Hip-hop heads mix it up with Blackalicious, others

By Anthony Quinonez
Daily Bruin Contributor

Like a hip-hop heaven, the Blackalicious, Deltron 3030 and Ugly
Duckling concert seemed far removed from most of today’s rap
shows. There were no metal detectors, no increased security. The
performers milled about the crowd before the show. People of all
ages and backgrounds bridged their differences with their love of
the music.

Performing Tuesday at the House of Blues, the groups in the show
represented underground hip hop to its fullest. The intimate
Hollywood venue was perfect, allowing the fans to get an up-close
look at the groups. Despite headliner Blackalicious’ socially
conscious lyrics, a surprisingly young, high school-aged crowd
turned up to contribute to the night’s exuberant vibe.

Before the announced groups took the stage, Portland rap
veterans Lifesavas performed a short but spirited set. MCs Vursatyl
and Jumbo the Garbageman exchanged street savvy lyrics as Mix
Master KD spun bass heavy beats. The highlight of its performance
was “Grand Larceny,” a banger that could hold its own
on a mix tape with the likes of a DJ Premier or Mobb Deep.

Next to perform were Long Beach natives Ugly Duckling. Unlike
its LBC counterparts Snoop Dogg or Tha Dogg Pound, the group
doesn’t rely on gangsterisms to fuel its music. Mixing old
school B-Boy rhyming with funky beats, the trio of Andy Cap, Dizzy
Dustin and Young Einstein proved to be a fan favorite. Many of the
audience members were already familiar with Ugly Duckling, as the
group drew cheers when it performed its 1997 single “Fresh
Mode.”

Ugly Duckling was a great choice to get the House of Blues
rockin’, immediately drawing latecomers to the stage. The
group played several cuts from its recently released album
“Journey to Anywhere,” including the jazzy, laid-back
“I Did It Like This” and the funky up-tempo
“Friday Night.”

The group also provided some of the more memorable moments of
the show. A little ceremony preceding a performance of “Eye
On The Gold Chain” featured DJ Young Einstein, who put on a
large “dookie” gold rope chain, reminiscent of those
worn by artists of the ’80s.

The group finished in classic Ugly Duckling style with “A
Little Samba,” a song with a catchy Latin beat that pokes fun
at the materialism prominent in hip hop. In the song, one of the
rappers made boastful claims such as “I got more money than
Monopoly” as the other rapper said “No you
don’t.”

At the end of the song the MCs got the crowd to repeat such
statements from other well-known hip-hop artists, and then abruptly
stopped the music and proclaimed, “No you don’t,”
separating themselves from commercial hip hop.

Deltron 3030 was next on stage, and judging from the crowd
reaction it was the favorite among much of the audience. Fresh off
the release of its self-titled album, the group, consisting of Bay
Area artists Dan the Automator, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ
Kid Koala, stuck to its formula of intricate beats and futuristic
rhymes. Although Del admitted he was sick and his voice was
somewhat scratchy, he persevered to put on a great show, displaying
the talents that have earned him respect on the underground
scene.

For the most part, the group performed songs from the
“Deltron 3030″ album with Del adding a couple of his
solo songs. Opening up with “3030,” a beautifully
layered track, Deltron set the tone for the rest of its set: a
straight-up performance with very little talking in between
songs.

Highlights from the set included “Upgrade,” in which
Del combined futuristic imagery that melded perfectly with the
Automators’ track; and “Things You Can Do,” a
psychedelic, drum-heavy song that had nearly the entire crowd
jumping. An added bonus was a DJ solo by Kid Koala, after which Del
and the Automator came out for an encore performance.

After a brief intermission, Blackalicious took the stage. While
many who had rushed to the front of the crowd to see Deltron
lingered by the bar at the start of the Blackalicious set, they
soon found their way up to the floor.

Joined by Quannum labelmate Lateef, MC Gift of Gab and DJ Chief
Xcel had no trouble getting the crowd involved. The group performed
songs from both its EP “A2g” and full length album
“Nia,” ranging from upbeat tracks such as
“Clockwork” to more R&B influenced tunes such as
“If I May.”

Gift of Gab and Lateef invoked a great deal of call and response
with the crowd which resulted in a lot of dancing among the
audience.

Gift of Gab’s mix of lyrical prowess and social
consciousness was well-received by the crowd, and Lateef proved to
be a catalyst for crowd participation, even adding some of his solo
work to excite the crowd.

In “Alphabet Aerobics,” the music and Gift of
Gab’s lyrics increased in tempo reaching a blistering pace.
Blackalicious exploited the song’s rhythmic complexity with a
performance that displayed the group’s talent at its best,
proving itself the highlight of the show.