Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Blu and Exile, Nocando - LACMA - 9/20/12

By Eddie Cota Fri., Sep. 21 2012 at 11:08 AM

Categories: Hip-Hop, Last Night

Eddie Cota

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Blu and Exile, Nocando
LAMCA
9/20/12

Better than... wine and cheese at a museum

We remember the first time LACMA held a Through the Mic hip-hop concert. They did not know what to expect from this new audience they were bringing to the museum. Just as the show got underway all the liquor at the bar was gone while the wine stayed fully stocked. Several shows in now, they made sure there was plenty of vodka and whiskey to keep the hip-hop heads happy.

It may have been a night the DJs outshined the rappers. The crowd seemed most hyped when the series' co-curator and Los Angeles rap staple Murs stepped on stage wearing a Burbank Little League hoody and a kid's backpack to introduce Madlib for his DJ set.

We basically spent the entire time watching Madlib through the phones of fans in the front rows, as they recorded his whole set. That's probably the most annoying thing in today's concert scene. Put your phone down and watch the damn show. We never know what to expect from a Madlib set since the Beat Konducta's catalogue is so massive, especially when his set time is just 30 minutes. Classic hip-hop joints, obscure beats and foreign samples left some in the crowd confused, but most thrilled. It's great to see new generations of hip hop appreciate the artists and producers that have been holding it down for so long.

Freddie Gibbs came on to headline the night with Madlib as his DJ. Not sure where you rank Freddie Gibbs on the level of grimy rappers, but saying "Fuck the police" after every song in a museum in the Miracle Mile district made the rapper seem that much harder. Or how about asking, "Who's going home to get some pussy?" -- the question he asked before and after his song "Shame," which is about having a one-night stand -- catching some couples off-guard and causing guys to hesitate before looking their girl's way. The rapper originally from Gary, Indiana, and Madlib collaborated on a couple EPs released on Stonesthrow Records, with a full album anticipated later this year.