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Scarface
Venue: Key Club, West Hollywood, Los Angeles
Date: 18th November 2011
By Andrew Kay | 22 November 2011
Scarface has never played in the U.K, so tonight was going to be somewhat of a rare event, even in Los Angeles, where he hadn't performed in a long while.
Supporting Scarface was Packafella, a large crew of MCs from the Valley district of L.A, who came organised with a full band, including trumpeters. Tracks like 'We Smoke Kush Everyday' over funky arrangements got the crowd energised. The 17-year-old female MC Lady Godiva, a dead ringer for Foxy Brown, spat her bars with skill, and supporting the other MCs as and when.
After Packafella's set was done, host for the night, Brandy Garcia, from 93.9, hyped up the crowd with the DJ playing an inspired set of N.W.A, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane and Das Efx, culminating in a Heavy D tribute mix, including mixing 'Candy Rain' and 'You Ain't Heard Nuthin' Yet'.
2pac's song 'Straight Balling' ended the set, until half way through a figure emerged sporting a blue polo shirt and L.A Dogers baseball cap... Scarface had entered he stage miming most of the last verse of the 2pac song, as if he owned, produced and wrote it himself.
The crowd roared with approval as he burst into 'Mr. Scarface is Back', using that distinct and under-rated sample 'Sexy Coffee Pot'. He then ran through 'Jesse James' and ' Money and the Power' settling on the pop rap classic 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me'. Scarface stopped rapping the song twice to correct those who were getting the first person narrative of the song, wrong. "if Willie D did such and such then X did this" or words to that effect!
The not-so-tender love song 'F--K Faces' got the guest star treatment as Too Short ambled through the hangers-on at the back of the stage to rhyme his verse, with more cheering from the audience. 'Gangster of Love', another dedication of back-of-the-alley romps which bastardised the Steve Miller sample, got everyone reciting the lyrics.
The acappella of 'Neva', his ode to the Code of the Streets and rules to live by in the ghetto, was played out in full, with Scarface stopping at times for dramatic effect.
A medley of instrumentals from the back catalogue gave Scarface a few minutes to catch his breath before 'Guess Who's Back' and 'Back on My Block' rounded the evening out - well, more or less.
Scarface had a comfy sit down whilst Rass Kass came on stage to shout out "the original Freeway, Rick Ross" who was holding court in the VIP area; baiting and banter were exchanged before Scarface got up and introduced MC Kevy Kev, who rhymed to no one in particular. Scarface then bid farewell. Some in the front of the stage handed him magazines for him to sign, but when the lights went up and the back exit opened into the cool night air, you realised there would be no encore.
A 35 minute set had no one complaining; it was as if Scarface was doing the audience a favour. It was the starkest difference between a London hip-hop show and an L.A one.
Still, it was a rare treat to watch an Orginal Gangster, giving us a reminder of his talent, whilst literally resting on his laurels.
After Packafella's set was done, host for the night, Brandy Garcia, from 93.9, hyped up the crowd with the DJ playing an inspired set of N.W.A, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane and Das Efx, culminating in a Heavy D tribute mix, including mixing 'Candy Rain' and 'You Ain't Heard Nuthin' Yet'.
2pac's song 'Straight Balling' ended the set, until half way through a figure emerged sporting a blue polo shirt and L.A Dogers baseball cap... Scarface had entered he stage miming most of the last verse of the 2pac song, as if he owned, produced and wrote it himself.
The crowd roared with approval as he burst into 'Mr. Scarface is Back', using that distinct and under-rated sample 'Sexy Coffee Pot'. He then ran through 'Jesse James' and ' Money and the Power' settling on the pop rap classic 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me'. Scarface stopped rapping the song twice to correct those who were getting the first person narrative of the song, wrong. "if Willie D did such and such then X did this" or words to that effect!
The not-so-tender love song 'F--K Faces' got the guest star treatment as Too Short ambled through the hangers-on at the back of the stage to rhyme his verse, with more cheering from the audience. 'Gangster of Love', another dedication of back-of-the-alley romps which bastardised the Steve Miller sample, got everyone reciting the lyrics.
The acappella of 'Neva', his ode to the Code of the Streets and rules to live by in the ghetto, was played out in full, with Scarface stopping at times for dramatic effect.
A medley of instrumentals from the back catalogue gave Scarface a few minutes to catch his breath before 'Guess Who's Back' and 'Back on My Block' rounded the evening out - well, more or less.
Scarface had a comfy sit down whilst Rass Kass came on stage to shout out "the original Freeway, Rick Ross" who was holding court in the VIP area; baiting and banter were exchanged before Scarface got up and introduced MC Kevy Kev, who rhymed to no one in particular. Scarface then bid farewell. Some in the front of the stage handed him magazines for him to sign, but when the lights went up and the back exit opened into the cool night air, you realised there would be no encore.
A 35 minute set had no one complaining; it was as if Scarface was doing the audience a favour. It was the starkest difference between a London hip-hop show and an L.A one.
Still, it was a rare treat to watch an Orginal Gangster, giving us a reminder of his talent, whilst literally resting on his laurels.
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