Tag: rap

Talib Kweli | BET Experience: Acoustically Speaking | 6/28/14 [PHOTOS]

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

IMG_7140

Hosted by the former Rap City and 106 & Park host Big Tigger, perhaps my favorite part of the BET Experience FREE Fan Fest was the intimate afternoon of performances at the Acoustically Speaking showcase. Taped live in front of an audience of not more than 300, the performances and interviews gave me an opportunity to “Experience” the sounds of some seriously talented, developing and established recording artists.

Each artist performed a short set of 4-5 songs. Each performance was followed by a one-on-one interview with Big Tigger. The performances and the interviews gave audience members an opportunity to really connect with each of the artists. It was truly a one of a kind performance experience.

The only rapper to perform at the Acoustically Speaking showcase was Talib Kweli, a Brooklyn-bred rapper who started his career collaborating with Mos Def as the collective, Black Star. Accompanied by two horns, a upright, string bass, keys and a guitars, his performance was filled an energy and vibrance that you don’t often get from hip-hop/rap concerts nowadays.

Perhaps one of the more eloquent rappers in the game, Talib Kweli’s interview with Bigg Tigger touched on some of the social topics that he is known to support, like the influence of hip-hop culture on society at large. The interview was as good as the performance, and trust me, the performance was fire.

Hopefully, BET will air the entire performance and interview at some point, but in the meantime, CLICK HERE to check out what video clips have been posted on BET’s website.

CLICK HERE to check out a collection of Instagram videos of most, if not all, of the songs Talib Kweli performed at this concert.

By this time in the day, my second (and last) battery pack was running on empty. My camera intermittently shut off while I was shooting this performance, and I didn’t really have time (or the battery) to set the camera to the right settings, so I shot with whatever setting my camera was already set at. I wish the photos could have been better, but I guess I’ll have to live with them. Next time, I’ll remember to bring a THIRD battery pack. LOL.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Dear Kanye … Your Stage Production is Overrated, And What’s Up With The Cheescake?

THIS ENTRY WAS WRITTEN 11/30/14 BY A. LEVEL AND IS REPRINTED HERE BY PERMISSION.

A Level: "About to walk into a pool of darkness, with the quasi-naked beekeepers writhing behind him on the cheesecake."
A Level: “About to walk into a pool of darkness, with the quasi-naked beekeepers writhing behind him on the cheesecake.”

Dear Kanye:

Could you please fire your entire production design team? Honestly, who thought it was a great idea for you to perform in a series of masks for virtually the entire concert? And why did you steadfastly refuse to stand *in* the spotlight? If there’s a pool of light and you stand 15 feet off to the side – wearing black clothes and a black mask – you are invisible. When I’ve paid a good amount of money and trekked out to the Staples Center to see you, I’d like to actually *see* you.

It’s a good thing that your ego is so large that it has its own gravitational pull. That at least gave you enough stage presence to compensate somewhat for the completely bizarre (and not in a good way) staging. For most of the show, you were standing on an island that looked like a slice of cheesecake, periodically surrounded by a dozen women in nude body stockings and what looked like beekeeper masks. Then, there was the guy who followed you around from time to time, wearing a get-up that may have been stolen from Sweetums from the Muppets.

Later, you moved onto a main stage that my companion was calling the Fortress of Solitude but that I thought looked like either one of those volcanoes that 3rd graders make out of papier-mâché or like an ice cream cake. The sparker-style fireworks at the end of the show did nothing to dispel those images.

Oh, and rather than having any sort of design, it looked like they’d just turned on the house lights for the back ¼ of the arena. That meant that while you were invisibly perched on the cheesecake, all the techies around the main stage were bathed in harsh, white light. I couldn’t even figure out where you were part of the time, but I had a great view of the quasi-naked acolyte ladies roaming around in the wings and of the dj off to the side. Oh, and nice job on the spike tape – glad to know that your crew uses fluorescent yellow to mark where the equipment should be.

While I’ve sat in what seems like every possible area of the Staples Center over the years, these were also the seats with the worst acoustics I’ve ever experienced there. Was it the location, or was it the sound crew? It’s not clear, but I couldn’t understand a word you said all night. When you add in the incomprehensible Confederate flag merchandise (which I didn’t see firsthand but my companion told me about), this was definitely one of the weirder Odes to One’s Own Greatness. While I can’t say I was at all surprised by your sense of self-importance, I was massively disappointed by the show – when the music is completely forgotten in the process of putting on a show, it’s time to rethink your approach.

Ms. Unknown: "About to walk into a pool of darkness, with the quasi-naked beekeepers writhing behind him on the cheesecake."
A. Level: “About to walk into a pool of darkness, with the quasi-naked beekeepers writhing behind him on the cheesecake.”
Ms. Unknown: "Here, he went from wearing black and standing in the dark to wearing white and standing in front of a white set. Not a big improvement. The monster thing is above him, halfway up the Fortress of Solitude."
A. Level: “Here, he went from wearing black and standing in the dark to wearing white and standing in front of a white set. Not a big improvement. The monster thing is above him, halfway up the Fortress of Solitude.”
Ms. Unknown: "Cheesecake in the front, volcano project/ice cream cake in the back." Friend: "looks like Exhibit A of wedding-cakes-gone-wrong"
A. Level: “Cheesecake in the front, volcano project/ice cream cake in the back.”
Friend: “looks like Exhibit A of wedding-cakes-gone-wrong”

THIS ENTRY WAS WRITTEN 11/30/14 BY A. LEVEL AND IS REPRINTED HERE BY PERMISSION.

This Blog entry is considered editorial. The opinions expressed herein are not the opinions of MusicOfMyMind14, but those of a third party.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Talib Kweli | BET Experience: Acoustically Speaking | 6/28/14 [Instagram Videos]

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES/EVENTS THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

IMG_6796

One of the BET Experience Fan Fest events that I was given permission to cover was the Acoustically Speaking series. I had absolutely no problem with that. Scheduled from 2pm – 6:30, various artists performed a short set of songs “unplugged” followed by an interview with the host, Big Tigger. It was a taped event, so I’m sure that these episodes will be edited for broadcast. Based on who I saw perform, I can affirmatively say that each artist is worth tuning in for.

Being up close to the artist while they performed gave me the opportunity to take some really good pictures. Please follow me so you can get notified when they get posted.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES/EVENTS THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The 28th Annual JazzReggae Festival | UCLA | May 25th & 26th [PHOTOS]

IMG_6462

Every Memorial Day weekend for the past 28 years, UCLA has hosted a music festival called the JazzReggae Festival. Originally, the first day was devoted to Jazz and the second day was devoted Reggae. Though the first day has morphed to a “Jam” day, the festival has always been able to pull in outstanding talent for the price of admission. If you are ever in Los Angeles during the Memorial Day weekend, and looking to enjoy a music festival at an extremely reasonable price, I suggest that you check out the lineup to see if any artists you like are on the bill.

Armed with a photo pass for the event, I was able to take pictures of the artists listed below. Click on the link to check them out!

May 25th, 2014:

  1. The Internet
  2. Aloe Blacc
  3. Snoop Dogg

May 26th, 2014

  1. Kevin Lyttle
  2. Gramps Morgan
  3. Black Uhuru
  4. Ky-Mani Marley
by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Gramps Morgan | UCLA Jazz Reggae Fest | 5/26/14 [PHOTOS]

IMG_6421

Roy “Gramps” Morgan has reggae music in his blood. After all,  Denroy Morgan, a founding member of the Black Eagles, is his father. Though he’s only release two albums, his most recent album, “Reggae Music Lives”, was well received and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums list.

His set was was filled with passion and he definitely had the crowd vibing off of his energy.

I couldn’t find a setlist for Gramps Morgan’s performance at this event online, so if anybody happens to know what it was, please post it in the comments so that I can add it into this post. Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OTHER ARTISTS I WAS ABLE TO SNAP PICTURES OF AT THE FESTIVAL!

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Kevin Lyttle | UCLA Jazz Reggae Fest | 5/26/14 [PHOTOS]

IMG_6412

Kevin Lyttle  is a Vincentian soca artist who had a worldwide hit back in 2004 with his collaboration with  Spragga Benz on a track called “Turn Me On”. Soca, also known as Soul Calypso [SOul CAlypso], is a style of Caribbean music originating in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a style of music that incorporates elements of disco, rap, reggae and zouk. Kevin’s first album went gold, and his last full length studio album was released in August 2012.

His set was the perfect appetizer for the rest of the day. His music, with its rhythmic  and danceable beat had the crowd moving to the beat.

I couldn’t find a complete setlist for Kevin Lyttle’s performance at this event online, so if anybody happens to know what it was, please post it in the comments so that I can add it into this post. Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OTHER ARTISTS I WAS ABLE TO SNAP PICTURES OF AT THE FESTIVAL!

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Kid Cudi | Coachella | 4/12/14 (PHOTOS)

IMG_5283

I met Scott Mescudi p/k/a Kid Cudi years ago when he was a guest artist on Snoop’s track “That Tree” (produced by Diplo off of Snoop’s album More Malice … a highly underrated track of a highly underrated album, in my humble opinion*). I remember stopping by the location where they were filming the video for the track, and I vividly remember laughing my ass off during my time there as Cudi and Snoop were acting out scenes for the video a la Cheech and Chong.

I knew that Kid Cudi would be a large draw at Coachella. Even though he no longer partakes the doobie, his music, for I’m sure many in the crowd, still resonates with that scene. No doubt, as soon as his set started, I could smell the scent of cannabis wafting into the photo pit.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable, and lively, set.  Cudi, who is the only man I’ve ever seen successfully pull off a crop top, ran from stage left to stage right, engaging the audience, and getting everybody in the audience to feed off of his positive vibes. It was an all hip-hop set (I don’t think he performed any WZRD tracks).

I heard that the following week, he was able to get the girls of HAIM to perform “Red Eye”, and MGMT to perform “Pursuit of Happiness”, with him. When I heard that, it was the first time I told myself that I wouldn’t have minded going weekend two.

*- Disclaimer. I do work for Doggy Style Records, but my opinions here are truly unbiased.

Kid Cudi Setlist Coachella Festival 2014 2014

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT BLOG ENTRIES OF OTHER BANDS I SAW AT COACHELLA!

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Snoopzilla and Dam Funk “7 Days Of Funk” Record Release Party | Los Angeles Exchange | 12/10/13

IMG_3333

[Note: The video I took of the event is, unfortunately, unusable, so you’ll have to make do with video clips I found online.]

Snoop’s record release parties are always a good time. There are always big names in the building, and a special performance set by Snoop of a mix of new tracks and classic hits. The record release party for Snoop and Dâm-Funk‘s “7 Days Of Funk“? A mini music festival of funkedified proportions. There were a lot of artists billed for the event, but I wasn’t expecting each to perform their own 30-35 minute set, and all of that music made for one motha-funkin evening of music.

Steve Arrington (who rendered side artist vocals on a couple tracks off of the album) was the lead vocalist of Slave and did a short set of some of his well known hits like “Just A Touch Of Love“.

.

Egyptian Lover, one of the original DJ’s who rocked the mic during his live sets in the clubs back in the day, then took the stage armed with his Roland TR-808 and turned the crowd up … way up. Perhaps the highlight of his set was when he got the entire crowd to ravenously chant “8-0-mutha fuckin-8” for over a minute. He was, by the way, one of the original innovators of producing funky, hip-hop beats on the 808 back in the 80s.

.

Dam-Funk then took the stage to perform a short set of his solo material, proving to the crowd that he is a capable torch bearer for So-Cal Funk.

.

After Dam-Funk’s set is when things got dicey. Apparently, there were a few technical malfunctions that threw a wrench into an otherwise great start. Though, some may focus on criticizing the venue’s apparently poor house crew, I thought that that the technical difficulties were actually a blessing in disguise.

Saving the day, if only for a couple songs, Bootsy Collins, took a working mic and performed a couple of Funkadelic songs over instrumental recordings, engaging the audience and having the audience sing for him. I heard through the grapevine (second hand, mind you) that Bootsy wasn’t scheduled to a perform, but was supposed to be main acts hype-man. Backing track or not, being able to see Bootsy Perform “(Not Just) Knee Deep” was an immense pleasure.

IMG_3332

Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, got on stage to slap his bass guitar, but it would appear that his performance was a casualty of the poor technical setup as his playing was inaudible. A disappointment, sure, but his being there was a strong co-sign of the funkiness of the album.

Once it seemed that things had been sorted on the technical front, Snoop and Dam Funk performed several tracks off their collaborative effort.

.

It was a weeknight, and I had an early morning call, so I had to depart the party early, but I heard that after Snoop and Dam Funk performed a handful of selections off the album, the party kept going with Snoop DJing for those who didn’t have a curfew till way past closing time.

As Snoop and Booty’s have preached, it “Ain’t No Party Like A Snoop Party”. Chuuch.

Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Mistah F.A.B. on Sway In The Morning: The Best Freestyle of 2013?

The first time I ever heard of Mistah F.A.B. was while I was working on Snoop‘s ninth solo album Ego Trippin’. Snoop recorded a song called “Life of da Party” featuring Too Short and Mistah F.A.B. It was a hot single, due in large part to the stellar features,  even making it onto some of Billboard’s charts.

A buddy of mine forwarded me a link (on 8/29/13) of Mistah F.A.B.’s freestyle on the radio show “Sway in the Morning”.  He absolutely killed it. The freestyle also seemed to come genuinely off the dome as Sway even threw out topics during the freestyle  for the rapper to ruminate on. Mistah F.A.B. didn’t miss a beat. He killed it.

To me, this is what hip hop is about. A true M.C. does what Mistah F.A.B. did. He’s definitely set the bar high for the rest of the year.  I doubt we’ll be hearing any other rappers freestyle in the immediate future. There’s really no way you can compete with this.

I hope you enjoy this as much as me.

by Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Happy Bday, DJ Quik!

This is one of my favorite DJ Quik singles. Quik can write and spit lyrics with the best of them. He’s also a bad-ass producer.

Here are the lyrics to my favorite verse of DJ Quik’s “You’z A Ganxta”:

See some don’t realize the power of lyrics
’cause when you rap about death you talkin’ to spirits
You see you can say the things that can help us all ball
or you can say things that make it bad for us all
fix the problem the only way is come to the source
don’t be a Trojan Horse help us change the course
everybody knows that it’s bad in the ‘hood
so check what you rappin’ about if it ain’t to the good
I did my part a long time ago I changed my views
ain’t no gang bangin’ & slangin’ just hangin’ with trues
give it up to my Creator & that you can quote
but mothafuckas still see me as a scapegoat
yeah like that night when Biggie died at Quincy Jones spot
like 400 other people yeah I heard some shots
broke away with the crowd nervous obviously
& the mothafuckas blamed it on me
What the hell!?!

by Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment