-Please pardon the lack of pics from the event as we had some technical difficulties. And as you can tell by the title, this is Part One on the events. We’ve definitely got a Part Two from the day’s and night’s events coming soon…

Words by Drew Ricketts

There are about four thousand reasons why a principled writer will generally wince at attending a rap show. Notwithstanding the preponderance of snorkel jackets, and turn-the-beat-up requests, the crux of the hip hop experience is dependent on the live show. You get call-and-response; you get thumping beats; you get early admission and late performance. What more could an enthusiast ask for? Rawkus Records has made its way back on to the rap landscape, daring to reclaim some of the elemental (if oft-mocked) factors of the True School. Last night at Joe’s Pub (NYC), the relic label hosted an event called Soundbombing Beat Battle, featuring three up-and-coming producers being appraised by some misplaced Hot 97 judges and a literally raucous crowd.

Thanks to Movement Marketing, both I and my writer friend were comp’ed and snuck into the cozy seating arrangements, amid the subtle luminescence at Joe’s Pub. Our first comments were suggestive of how unfitting a spot like this might be for a rap show. I’ve witnessed a Dipset debacle and a mishandled M.O.P. show both, so I wasn’t primed for a great show necessarily. All the same, in good company and feeling my proper buzz, the previous disasters were banished from memory momentarily. Besides, although TSS favorites Kidz in the Hall were slated for a short set at the end, the Beat Battle took center stage for the night. If the sound system held up, we would all be in for an interesting experience.

I credit Rawkus for reviving rather than rehashing the art of competition. Just Blaze was a surprise guest host along with DJ Double O of KNH. The trio of doe-eyed producers each got a video introduction, affording some charm to the figures still overlooked in the hip hop process, the producer/DJ. Analogic, a young producer from Trenton, NJ, impressed the audience on a superficial level by crafting beats that were recognizable stylistically, even deigning to rip Just Blaze’s style for a beat. Although I wasn’t as thoroughly impressed by his showy charlatanism, the crowd consistently responded to his high hats and snares. The thorough underdog, Manifest, had more musicality than his counterparts but wasn’t so much a favorite because he lacked the coveted ‘knock factor.’ I cringe to think of how a producer like DJ Danger Mouse or 9th Wonder might be received at a show like this one, but I digress. DJ Static from the Bronx, however, was a welcome departure from both. He had drums that Hot 97′s Ibro aptly observed sounded like “they were trying to hurt somebody” and in the final round showdown had Analogic looking straight salty that he was doing the whole drum-kit overdose routine so many times better. Static won in a landslide when the seated crowd rose to its feat on his last instrumental and Just Blaze was caught holding his head bobbing in mesmerized joy.

As for the judging, the contestants were evaluated on a scale of one to five. From what I could surmise, that was the only exacting point of it. Both Ibro (Sucker Free Countdown) and Cipha Sounds (Direct Effect) levied judgments that sounded like their actual tastes had been compromised by drooling after A&Rs and Funkmaster Flex for too long. My partner-in-crime remarked of Cipha Sounds, “He should not be on T.V. He makes me feel awkward.” As the night went on, his haphazard criticism confirmed this sentiment.

In all, it was a nice night. I didn’t need to feel like I was witnessing Ghostface for the first time to be impressed. Sometimes fresh beats and a fresh outlook are as germane to hip hop as the latest from the Ghetto News Wire. Because I refuse to settle for less, I think my rigorous survey of rap sometimes gives way to cynicism. This kind of unpretentious show could crack any nonbeliever because it does not reinvent the wheel, or try to create a trend in a night but ends in beats, rhymes, and satisfaction.

Looking for more hip-hop events to attend this weekend?

It’s our pleasure to pass this one on as it’s edutainment for young and old.

Another upcoming event that might be worth your while is the 1st Annual It’s About M.E.E. (Media Expression and Education) Festival. The festival is a three day event (2.23 – 2.25) with it combines the Freshest Youth Program, the Urban Word NYC Poetry Slam Final, and the Hip-Hop Education Summit [H2Ed].

For more info, download the Press Release and visit www.h2ed.net/itsallaboutmee/.