Event
GENIASS PRESENTS: Gift of Gab w/Free Radio + Alpha Lee
Genre: Hip Hop
Cover: $10 adv / $12 d.o.s.
Age: 21+
Event Listing: http://ashevillemusichall.com/music-schedule/event/geniass-presents-the-gift-of-gab-wfree-radio-alpha-lee/
GIFT OF GAB:
Welcome to the Next Logical Progression. We've travelled far with Gift of Gab over the years. When we first heard the venerated Oakland emcee's voice with Blackalicious, it was a revelationthe opening salvo to nearly two decades of positive emanations, vivid storytelling, elastic rhymes and consistency through reinvention. Across three classic Blackalicious LPs, two praised solo records and 2008s starstudded collaboration the Mighty Underdogs, not to mention the groundbreaking work of his label Quannum Projects, Gab has been a constant source of innovation and inspiration, giving us as much to mull over as bob our heads to. But lovely as it is, the past is written. The title of Next Logical Progression is no hollow boast: over the lushest beats of his career, Gab blazes a path into the history of hip-hop to come.
While his last two solo records bore interstellar themes, NLP's aspiration is grounded in earthy familiarity. Look no further than the song "Rise" for the album's raison d'être, set to plinking piano and upbeat, hornspangled soul. "At an early age, I chose the rapper I wanted to be," says Gab. "I admired KRS-One and Chuck D because they made me feel like being positive even in a negative environment. That song is about being that type of emcee, but also being human and striving to live up to the things that I'm saying. It's about trying to be better." Similarly, the organ-driven bubbler "Dream Warrior" inspires a sense of limitlessness through contrasting tales of characters who couldn't see beyond the daily grind, while the Stevie Wonder-checking "So Much" is about his sister's undefeatable spirit while faced with diabetes.
Whether these songs are steeped in the details of depressed America ("Market And 8th"), imagined as playful dialog between Gab and a self-righteous rap up-and-comer ("Wack But Good People"), or a documentary lens aimed at good love gone bad ("Toxic"), each is ultimately about maintaining equity and humanity in those moments that challenge us to abandon ourselves. Of course, sometimes a little abandon is exactly what's needed, as testified to by NLP's first single, "Everything is Fine." Here, with a little help from funk legend George Clinton and Quannum's own Latyrx, Gab styles hard over nasty bass grooves, synth stabs and snapping drums. "I love making albums," says Gab. "To me, it's like making a movie or writing a play, creating a body of work. If you have the ability to do that, why would you ever stop?"
NLP follows that line of thought to, well, the next logical progression. For the first time, Gab had a hand in crafting the music that scores his rap. Instead of going to a traditional beat-maker, he linked up with musician/producer G Koop, a man adept at turning samples into original sounds played fresh on live instruments. But Gab took a different route. "I would take a recorder around and hum bass lines, piano figures and guitar riffs into it, then I'd go over to Koop's crib and say, 'Play this.' I've always heard music in my head, but I never knew how to get it out. I finally got to express that." This, while impressive, shouldn't come as a surprise. Truly, Gab wouldn't be the emcee he is if he didn't embody the message at the heart of Next Logical Progression: Anything is possible; we've only just begun.
FREE RADIO:
Free Radio is an independent hip hop collective born from the abundant and thriving music scene provided by the progressive atmosphere of Asheville NC.
The locally anticipated release of their debut album "The Powers That Be" exhibits the typical industry repressed, cognizant side of hip hop. The lyrics represent an increasingly large amount of listeners/artists who are becoming bored by the stereotypically negligent presence felt from our current state of the entertainment industry.
Their brand of hip hop involves a melting pot of beats by producer/emcee Dirty Frost. His style bares resemblance to such golden era producers such as Pete Rock, to slightly more modern, dirty south style producers such as Manny Fresh and ties everything from jazz and blues, to afro-Latin, rock and folk, into hip hop.
Music and rhymes aren't new to this collective. The group was formed from a crew called The Ville Boyz that held a long history in the Asheville area, performing with such artists as Ice Cube, Ghostface Killah, Gangstagrass & Granola Funk Express. Separately Free Radio members Smidi, Johnboy and Dirty Frost worked and created projects as a part of the "psychedelic country rap crew" The Fist Fam and singer/guitar player Jeremy Indelicato continues his work as a solo singer/songwriter.
As the love and recognition for true hip hop artists grows, so does the work ethic and intensity of Free Radio's collective body. Their first and latest release "The Powers That Be" is most definitely evidence of that.
ALPHA LEE:
Website: https://soundcloud.com/founder-ceo
THIS SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY GENIASS PRODUCTIONS
www.GeniassProductions.com
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LocationAsheville Music Hall (View)
31 Patton Avenue
Asheville , NC 28801
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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