Living Legends were murdering the underground hip-hop scene. Boasting members, Lucky.I.Am, Murs, Aesop, Sunspot Jonz, Eligh, Grouch, Scarub, and Bicasso, as well as a host of loosely affiliated emcees. Grown up on the west coasts Project Blowed/Good Brothers movement, they were the emcee’s emcee. They released album after album, solo, group, side groups, etc. They murdered shows. I remember going to see them in Ft Collins, at the Aggie, I believe. Everyone was with them, even Arata, their Japanese affiliate. This was back before everybody had wireless mics, so what we had was 7 emcees on stage, each equipped with their own microphone and accompanied mic cord. As the group, moved through song after song (they performed for damn near 2 hours, unheard of for a rap group these days), those mic cords were obviously entangled. During vocal breaks, each member would try frantically, usually in vain, to free up some slack. About halfway through the show they sort of just gave up. The result was as the show grew closer and closer to it’s end, everyone was rapping closer and closer together as the ball of microphone entrails grew. As the show winded down, everyone was just about face to face going through their verse on the last song. One by one as they finished, they dropped their microphone in relief and celebration. As eventful as that night was, the lasting memory will definitely be the the look on the soundman’s face as he walked on stage while the lights came on…….#Fatality
Side-bar = Grouch stage diving, very unannounced and landed on me, bending the bill on my brand new Royals fitted all up. This started a lifelong detest for Grouch, which continues to this day….I literally bought that damn hat 3 hours before the show……Pay attention at shows kids…..
This track, “Reflections” featuring the Freestyle Fellowship’s Aceyalone, is one of my all-time favorite Living Legend tracks……