Review by: Allie Samborn
Underground hip-hop is alive and well if the Hip-Hop Corner Live Series event (presented by Skunk Werks and SlowDJs.com) at the Waldorf Hotel was any indication. With a lineup of some of the biggest and best acts in the underground community, hosted by Mishap and Vinnie the Squid, it was a bomb night from start to finish. Kicking off with Alex Cruz and Spitz n’ Giggles, KIDS was next with their insane energy and Beastie Boys reminiscent beats. Lighting up the stage with a myriad of voices and tones, KIDS helped set the stage for the night.
Moka Only came out with an instant tribute to hip-hop’s latest loss, Phife Dawg. Laying down familiar tracks like “Search” and “Sleeping Dogs” all through his set, Moka Only spun through tons of tracks pulled from his vast discography. Showcasing some of his signature style and humor, he brushed off a bit of technical difficulty commenting that the tracks must have “stopped, collaborated and listened” when they didn’t play in the proper order. Finishing off his raucous set with a duo with Prevail and a reminder of his goal to record an album every month of 2016, Moka handed the stage over to Mugg Shot.
Last up of the night was one of the newer but stellar hip-hop groups of late Alpha Omega, comprised of Swollen Members’ Prevail and Neph of Baxwar. After laying down the bars to “Toxic Avengers” and “Ghost Town”, Prevail brought to light what such a night should entail: a deep appreciation of underground hip-hop music. Between a horrific first tattoo story of Prev’s and one of the last beats “Pendulum”, Alpha Omega brought a new, fresh energy to the hip-hop scene complete with Prevail’s speed rapping and intense lyrical miming. After Volume 1 of these Live Series, hip-hop fans can only hope these nights continue to bring the beats, feels and underground hip-hop exposure it did to Van’s bustling scene and talented artists.
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