SOUNDTRACK: THE PERCEPTIONISTS-Tiny Desk Concert #661 (October 20, 2017).
The Perceptionists are Mr. Lif [Jeffery Haynes] and Akrobatik [Jared Bridgeman] two emcees whose names rock bells among true hip-hop heads. The duo of Boston natives first teamed up as The Perceptionists in the early aughts to release Black Dialogue on El-P’s Def Jux label in 2005. Their side project went into indefinite hiatus soon afterward, but now LLif and Akrobatik are reunited on their new LP, Resolution.
In a world that often appears to be spiraling out of control, their Tiny Desk set provides a much-needed breather.
With sharp, heartfelt lyricism, The Perceptionists critique the current political climate on “Out Of Control.” There’s some great lyrics in this song. I especially like
Man, I’m right there with them
Keeping it funky
If I’m African American, tell me which country
Our differences shouldn’t make you wanna hunt me
When in reality every fruit came from one tree
The song has a groovy funky bass from the really animated (H)Ashish Vyas.
On “Lemme Find Out” they rhyme about the symbiotic human relationship with technology. They say our lives are just so dominated by technology… Mr Lif wonders “if I am living in the real reality or just a predetermined reality that I’ve been programmed with.” Akrobatik says, “50 years from know humans are going to have craned necks from [cell phones].” The track opens with a cool echoing somewhat sinister guitar riff from Van Gordon Martin [“Not known for shit startin’ but his name is Van Martin”]
Once again, I love Akrobatik’s rhymes:
Microchip implanted in my hip
Got me feeling like an alien that landed in a ship
Probed my frontal lobe now I’m standing here equipped
With abilities to flip
But I can’t get a grip on regular shit
I’m about to dodge my competitor’s wit
Hit them with something that they’ll never forget
Deprogram, roll up a hell of a spliff
And smoke Master Kush at the edge of a cliff
I really like the little growls that Mr Lif does at the end of the verses.
The next song is “A Different Light.” This chorus is great:
Want to crucify me for toughest era in my life?
That’s all right…
Thought the world of you but now I see you in a different light
That’s all right…
The duo’s
conscious ethos is perfectly encapsulated by Ak’s lyrical run. He raps: “But I’m above all of the melodrama / When they go low / We go high / Michelle Obama.”
Mr. Lif says, “Everyone enters a relationship with different levels of expectations.” Sometimes we are looking too closely at our expectations and not looking at the other person and being present with the situations right in front of us. The song is mellow with some gentle synths from “Chop” Lean Thomas. The end of the song has a retro flute sound. There’s also a mellow guitar line that runs through the song.
The song tells the story of Ak’s near-death experience with a pernicious aortic dissection, as well as the betrayal of a close friend during his convalescence.
About that incident, Acrobatik raps:
I don’t need to call your name out – I ain’t trying to embarrass ya
This is not about revenge, it’s more about your character
Or lack thereof, step back there brov
How can you call someone a friend and then attack their love?
The final song is “Early Morning.” It’s got some great funky bass and some great funky drums from “Tommy B” Benedetti. They say they hope this resonates with us all.
As the song ends, there’s some great riffs on the guitar and then Ak says, “we can’t make a crazy exit… don’t wanna knock shit over.”
[READ: February 13, 2017] Hip Hop Family Tree 3
Book three continues the rise of Hip-Hop and bands who really start selling big.
Interestingly, it starts with Rick Rubin setting the tone for hip hop: “Sorry but girls don’t sound good rapping” (said to Kate Schellenbach of Beastie Boys. And then getting the Boys all dressed in matching tracksuits (Puma). Kate gets two rather unflattering drawings of her as the Boys tell her that the three boys will be the first white rap group (with Rubin as DJ).
Two art critics also get involved with tagging and graffiti at this time. Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant take photos of the art but find time and again that “legitimate” businesses want nothing to do with this illegal work. This also accompanies the rise of break dancing–there’s a funny page in which people think that a group of kids break dancing is actually fighting with each other.
But this book really tracks the rise of Run D.M.C., with the promise by DJ Run that he wouldn’t leave Jay behind. He was good to his word. (more…)
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A little over two years ago I saw Fishbone open for Parliament. I had been a big fan of their earlier stuff but hadn’t paid much attention since the mid 90s. They have gone through an astonishing amount of line up changes.
I Just Read About That... 