Tag: Underground 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

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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

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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

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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

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Chance The Rapper | Coachella | 4/13/14 (PHOTOS)

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There were a lot of acts that I was interested in catching at Coachella, and Chance the Rapper was definitely one of them. As he was forced to cancel is weekend two performance due to the flu and tonsillitis, I was grateful I got to catch him perform the first weekend.

I have a twitter account (@methodman13) and I hand picked accounts to follow for music news. Sometime in 2013, I noticed that Complex Magazine’s twitter handle had changed its avatar to the cover of a mix-tape by a rapper I had never heard of. Complex was pushing the mixtape hard, and after a couple of weeks of ignoring the various tweets they shot out with links to the free mix tape, I finally caved and downloaded it. It was “Acid Rap” by Chance the Rapper, and I was glad I set aside my music snobbery to download it because it was an amazingly well put together mixtape and is definitely one of my favorite hip-hop albums of 2013 .

Call it Psychedelic Hip-Hop/Alternative Rap/Underground Rap … call it whatever you want, it’s melodic music that tells stories as eloquently as they come. Sure, the album relies on a lot of samples and interpolations (as is the trend for mix-tapes), but it doesn’t take away from what Chance adds to those familiar melodies and rhythms.

The surprise of the set, though I was already ushered out of the photo pit by the time, was Justin Bieber’s cameo for hist duet with Chance called “Confident”. I wasn’t as excited as some others about the guest appearance, and truthfully, I don’t think that the audience was all to into it if the luke warm (to say the least) reception was any indication, but it did have the internet buzzing with gossip.

I’m a fan of Chance The Rapper’s current output and musical style. If he does, indeed, intend to give his music away for free and only charge his fans to watch him perform, I’ll be one of the first in line to purchase a ticket to his next show in Los Angeles.

I wasn’t able to find a setlist online, so if any of you Chance the Rapper fans know what songs were performed the first weekend of Coachella, I’d love to know so I can add it to this entry.

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

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

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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!

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