By Aphrodite Manousos
Daily Bruin Contributor
Anti-pop Consortium, Sonic Sum and Mike Ladd all came out
Tuesday night to the El Rey for a celebration of indie hip hop and
in protest of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s conviction and placement on
death row.
Even well-known political activist and musical revolutionary
Zack de la Rocha, from Rage Against the Machine, came out to lend
his silent support, watching the musical entertainment and dancing
from a quiet balcony above.
The show itself was put together to showcase this underground
talent, but the musicians on the bill always make sure to have
representation for Mumia at every show ““ as was obvious with
the “Free Mumia” sign hanging in a corner of the room,
from the balcony, and the table with flyers, shirts and buttons in
support of Mumia.
The setting itself looked like a cross between an old Vegas
lounge and a modern day version of the underground ’60s
beatnik clubs. Everything had a red hue, everyone was in the
shadows, and the gaudy crystal chandeliers only added to the
ambiance of interesting outfits and even more interesting
personalities. Dreads were the norm and as far as fashion, anything
went ““ from gypsy inspired to Urban Outfitters chic.
The show started off like a small house party, with a few people
scattered about. The stage was crammed with equipment and
throughout the night a guy stood on a platform and spray painted
his art on a corner of the stage, behind the artists.
When Sonic Sum finally began its set, it had a rock/alternative
appeal with a heavy hip hop beat and lyrics that were delivered
more spoken than sung. The music was enhanced with such colorful
lyrics as, “I clean my city with a toothbrush” and
“exonerate your mixed out stone/ with your astrotease and
your chloroform.”
In another song, “Downtown Maze,” which the singer
said was about “getting his cheese everyday,” he sang,
“I am the phosphorous porcupine/ touch me and you won’t
forget how I feel.” With all the excitement and so-called
lyrical depth, the room started to fill up.
“Eratica,” the next song in Sonic Sum’s set,
was very reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine. The singer felt
it important, at this time, to inform the audience that the price
of eggs in China had plummeted. The group continued with a song
called “Flatlands,” which was “about drying
up,” and ended on a purely punk/speed metal tip, screaming
out lyrics to try and shake things up a bit.
The intermissions between each act featured some spoken word and
rap stylistics by random artists, along with music and heavy beats
by D.J. Nobody and D.J. June. There were several shouts out to
Mumia and to political prisoners all over the world. One artist
even thought it appealing to yell out “mind check!”
every half a second between his rap.
When Bean, Priest and M. Sayyid of Anti-pop finally came out
they made sure to check the mics by announcing, “testes,
testes, the one nut wonder.” That combined with the tweaked
out noises coming from the small electric keyboard that Priest was
manipulating, made for a lasting impression. Of course, the members
of Anti-pop’s show of musical originality did not end there.
They found it fitting to add a little sample of Ricky
Martin’s “Shake Your Bon-Bon.”
The music itself was infused with a heavy bass that vibrated
through the floor and the audience members’ chests, along
with the high-pitched, squeaky and at times eerie sounds coming
from the electric keyboard.
Each member of Anti-pop went on to perform individual a cappella
raps, starting with Bean. He began spouting out words, sometimes
one at a time and sometimes in small phrases, while his other two
compatriots stood off to the side with their heads down, as if
listening to a church sermon. Priest began his rap as a long,
ongoing bombardment of words, spitting forth from his mouth, while
M. Sayyid made his rhymes to the point and with emphasis.
Their set included songs such as the reggae-inspired
“Mirror Men,” full of random, echoing beats and buzzes.
This segued into the infusion of the electric keyboard and
“You Can’t Win,” which was more upbeat and
lively.
The finale came with an announcement about the struggle and a
bus trip this Friday to San Francisco to protest for Mumia, along
with a set by Mike Ladd and his band, with fluorescent lighting
giving a shout out to the days of disco.