Just as I’m not too big on the more experimental of electronic music, I had my share of trouble with the Definitive Jux and Quannum style of hip hop of the late 90s & earl;y 2000s.
It would take me nearly a decade to warm up to the DJ Shadow, Cannibal Ox and Latryx sounds. Lyrics Born, by association and quality of his hip hop, suffered the same fate as the aforementioned artists and labels.
Diverse’s One A.M. is an album I was happy to have discovered and have yet to find on vinyl/CD on my music purchasing path. Lyrics Born makes an appearance on Explosive and it is the first time I got to really be introduced to him as an MC.
To my surprise, Lyrics Born recorded I Changed My Mind. The song is what I still consider to be my favorite of his discography. I didn’t expect or imagine the MC would sing or be on the track with a funk group.
Good fortune graced me with a ticket to the Lyrics Born Montreal International Jazz Festival performance at the SAT.
When I arrived at the venue, I was slightly surprised to see what appeared to be a set list prominently on display at the ticket booth. It is rare for me to see a set list for a concert. I almost thought it was an accident or negligence on someone’s part for that proverbial cat to be out of the bag. What struck me about the set list was the number of James Brown song titles listed. All would be revealed to me by the time Lyrics Born took the SAT stage.
Lyrics Born’s recent collaborations with funk bands like The Bamboos along with the set list made everything clear that the crowd was truly in for a funky good time. The passionate renditions of the Godfather of Soul’s discography were a welcome surprise that night.
What was also surprising was that the performance Lyrics Born and musicians gave to the small SAT crowd was tantamount to one he could have given if he performed for a Metropolis-sized audience.
Lyrics Born and company gave Montreal nothing less than 100% on stage and rocked the house that night. It was no surprise they returned for an encore. It is no surprise I am looking forward to another Lyrics Born show regardless of the venue.
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