich Brown until this cut busted me upside the head (thanks for the tip, Jamil). Then I played it for like a week straight in my iPod. Haven’t dropped it in a live set yet, I don’t want to be responsible for any public indecency.
4Hero – Something In The Way (listen)
The Play With The Changes album accompanied every road trip I took in 2007. The repeats on this cut in particular would have popped the tape or broken the rewind button in the old cassette days. The release of every 4Hero album is an event. The anticipation I had for this record was only eclipsed by how smitten I became with this one gem in a collection of sparkling jewels. Changes indeed, the chord progressions are what really slay me every time. Loving you too, Bembe.
