From: nattygogo@my-deja.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.hip-hop
Subject: KOOL KEITH and PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS Live!
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 21:11:09 GMT
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Okay - I played hooky today due to a good party last night, so I'll
break it down for you.

My friends were mad late. I went with my friend Jessica who is like 40
and just discovering hip hop (through me and a couple other friends she
has that are fanatic about it) and her friend who just wanted to tag
along. They showed up mad late, and I was actually worried I'd miss
PUTS.

Anyway, we get to Wilshire, check the line (it's long) and go to Ralphs,
cuz Jessica needs to get some money. The cashier was a total dick,
looking at us like we were Drugstore Cowboys trying to pull a scam. She
couldn't take out cash on her credit card, and her ATM card wouldn't
swipe. They hid the ATM machine all the way in back, and the ass of a
cashier didn't even suggest we try it. Luckily Jess's friend Adam found
it, and we took out her money and left.

By the time we get to the line, it's mad short. I guess they hadn't let
people in when we saw it the first time (it said doors open at 9, and it
was 9:45.) Due to this, I had to slam the big cider I bought for the
line really quickly. We get frisked - and the stupid security guard
confiscated my ultra thinline sharpie I keep in case I get digits (like
I was really gonna get a landmark with a .5 tipped Sharpie!) The
security were thuggish all around.. treating it like it was a rave when
there were actually less then 300 people there at the time. The crowd
was very indie rock looking - obviously KCRW heads. I immediately
peeped a handful of skinheads with a cautious eye.

Time to buy a drin and wait for the show. Not bad drink prices for a
show. 6 dollars bought me a Tangurey/Grapefruit. I tipped the
bartender three bucks straight off, which insure me full glasses of
Tanguerey with a splash of grapefruit the whole night. My friend Jess
has Hep-C, and gets mad tired, so she found a seat and we kept her
company until the show came on.

PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS:

Thes One and the new guy (I don't know his name) come out and hype the
crowd. Tony: they didn't ask if anyone loved hip hop! The not too hip
hop crowd didn't really know how to react to "Y'all make some noise!!"
but they tried. Then Double K comes out and busts his first verse while
scratching the beat at the same time. Mad dope. Double K is simply
fantastic live. Thes and the other dude yell into the mic, which I hate
- but Double K uses his big ass belly to resonate and come off like the
Pavarotti of hip hop. They did tracks off both lps, didn't do "Code
Check" (which upset and surprised me, being that we were in the 323 at
the time.) Best song they did was WARM SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTS. Just
fucking incredible! The DJ that fills in for Double K so he can rock
mic was mad talented - though he had a touch of West Coast
Crabaholicism. But I found it impossible not to dance to these dudes.
They are just amazing on record and live. I think a lot of the indie
heads weren't to impressed, and PUTS kept on saying "I know you're all
waiting for Kool Keith!" which they shouldn't have done. But, as I
suspected, they were by far the best thing of the night.

Then comes the 45 minute wait. More stiff drinks, bums a cigarette, and
take a couple hits off neighbors bowls ("Feeling like Del cuz I would
sleep on their couches") The smoke machines start. Keith is in the
back introducing the "team" :

"And now, returning for his fourth year - Kut... Master... Kurt!!!"

Who comes out in his Mexican Wrestling mask (which looks mad
uncomfortable.) Everyone dons sports jerseys and Keith wears his
Dracula cape over K. Greene jerz. Mike Love was there and some other
dude I didn't get the name of. They start with an ULTRA medly -
consisting of Keith's verses. "Funky," "Ego Trippin" and "Break North."
You can hear that most of the crowd (which is now 500+) know all the
lyrics. As I said previously, this was the best part of Keith's show.
His Ultra shit is by far his best shit. No doubt. Then they do "San
Francisco Harvey" - which they pull off well. Black Silk comes on and
they freestyle a bit. Silk can freestyle, and Keith is, well, alight I
guess. Then they do some Octagon (note the chronological sequence) -
best track they do is "Girl Let Me Touch You." It was funny watching
Kurt PRETEND to do Q-Bert's scratches. In the middle of "Blue Flowers"
the beat stops. The skinheads I mentioned have started a mosh pit - and
their throwing punches for real. It gets broken up, and for some stupid
reason one of Keith's boys stage dives into the crowd - starting it up
again. So, for like 20 minutes the show stops and Keith tells people
their dumb and they take out the skinheads. He starts up with the
Automator remix of "Blue Flowers," then does "Sex Style." Afterwards is
some more freestyles, "Livin Astro" (why!!?!?!) and they leave the
stage. They come back... Keith explains MATTHEW to the audience:

"Matthew is my REAL name. I'm MATTHEW. I decided to use my real name
because every time I do something, every other motherfucker does it. I
see it on B.E.T. the next day!"

We've heard this before - but I think Keith actually believes it! By
the way - he was in a baggy jersey, but it looks like he put on some
weight. The beat for "Apartment 223" and he freestyles over it. He
starts to hype the crowd for the Analog brothers - and I'm assuming that
Ice T is gonna come out. Instead, the lights come up and the security
rushes us out.

Keith was alright. I mean, you definately get amped seeing him, cuz you
actually feel like you are in the prescence of a legend. Still, he's
sloppy as hell and his show wasn't very creative. It didn't even seem
like it was rehearsed. You always heard him saying "Yo Kurt - put on
BLUE FLOWERS!" and Kurt would have to search for the record (which is
probably mad hard to do in his mask!) Kurt didn't do much but play
records.. which leads me to my biggest complaint. I'd say 60% of the
time, Keith was rhyming over his own records. Not the instrumentals -
the actual tracks. This is mad wack, and sounds like somebody singing
over a song in their car. I mean, I have seen instrumentals for almost
every Kool Keith track. He rhymed over the vocal mixes of GIRL LET ME
TOUCH YOU and SEX STYLE. I HAVE THESE INSTRUMENTALS. If Kurt would
have called, I would have brought them! It strikes me as more of the
"I'm Kool Keith - I don't give a fuck" attitude. Kurt wasn't
scratching, so they could have thrown the instrumentals on ADAT and just
played them through the board. Kurt could have played hype man... or
wrestled people in his silly mask. Also, this is Keith - don't you
expect he'd try to do some weird shit on stage? I mean, I knew
beforehand that he just rhymes - but he should work on that. At best -
it does seem like a Funkadelic vibe, with people just walking on stage
and busting some shit and walking off - but it needs a Mothership,
goddamnit! I mean, drop some big fuzzy spider from the roof or
sometihng. I've seen Digital Underground, and they put on a SHOW (In my
opinion - Keith has bitten Shock G a lot with the persona schtick - and
at least Shock G gives props to P-Funk!) I'm not upset I went, I had a
good time. My part of the crowd was vibing and chill (and passing mad
blunts around.) still, you expect more from someone who claims to be the
illest emcee.

Funniest thing of the night:

One of Keith's boys had a huge oversized backpack - STUFFED with shit.
He rocked that 40lb backpack all night!

Second funnist thing of the night: Watching some herb in front of me
give the ticket lady 80,000 names trying to get in on the list. You're
not on the list - pay the fucking 20 bucks and get on with your life!!!!

peas,
d