March 22nd, 2009
SXSW: Saturday, A Study In Hip-hop
Years ago when I was working at a chef at a restaurant that would later burn to the ground during Hurricane Ike we would sometimes get in a shipment of something so special we’d use it in several ways, exploring what the different cooking methods and ingredients could do to its flavor. Specifically I remember a cut of very expensive toro tuna we got in that we prepared six different ways for six different dishes. Diners could chose the very pretentious sounding “Study in Tuna” if they were so inclined.
That tuna served as an inspiration of sorts for my SXSW Saturday schedule. I went to loads of hip-hop events, and studied it in its many forms. There was the “hipster rap” of Chicago’s Cool Kids and Kidz in the Hall early in the day at a show sponsored by Red Stripe. Later in the night I went to Austin Music Hall to watch the Kings of Southern gangsta rap, Bun B and Rick Ross. Ross was supposed to go on at 12:20am, but didn’t. I waited around for half an hour before heading to the third plate of hip-hop in its many forms, Philadelphia’s politically minded Mr. Lif, who is still pissed off as ever about the current state of American life. (”People say to me all the time now, ‘Lif, why’d you make your new album so raw? Obama’s president. Why? Because shit is still fucked up! People are still losing their homes, their jobs, their health insurance!”)
Images and video from the day follow.
Cool Kids
Bun B
Mr. Lif
Bun B, “Big Pimpin’” from Make Major Moves on Vimeo.
Mr. Lif from Make Major Moves on Vimeo.
