Idle Warship @ Southpaw
Thursday, 03 December 2009 12:00
Idle Warship, hip-hop/soul/rock ensemble comprised of Talib Kweli, Res, and Graph Nobel played a packed venue at Brooklyn’s Southpaw. The show kicked off with a string of unique hip-hop performances. Highlights included Show and Prove’s winner Kalae All Day laying down some neo-soul funk grooves, and charming the crowd with an angelic voice, and some slick rhyme patterns, enough to serenade and move some men folk, as well as warm up the crowd who were chock-a-block in the spot.
Perhaps on the of the most dazzling artists on the bill was Trezure the Empress, who proved her knowledge of delivering a real performance, plentiful with dramatic effects, sequins, visual stimulation, adlibs and dance hooks. Trezure’s band made up for any of her (somewhat mundane) backup singers losses, but her own bolstering voice proved to be the most prevailing element of all. She ended off her set in this declaration, “I’m so dope, sometimes I’m afraid of myself.” Rarely does such an outwardly braggadocio statement get affirmed by those who receive it, but in this case, she was the exception by single-handedly stealing the show.
Jah C and the Antidote are something of a hip-hop anomaly. Jah C’s poetically delicate flow over grueling guitar riffs, and callous vocals make for an interesting rendition of a live hip-hop/rock synthesis, by expanding the parameters of rap music.
Rebel Starr, two Aquarian “twins” (one boy and one girl), and a DJ (Raydar Ellis) who doubles as an emcee, and a college professor, the anime obscure, outer-galaxy trio who look like a “Black is Beautiful” campaign poster, or some fraction of a Black Power group (meets early millennium earth bling) has a rare variety of hip-hop that is ultra-energetic, lyrically rapid and visually intense.
Likwuid and Baxter exchanged lyrical ammunition, accosted the crowd for participation, while showcasing a certain poetic stamina that is difficult for most cats to imitate even on speed or the best breath control. Likwuid dove into the crowd and took a dude out, jumping swiftly back on stage to finish off her verses. The result was a bewildered and somewhat impressed crowd. Rebel Starr is breaking them in for next time.
Talib Kweli, Graph Nobel and Res have branded their new project off of the premise of playing everything that falls under the confines of black music, which is essentially everything that ever passed through popular culture. The idea is admirable and in essence fantastic, but in practice, not only is it lacking in a specific zest, but also in cohesion. Kweli was once known for his lyricism, whereas his then counterpart—Mos Def—was known for his charisma. Yet at this Southpaw show, Kweli spent the majority of his appearance on stage as an overly aggressive cheerleader, or singing hype man, neglecting his true skill set as an emcee.
Res and Graph Nobel both have gorgeous voices that were over-utilized, overpowering each other, making for more of a sound collision than complimenting harmonization. Yet the band was dope. Unquestionably, without the live element—Yuki on keys, Daru Jones on drums, Louis Cato on guitar, and bassist—Idle Warship would not have translated well to the highly devoted audience that came to see Talib Kweli, Res, and Graph Nobel, do what sounded like it had the potential to be the next great thing. The general sentiment collected throughout the night was, “Try again, and make better.”
Words by Boyuan Gao
Photo by Anna Keenan Photography
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