Breakbeats & Rhymes Radio 3 Year Anniversary Show feat. Jeru the Damaja
In a time when “hip hop is dead” is thrown around matter-of-factly by those who are out of touch with the heartbeat of a culture that is alive and well, Breakbeats & Rhymes, a radio show that takes place every Saturday at KPFK 90.7 between the hours of 2am and 4am, presents irrefutable evidence that our culture is not merely alive, it is thriving.
On Friday, November 30th, at Pasadena’s Terrace, Cheddy and MP (the founders of BB&R) invited young and old to celebrate 3 beautiful years of mainlining quality music into the veins of the mainstream. From 2am to 4am on Saturday nights (Sunday mornings), while the giant sleeps, Breakbeats and Rhymes uses the medium of an industry marked by corporate greed and financially focused formulas to spread a message; The Message hasn’t changed since Grand Master Flash – hip hop is an instrument that helps keep us from going under as things fall apart around us, socially and personally. In the face of adversity, the perseverance of hip hop culture, when many said it would die early on, for forty years, the perseverance of hip hop’s Message for thirty years, and the perseverance of Breakbeats & Rhymes for three years and counting, are all feats worthy of celebration. And celebrate we did.
Perhaps it is sacrilegious to include a hip hop legend like Jeru the Damaja in a section of an online magazine titled “I Got Next”, but in the bigger picture this section represents the underrepresented. While Jeru the Damaja is considered a mainstay of the Golden Era of hip hop, and his 1994 debut The Sun Rises in the East is considered a classic album, he has gone relatively unnoticed by the hip hop masses. On top of that, Jeru, along with his contemporaries, are constantly introducing their fans to up and comers they stand behind by having those who “got next” open for them at live shows. TRUE Magazine’s I Got Next seeks to do the same – those who performed at Breakbeats & Rhymes’ 3 year anniversary show are tomorrow’s headliners (in the underground, at the very least), endorsed by Jeru.
DJ Ralph M of Funkdoobiest and DJ Lord Ron of the Zulu Nation were the house DJs for the night and their skills on the wheels of steel and music selection were easily worth the night’s admission – it is rare to experience a good DJ keeping the crowd warm for performers at a live show, let alone to be blessed to experience the music and talent and craft of two legendary DJs whose set was live enough to be the headlining act! Hip hop veteran Q.ROCK639 served as the master of ceremonies for the night and complimented the DJs, filling in the gaps (even crafting entertainment during the lulls that could have befallen the show as we experienced technical difficulties later in the night) like a true emcee. Q.ROCK had a couple of emcees from the audience come up and freestyle, and even flexed a little himself as well, to kick the night off. DJ Ralph M and DJ Lord Ron brought us on a journey through the essentials of the hip hop canon (Dilla produced Slum Village Fall in Love, Diggin in the Crates (DITC), Mellow Man Ace, etc.) whetting our appetite and setting a high bar for Sacrifice, Duke Westlake, Trek Life, Phora, Dr. OOP, Zoolay, Rebels to the Grain and finally, Jeru the Damaja. *You know you are in for a good show when Percee P and 2Mex are in attendance as audience members.
Sacrifice embodied the signature sound of West Coast hip hop and radiated an infectious enthusiasm, getting the night going with high energy and a familiar, but not unoriginal vibe.
Producer extraordinaire, Duke Westlake, performed an original beat set on his Roland SP-555, getting heads knocking with hard hitting kicks, snares that make your eyes blink (nod to Brother Ali) and soulful samples and bass lines. Stay tuned for projects coming from the Duke of hip hop and support artists who are obviously clockin’ their 10,000 hours in pursuit of expert excellence – he’s close.
Self described Hometown Foreigner (forthcoming album prod. by Duke Westlake), Trek Life, then joined Duke Westlake on stage and performed two tracks off of the aforementioned album. Goosebumps and an ugly “ewww” face. The production conjures up the feeling 90’s hip hop gives us, yet reaches into the future and Trek Life’s personal, socially aware, poignant lyricism and demeanor as a veteran emcee demand that those looking for who got next pay attention.
LA hip hop youngster with an old soul, Phora (along with Eskupe, AnthroBeats and the rest of his entourage) was next to grace the stage. Phora recently released an LP titled Still a Kid (feels like a classic) which can give hip hop heads confidence that our lineage is in good hands as a new generation begins to carry us into the future. This young man shows much promise and has the makings of an artist whose career will last an leave a lasting mark on hip hop culture. Phora and friends put on a decent live show and certainly gave a taste of the greatness that is sure to follow as he hones his craft.
Zoolay, with DJ Blender on the 1’s and 2’s, got the crowd loose and made sure that we remember part of hip hop’s purpose, and Kool Herc would concur I believe, is to give us an opportunity to “party and bullshit” (RIP Biggie). The duo offers fun loving party raps and an “I don’t give a f***” attitude that keeps hip hop from taking herself too seriously. If you’re not sleeping on what’s what in hip hop, then you know that the hip hop blogosphere is buzzing with hope that there are big things in store for Zoolay in the near future and that these fellas have(are) put(ting) in work.
Dr. Oop (with Nuke) was certainly the surprise highlight of the night. There are, and always will be, artists you experience who are so good at what they do, and who have shaped and defined their craft so meticulously, that you cannot help but be dumbfounded that you had not been introduced to their music previously. Dr. Oop is one such artist for me. He is a true showman and emcee and his confidence and experience demand the attention, and respect, of all in attendance. Donning scrubbs and skill, Dr. Oop brought us into his world and, I am sure, his music did some healing, on some level, to the part of hip hop that is dying. Dope.
Cheddy and MP, aka Rebels to the Grain, get the honor and pleasure of performing on the same stage as each of the others who preceded them, on a night celebrating their success as the founders and operators of Breakbeats & Rhymes Radio over the past 3 years, and of warming up the stage, mic and audience for underground pillar, Jeru the Damaja. Cheddy and MP provide the staples, the bread and butter, of hip hop. Both emcees have dope delivery, their production consists of quality samples, chopped breaks and pronounced bass lines and their humble braggadocio is inviting and makes evident the dues which have undoubtedly been paid. The two put on a great show and, perhaps more importantly, have helped to preserve and promote the culture at a level that few can boast. The night could have ended here and have been considered a complete success, but the best was still yet to come.
Few in hip hop can look back on a career spanning DECADES, especially in underground hip hop. Jeru the Damaja has been in the game twenty plus years and shows no sign of age when on the mic. Not only has the Damaja garnered respect from fans across the globe, he is respected by some of the realest in the game like Gang Starr’s DJ Premier, who is without apology for calling out the wack. Jeru carries himself like a general who has been in the most dire of circumstances on the battlefield and has emerged on the other end unscathed, a warrior forged by time and tribulation. The poise and confidence he has, which is achieved by the elite few who weather the storm and don’t lose themselves through it, is both rare and refreshing. Jeru walked us through the span of his catalogue in song and in speech and kept the crowd participation at a maximum the entire time (so much so that two in attendance were begging for a chance to battle him – his reply was “a nobody without a title doesn’t get to jump into the ring with the heavyweight champion”). Jeru the Damaja was the icing on the celebratory cake dedicated to 3 years of Breakbeats and Rhymes Radio.
Peace to Cheddy and MP and Breakbeats & Rhymes for helping to keep hip hop alive and for maintaining a high standard to hold those who got next to.
Peace and Love,
NathanAnthony
**Please click the artists’ names below to support independent hip hop:
