09 November 2009 (gig)
14 November 2009
Word had spread around the internet that legendary Oakland hip hop crew, Souls of Mischief, were in town to play a special free in store date in Covent Garden's Carhartt Store.
It's been nearly 10 years since the group released their 'Trilogy : Conflict, Climax & Resolution' album, and with the regular urban media output being more Kanye than KRS-1, it was a doubt whether there would be a real appetite among the London rap fans to support the event, free or otherwise.
What followed was telling in terms of support for this group, and for the 'traditional' sound of hip hop.
With doors opening at 7pm, the expectation was that a leisurely stroll on a cold evening along Earlham Street would eventually be met with a small and enthusiastic group of 'thirty something' fans huddled against the store's large glass exterior. Truth is, the queue for this stretched all the way out the street and spilled onto Shaftesbury Avenue, with the age groups appearing to span a couple of generations.
Word was already going around various social networks that this was one-in-one-out, and with the sound of some slammin hip hop beats already coming from the venue courtesy of DJ Mr Thing, this was ON.
When a way in was eventually found for yours truly, the show was being hosted brilliantly by Mystro who kept building the packed crowd's enthusiasm, though the anticipation for the main event was tangible. Support had been provided by local favourites Skandal and Charlie Sloth, and DJ Mr Thing kept feedin them the bangers as the energy levels rose and were reciprocated.
A little after 9, a back door beside the stage opened and in stepped Tajai, Opio and Phesto, with Deeprooted's Mr Brady in attendance, though not in this case deputizing for the absent A-Plus. As they took the few steps across the stage to prepare in the area set aside, the cheer from the crowd was deafening....this was it, perhaps for some they were about to witness something they never thought they would. Souls of Mischief were in the building.
After only a few minutes, DJ Mr Thing stopped the music, Mystro picked up the mic, and Souls of Mischief were announced on stage to be greeted by a crescendo of noise from the packed house.
A short introduction and they launched into Won off the new album Montezuma's Revenge. Instantly, it looked more like a packed press conference as film cameras went live, flashes from digital and mobile cameras went off simultaneously, and we had the site of hundreds of heads nodding in unison. Following on from this, the Souls gave em some of what they came for with the older classic Fantasy Island, displaying the kind of wordplay and mic sharing that has almost become a forgotten art form.
New single Proper Aim was next, a vinyl crackle sampled deep bass loop kickin off a tight beat, and with the group's dj for the night Mr Thing adding some sharp cuttin to the flava, Tajai, Opio and Phes just jumped all over it rippin it to pieces. Another one from back in the day, That's When Ya Lost was next in line, making sure that there was no time to mull over the newness before hittin em hard with some time tested winning formulas.
Another new track from the album, Tour Stories, looked to have finished the night on a high, but the crowd knew what they wanted and so did Souls of Mischief. After some crowd interaction, Thing started up the joint that defined this group, one which still sounds fresh after 16 years, and as one, Carhartt rocked to 93 Til Infinity.
Taking their bows, they offered their blessings and exited in a reciprocal "PEACE". A short set typical of an in store, but a lot more than a typical in store.
Carhartt threw open their doors and Earlham Street filled to capacity once again, though not before the guys made the effort to spend time with those looking for autographs or pictures, and were at ease doing so.
On this evidence, support for traditional hip hop is alive and well in London town, and Souls of Mischief look like snaring a new generation with their new album which drops on 8th February 2010.
Picture by Charlie Watley
