DJ Qbert and MC Supernatural at The Espy, Melbourne 02/11/09

*This piece is written for the “Concerts” category of an Australian music blog – TheMusicBlog.com.au. TheMusicBlog is a collaborative project that can be joined by anyone with an interest in the Australian music scene.

Image: Resident Advisor

The undisputed kings of elemental hip-hop, DJ Qbert and MC Supernatural, were in full flow at The Esplanade Hotel last Monday night. Qbert, the world’s #1 turntabalist and two time US freestyle champion Supernatural ripped out a battle set never before seen in Australia as part of the Low-Fi Tour (also featuring Nas and Jurassic 5 front man, Chali 2na).

Qbert pioneered many of the popular scratching techniques used today and has appeared in countless tutorials for aspiring DJs. After three consecutive wins at the DMC world championships (1992–95) in team battles with Mix Master Mike, the organisers asked Qbert not to compete again in the hope of giving other DJs a chance at the title. Supernatural is equally legendary in the realm of freestyle emcee battles. He’s even in the Guinness World Records for the longest freestyle – over ten hours.

DJ M-Phazes kicked off the night with a few well-chosen hip-hop favourites, while Akil (J-5) followed with a set of gangsta beats from his upcoming album Sound Check and snippets of J-5 classics like “Freedom” and “I Am Somebody”. The absence of the main support acts The Funkoars, DJ Dexter (The Avalanches) and DJ Perplex was slightly puzzling, but not surprising – hip-hop artists are notoriously shocking at turning up for gigs.

Qbert needed no introduction as he appeared to ear-splitting whistles. He was characteristically calm as he politely asked the crowd if it would be “ok” for him to show off some scratching. The atmosphere was intense, with mad cheering interspersed with periods of utter silence as everyone fixated on Qbert’s fingers.

Supernatural joined Qbert for a few mildly disappointing R n B tunes sung slightly off-pitch. Singing obviously isn’t Supernatural’s forte, so when he opened his mouth to freestyle something wild poured out. People up-front handed him things from their pockets: lighters, bottles, wallets, phones, watches. Whatever they gave him, Supernatural spat a clever line or two before moving rapidly onto the next item. He kept this up for a good half hour, with Qbert grinning in the background. It was an amazing feat to witness live; you can see Supernatural doing a similar rap at the 2008 Magic Convention:



After Supernatural retired, Qbert started off his second suite with 1970s electronic beats, followed by an excellent break beat set. Even though Qbert had the audience rapt, he asked if it would be alright for him to fill in when the next DJ didn’t show up. It was heart-warming to hear the world’s best turntabalist as considerate and shy as if he were playing his first concert.

This great gig was made fantastic by humble performers who obviously loved what they were doing. It was impossible to be an unsatisfied hip-hop fan this night; these two artists are definitely worth seeing again. You can check out Qbert on his MySpace page or listen to some crazy freestyling on Supernatural’s.

The Espy Hotel has been putting on a fantastic show for Melbourne hip-hop enthusiasts – this year they’ve hosted big acts like the Gza and Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang), Chali 2na, Akil and Labjacd. They’re even planning an ambitious Method Man and Redman concert in January 2010.

Tags: 2009, live, live music, hip-hop, review

SPANK ROCK & BENNY BLANCO are Bangers & Cash

WARNING: Explicit Material Following!!!
(Written as an album review for Rave Magazine Online)

(Downtown)
Hitting it fast and filthy

When an album opens with gongs and someone shouting “Welcome to the Fuck Shop”, followed by a dirty bass drop, you’d think you were in for a booty smacking, hoe tapping 2 Live Crew treat. But this is the start of Bangers & Cash, Spank Rock and producer Benny Blanco’s enthusiastic tribute to Miami ghetto bass and the spirit of old school nasty. Bangers & Cash is an E.P. that should be played full volume in the club, obnoxiously on your car stereo, or in the privacy of your bedroom if you’re too embarrassed for other people to hear Spank Rock spout you got “sweat drip from your cooch to your doodie hole”.

Bangers & Cash visits the sexually graphic genre pioneered by Miami’s 2 Live Crew, whose 1989 As Nasty As They Wanna Be
was banned straight off for being too explicit for U.S. citizens. For those too young to remember “Me So Horny”, Bangers & Cash provides enough potty-mouthed ghetto slang and gregarious sexuality to relive the forgotten forms of the early 90s “dirty rap” era.

The album stays true to the old style: the beats are bumping and Spank Rock’s use of “bitch”, “hoe” and “pussy” is certainly entertaining. But the EP lacks the effortless in yo’ face slap, the six-strong group mentality and the cultural significance of the 2 Live Crew’s mission to obscenity. Spank Rock’s geeky image doesn’t really work with Bangers & Cash; the songs call for a bit more muscle, and also a maturity that’s beyond the 21-year-old producer Benny Blanco.

We had a good taste of Spank Rock’s ingenuity and clever raps with YoYoYoYoYo, but Bangers & Cash falls short on originality. Whether this is a result of mimicking the 2 Live Crew or of following the signature formulas too closely, it means there are only two decent songs: the aptly named “B-O-O-T-A-Y” and “Loose”.

“B-O-O-T-A-Y” opens with a warning siren that gets the blood pumping. The driving RPM and Spank Rock’s rapid-fire delivery is reminiscent of YoYoYoYoYo’s “Rick Rubin” and Blanco slams in the bass with a synthesiser. Contrary to the rest of the E.P., Spank Rock spits some clever lyrics and is followed up with xxx rated feats from Black Betty and Santigold. The sexy guest raps from these two hip-hop ladies are a welcome respite from Spank Rock’s dirty mouthing and give “B-O-O-T-A-Y” a polish that’s lacking from other songs.

The bass hits even harder in “Loose”, which incorporates some classic hip-hop samples, an appropriately sassy rap from Amanda Blank and the dirty synthesiser that is Blanco’s love child for the rest of the E.P. In “Loose” Spank Rock lets us know he serves phallic for the most important meal of the day and makes it pretty clear what Bangers & Cash is all about: money, sex, booze, cocaine, the club and hoochie mamas.

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