[DID NOT ATTEND: December 2, 2022] Open Mike Eagle / Serengeti / Video Dave
This was the first show I saw advertised at Silk City. I was intrigued (I’m always intrigued by a new venue).
Open Mike Eagle is probably my favorite rapper at the moment. His lyrics are clever and thoughtful with bite and I really enjoy the music he puts with the lyrics.
I was in a bit of a concert burnout by this time of year though. December is not my favorite time of year to go to shows, so I never got tickets or anything.
This was Open Mike’s first tour in Philly since the pandemic, so I probably should have gone. But I do hope he comes back (in the fall, maybe).
I have not heard of Serengeti and his bio says something like: a rapper from Illinois who has released many albums since the 2000s. His latest song is called “a okey test,” featuring sicker man, and is streaming now.
But this article from The Guardian makes him sound amazing: [some highlights here but the whole article is fascinating]
Chicago MC Serengeti has been active since the early aughts and is known among cerebral rap nerds for his seemingly flippant insight, hilarious characters and sloppy perfectionism. He has slowly built a career for himself, without any hit singles, flashy endorsements or marketing budgets to speak of. He has no booking agent or management. “Any show could be my last one,” he says. “If someone emails with an offer, “it’s like, ‘OK sure, yeah!’”
He flies around the world making one low-budget work after another, and then does little to promote them. When his album Conversations With Kenny/Legacy of Lee came out five years ago, I had not a clue. His latest album, Kenny Dennis III, features Workaholics star Anders Holm.
Serengeti made some of the greatest rap albums of the 00s – Noodle-Arm Whimsy, Dennehy, Noticeably Negro, Gasoline Rainbows, Don’t Give Up – on underground labels ranging from New York boom-bap legend MF Grimm’s imprint to The Frozen Food Section, which is run by Christian Scientists.
I believe that Video Dave is Open Mike’s DJ. That sounds like a great bill together, to let Video Dave shine
According to this bio (which I got from Berklee.edu)
Rapper, television producer, beat maker, and writer Video Dave has worked behind the scenes for some of the most impactful entertainment of the last decade. He’s produced for MTV’s Teen Mom, TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé, and Comedy Central’s The New Negroes, along with content for the Discovery Channel, freelance work for Hannibal Buress, and more. All the while, he’s been developing a music career that’s seen him work with Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan and tour with Brother Ali, Open Mike Eagle, Serengeti, and more. He has released music both independently and on Open Mike Eagle’s Auto Reverse Records.
I really should have gone to this one.
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