Emcee of the Month: Murs

A Bit of Context:

I like this cat's live feel quite a bit.

With the immeasurable availability of free downloadable music, hip hop artists must spend more time and effort developing who they are as live performers. It's simply the only way can still make a living as musicians. Even the most lucrative artists aren't selling much more than three or four million records per release.

Therefore, artists like Murs who are more than competent live performers stand more of a chance at success.

Lemme go check Murs' tour dates. I wonder if he's going to be in Philly any time soon...

peace.

Emcee of the Month: Murs

Here's a really good clip of Murs performing at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas back in 2008.

Considering I just got home from two days of twelve-hour rehearsals, I'm going to hold of making any observations about this until tomorrow. However, I will say that judging from this video, I'm willing to bet Murs is quite the performer.

Enjoy!

peace.

Emcee of the Month: Elzhi

Here is a clip of Elzhi performing a quick verse at The Conga Room in Los Angeles during a Slum Village show in 2009.

For me, this is Elzhi's greatest asset as an emcee. His ability to write incredibly intricate verses, with loads of alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, and simile, makes him one of the most talented lyricists in this generation of hip hop artists. With the current climate of rap music I feel that although there is never a shortage of cleverness and wit, lyricism is at a premium. It's always refreshing to witness an emcee that is willing to take time working with the poetic limitations of rap.

Elzhi goes hard.

peace.

Emcee of the Month: Eternia

Here's a video of Eternia performing at the URBFresh Urban Music Showcase in Toronto back in March.



Ya girl is nice wit' it. I'm really diggin' her energy.

When I watch this video, I'm reminded of an MC Lyte/early Naughty By Nature/Blunted on Reality Fugees-era body language that was very prevalent in east coast hip hop during the early and mid-1990s. (Check out Naughty's "Feel Me Flow", MC Lyte's "I Go On", and The Fugees' "Nappy Heads".) There was most certainly a cultural emcee body during that time which was defined by lots of large hand and arm gesticulation and tons of body rockin'. Eternia has decided, whether she knows it or not, to carry this sense of rapper body into her stage performances. In many ways, I find it refreshing. I'm really big into retro hip hop bleeding its way into the current state of things, and it seems Eternia's wasn't kidding when she said she's been heavily influenced by this period of hip hop history.

I just wish she could find one place on stage to be!

Don't worry. I'll get with her and we'll work on it.



peace.


P.S. I apologize for my absence recently. In the near future I will take time to tell the full story of recent events that have occupied my time.

Nevertheless, I'm back.