![]() There’s just something about the A-Plus-produced track that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Hieroglyphics closed their set with Souls of Mischief’s iconic “93 Til Infinity,” which has to be one of the top hip-hop anthems of all time. In that moment, no one witnessing the show would have reasonably disagreed. “This is rap Olympics / Hieroglyphics, the dream team,” Pep Love proclaimed. When Del says “I’m kinda different yo / what I say is thought-provoking,” he could easily be referring to his entire crew. The song’s bouncy, boom-bap beat shows why Domino is highly underrated as a producer, while the verses from Opio, Tajai, Del and Pep Love were a wicked whirlwind of battle-rap braggadocio and pop culture references (including Chow Yun Fat and Voltron). Del the Funky Homosapien on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. It would have been nice had the set afforded more exposition of deep cuts from the collective’s three-decade catalog – “The Powers That Be,” from 2003’s Full Circle, sounded epic. There were noticeable rushes from the audience for particularly nasty lyrical flurries by Tajai and Pep Love, although there really wasn’t a weak flow to be found amongst any of the Hieros. “Oakland Blackouts” set the tone for the rest of the set, as the other Hieros fed off Del and Opio with lots of crowd-amping gestures and hand raises. This may be the only rap song in history to compare emcees to “platypuses,” and the two emcees’ internal rhyme schemes were impeccable throughout. Kicking off with 1998’s “Oakland Blackouts,” the fan favorite’s laid-back album version donned a supercharged carapace live, as Del the Funky Homosapien and Opio traded verses well-qualified to be hip-hop quotables. Up-and coming emcees in the crowd were likely taking notes this was a masterclass in live performance dynamics. Right before Common’s set, Hieroglyphics performed a short but impactful set that seemed to roll back the clock 30 years in terms of their on-stage energy – except their kineticism was tempered by veteran savvy. So it wasn’t difficult for the ladies in the house to get completely into the song’s mellow, feel-good vibe, singing along to the chorus lifted from the late Bobby Caldwell: “There are times, when you need someone / I will be by your side / There is a light that shines / Special for me and you.” Though Common has a reputation as a ladies’ man – Oakland mayor Sheng Thao gushed over him earlier in the day – his approach to the opposite sex has always been respectful. (Eric Arnold/KQED)Ĭommon closed his set, and the show, with “The Light,” a single from the heyday of the neo-soul era that remains one of hip-hop’s sweetest love songs. Del the Funky Homosapien and Ras Ceylon backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. It was a solid selection that peeled back Common’s Hollywood sheen for some authentic grit. Another highlight was “The Corner,” from the album Be, produced by Kanye West (back when he was hip-hop’s rising star on the boards), the album version of which features Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets, the socially-conscious spoken word artists known as the godfathers of rap. It proved to be the perfect set opener, a classic tune made before many in the audience were born, that remains relevant in its message while aligning with the Hip Hop 50 theme. Though his love has been defiled and degraded, Common pledges at the end of the song: “I’ma take her back, hopin’ that the shit stop / ‘Cause who I’m talkin’ about, y’all, is hip-hop.” With poetic flair, Common spins his tale by metaphorically referring to hip-hop as a girl he fell in love with at the age of 10, who “was fresh, yo, when she was underground.”Īt first “original, pure, untampered, a down sister,” she changed – moving to the West Coast and embracing a gangsta lifestyle instead of Afrocentricity, then becoming popular with suburban crowds. Like De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High,” the song stands as a cautionary tale, warning against cultural co-option and commodification while underscoring what’s attractive and endearing about the culture in the first place. ![]() (Eric Arnold/KQED)Ĭommon began his set with his ode to hip-hop culture, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” which first catapulted him to national attention in the mid-’90s. Common talking with Davey D backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. ![]() Colorfully dressed in a short sleeve button-down shirt, Common’s charisma and commanding stage presence were in evidence for all to see. The Chicago emcee, actor, activist and philanthropist delivered a top-notch set that interspersed his own hits with iconic hip-hop songs by other artists, in honor of “Hip Hop 50” – the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a through-line for many acts throughout the day. It’s safe to say people will be talking about Common’s Oakland appearance long afterwards.
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