Yelawolf, Das Racist, Rob Roy and The 87 Stick Up Kids at the Echoplex Feb 2, 2010

Photo by Lee Shaner at Knocksteady.com

First off, if you have never been to the Echoplex (below The Echo) you should hit up a show there for sure. It’s a way better stage set up and layout than The Echo in my opinion. The Echoplex is a really rad smaller venue to catch some up and coming artist before they blow up and start playing at Staples Center.

So the 87 Stick up kids kicked it off with a super dynamic set. I had seen them once before at Crazy Girls in Hollywood and that was when I fell in love with the boys. They are explosive on stage and have an incredibly infectious energy. The bass is always loud & thick and makes me wanna shake my booty. Not to mention the clever lyrics and stylish flow delivered by Squish, Deacon, Nashville and DJ Rockwell. The three strippers on stage were like the cherry on top.

Rob Roy slowed things down a bit with a more soul filled R&B flavor in his slick ass suit. The live drummer gave a special pop and flare to his presence. His voice is like warm honey layered over some sexy beats.

Having heard a lot about Das Racist, this was the first time I was hearing them. They were good, but they seemed a bit tired or drunk or something. Their producer, Diplo, was up on stage reppin and dancin. Their quick-witted lyrics were crackin me up. You could tell Himanshu Kumar Suri, Victor Vazquez and Ashok Kondabolu were having fun.

And finally Yelawolf came on stage with mad photographers crowding the side of the stage to snap a shot of this crazy talented Alabama native. His flow is fast like a Chevy and smooth like whisky, two of Yela’s favorite things. You can feel the “Heart of Dixie” reach out, shake you up and pull you right into Catfish Billy’s world. Everyone was throwin their hands up, singing along and shakin their moneymakers. His distinctive southern drawl is hypnotic and makes your skin tingle. Yelawolf’s raw style and unapologetic lyrics are what set him apart from other rappers and put him somewhere close to Eminem. It's no wonder that he just signed with Shady Aftermath.

If you didn’t catch him in LA you can still cop tickets to the show in Costa Mesa at the Detroit bar Feb. 3 on ticketweb.com (see post below.)

Hip hop and strippers brought to you by The 87 Stick Up Kids

Last night I set out to see Intuition lay it down at Crazy Girls (the strip club) in Hollywood. This was my first experience being a patron of such a fine establishment. Contrary to popular belief, I have never set foot in a strip club until last night. It was pretty mellow and mild as far as the girls were concerned...a lot of fun really. I'm a fan of burlesque, but this was much more obvious than a saucy burlesque show. Aside from my shoes sticking to the floor it really wasn't anything like I had pictured it to be. While the hip hop show was the main draw for me the girls definitely helped with the ambiance. They all looked like they could easily be suicide girls especially my favorite Miss Malice. It was kind of like being in a rap video LOL.

When I arrived at Crazy Girls I walked straight to the back of the club where there was a merch table and asked about the other artists performing that night. I had never heard of The 87 Pick Up Kids before last night and it was their merch table that I wondered over to. They eagerly tried to explain what their style of music was and then I just decided to buy the EP. I often spend $5 bucks on a cup of coffee so why not spend that on some local independent talent. The 87 Pick Up Kids are made up of Deacon, Nashville, Squishy, and DJ Rockwell and their EP is titled Out 4 Fame. I spent some time chattin it up with DJ Rockwell about MC's, influences, and his personal style while watching the girls shake their money makers.



Intuition was first up on the line up and he killed it. The girls were on stage dancing and flirting with him during his set which made it even better. Next up was King Fantastic with some gritty and grimy beats and hard hitting lyrics. They weren't quite as playful with the girls, but gangster as f**k! And last but not least, The 87 Stick Up Kids brought the house down. Their big & bouncy booty shaking beats got the crowd movin and shakin along with all the lovely stripper ladies. Not to mention the diverse rap style of all the MC's that mix together perfectly to make a delicious hip hop smoothie. They were playful, silly, and wildin' out. These boys are clearly overflowing with love for hip hop. When I left the show I instantly popped the EP in the CD player and I had to listen to it on full blast. The influences of the Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, NAS, and De La Soul are strong in the Out 4 Fame EP. Honestly the best $5 dollars I've spent in long time and such a happy accident.




The 87 Stick Up Kids are holdin down a residency at Crazy Girls once a month I believe. If you don't have an aversion to strip clubs and you've got $10 bucks to go to a great local show, you should definitely make it out to see these guys. Check out their website to get a taste and get info on upcoming shows www.the87stickupkids.com.