One of the better side effects of the rise of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All has been that people are starting to reconnect hip-hop and punk a lot more. You might be surprised but, around the same time that folks like Afrika Bambaataa were hosting park jams and looping records on turntables in 1980s New York, the Ramones and like-minded friends were tearing up the legendary CBGB's stage just across the city. You could even argue that both genres were born to some degree as a response to established genres -- disco for hip-hop and hair metal for punk -- that had basically gotten too pretty. Hip-hop and punk brought back raw energy.
This Friday, you can see that rawness in effect when Mellowhype and Trash Talk come to the Epicentre in Mira Mesa for the Trash Wang Tour (grab tickets here). Mellowhype is the Odd Future duo consisting of rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain. Their debut album, BlackenedWhite, is like this weird marriage of Waka Flocka Flame and the Neptunes. There are a lot of synths but they're extremely energetic so you get this music that you wanna croon to while you fight somebody. Their latest album, Numbers, follows in a similar formula but is clearly passed through a fog of herbal haze.
Mellowhype will be supported by Trash Talk, a hardcore punk band from Sacramento who also bring a hyper-aggressive, angry energy to their music. After gaining some prominence with their first two records, they just released their third, 119, courtesy of Odd Future Records.
Another band worth noting: Chula Vista's own hardcore punks Take Offense will be opening the night. I gotta give it up to them because I've seen them play at random house shows in Chula Vista and their fans get really hyped up about them. Like, it's kinda dangerous for anyone standing in the middle of their lyric-screaming, crowd-surfing, elbow-throwing, ground-stomping fans. Thankfully, "kinda dangerous" makes for the best shows. Be sure to come early and mosh to the sun.
Quan Vu Quan Vu is the founder and editor of local music blog sdRAPS.com. He has also written about local and national hip-hop acts for San Diego CityBeat and the San Diego Reader. You can nerd out on rap trivia by becoming BFF's on Facebook or e-mailing him directly.
