Lyrics Born - New York Mercury Lounge - 15/12/03
4/5
By: Joshua K
When rockfeedback got the call, we knew there was no other place to be: a surprise throw-down by Quannum Projects label-boss Lyrics Born. (Also on the evening's bill: Quannum's own Lifesavas and Philadelphia's Spooks; both worth your rap-coin.)
Backed only by turntablist DJ Bishop and singer Joyo Velarde, LB dropped a tight set of funk beats and deft wordplay on a buzzing room, and quickly proved why he's the West Coast rapper of the moment. He had the crowd eating out of his hand from start - the powerful 'Later That Day...'; LP-opener 'Bad Dreams' - to finish - a sharp, call-and-response version of 'Do That There', reaching a crescendo midway through with perhaps his best track, 'Callin' Out.'
And for the uninitiated, 'Callin' Out' is three minutes of sonic '70s perfection that had performer and crowd bouncing and waving hands in the air, shouting 'Hell yeah!' Something your correspondent never thought he'd ever see in too-cool-for-school, post-millennial Manhattan.
In between came the rapid-fire staccato rhyme of 'One Session', some Latyrx for the long-time fans, and playful calls for 'New York City to make some f**king noise.' And did we ever, sending NYC back to Cali for some hip-hop sunshine on a cold winter Monday.
Respect.
Artists in this article: Lyrics Born
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