September 10, 2009 8pm
Circus
1227 N. High Street
(614) 421-2998
$8 in advance / $10 at door
Ages 18+, under 21 pays $2 surcharge at the door
Busdriver
Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with dizzying elocution that would tongue-tie even the fiercest auctioneer, Busdriver is eclectic and eccentric enough to cite vocalese jazz singer Jon Hendricks as a primary influence. Born Regan Farquhar, the Los Angeles MC was introduced to hip-hop culture early — his father wrote the screenplay to one of the earliest films focusing on hip-hop, Krush Groove. He began rapping at age nine, releasing his first record at age 13 with his group, 4/29, named after the 1992 L.A. riots. By the mid-’90s, Busdriver was a regular at the Project Blowed open mic, where he would meet future collaborators and underground luminaries like Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and Freestyle Fellowship. And shortly after, the vinyl did flow. Busdriver guested on upward of 20 singles, and by 2001 he could no longer be contained by guest spots, releasing his first full-length, Memoirs of the Elephant Man. There were just as many detractors as supporters for his singular style, which was so densely packed it made his chosen name seem a reference for multiple-personality disorder, and the lo-fi production also left more listeners scratching heads than nodding them. His next album, This Machine Kills Fashion Tips (2002), continued in a similar manner before being trumped by better production and more focused rhymes on Temporary Forever the same year. Joined by another West Coast avant-garde MC, Radioinactive, and the breezy, fractured pop of electronic producer Daedelus, Busdriver released yet another odd puzzle piece in 2003, Weather. Fear of a Black Tangent followed on Mush in 2005. After moving to Anti-/Epitaph, the rapper issued RoadKillOvercoat, which featured production from Nobody and Boom Bip. His second Anti- release, Jhelli Beam, appeared in 2009. - ©1992-2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Abstract Rude
As a product of the legendary Goodlife open mic sessions who wished to highlight the nuances of the Los Angeles underground rap scene, Abstract Rude first made a name for himself in 1994 as an executive producer of the Project Blowed compilation. The groundbreaking album also pinpointed Abstract Rude as a skillful emcee, capable of expressing extremely soulful sentiments with his mystical themes and deeply pronounced voice. As a long-time collaborator with Aceyalone and as a founding member of Abstract Tribe Unique, Abstract Rude carved out a niche for himself as hip-hop’s most accessible healer. Most comfortable fronting the atmospheric production provided by Fat Jack on albums such as Mood Pieces and South Central Thynk Tank, Abstract Rude proves that clarity in rap is just as impressive as complexity. His work on the Haiku d’Etat project in 1997, which aimed to merge hip-hop with jazz, only further illustrated his interest in placing his music within a historical context. All in all, Abstract Rude is an artist that both your grandmother and your little brother could appreciate. Having run the gamut of label affiliations, from being completely independent to being signed to Capitol’s Grand Royal to being independent again by way of Ocean Floor, Abstract Rude seems to have found an appropriate home for himself at Battle Axe; his 2001 album, titled P.A.I.N.T., is further proof that Abstract Rude is a true lyrical heavyweight. - ©1992-2009 All Media Guide, LLC