Atmosphere / Sage Francis / RA the Rugged Man / Kool Kieth / Mr. Dibbs

FOR FANS OF: Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, Immortal Technique, MF DOOM, El-P, Run the Jewels, Murs, Eyedea & Abilities, Cage, Blueprint, Necro, Vinnie Paz, Jedi Mind Tricks, Del the Funky Homosapien, Blackalicious, Living Legends, Cannibal Ox, CunninLynguists, Hieroglyphics, People Under the Stairs

January 29th at House of Blues, Cleveland, OH - The Winter Carnival Tour

What a dream come true to cover this show. I’ve been a fan of Atmosphere since he released the album Lucy Ford in 2000. I became a lifer when he dropped When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. It’s rare that an independent rap artist releases an album that is 10/10-no skips with such replayability and uniqueness in tones (thanks to his producer and DJ, Ant).

I walked in and the crowd was nice and relaxed, a little older (30s and up), and wearing shirts with niche underground and independent rappers. First up was Mr. Dibbs, a DJ and turntablist from Cincinnati. He played a set that had visuals huge on an LED screen front and center. The visuals must have taken months to find and put together to the mix that he played. It was incredibly impressive. Chaotic visuals from old TV news channels, movies, horror, rappers, music videos, you name it. This dude is a professional and knows his stuff, that’s apparent. He helped launch Scribble Jam, which is a DJ/scratching competition that became one of the largest independent hip-hop festivals.

Next up was Kool Kieth, who created one of the strangest and most influential underground rap albums ever, Dr. Octagonecologyst. He came on stage with his DJ and hype man Denis Deft, who definitely knew how to work a crowd with his energy and crazy outfits. Someone in the crowd held up an album. Ultramagnetic MC’s’ Critical Beatdown, from 1988. This album was snagged and brought on stage to hold up by Denis and being unfamiliar with the album, I found out later that it was incredibly influential in the hip-hop scene. The album’s production led rappers and producers to up their game when it came to samples and chopping them up instead of simply looping breakbeats. It also was Kool Kieth before he jumped into his other personas like Dr. Octagon and Black Elvis. Classic sound but still as fun to listen to as the day it came out.

R.A. the Rugged Man was NOT what I was expecting at this show. I mean, the vibe yes but I wasn’t expecting the lyricism and clean speedy flows live that he produces on the albums. I was blown away by how fun and talented this dude’s set was. He came out in a cape and top hat, looking like a 50’s villain, but promptly started throwing Oreo’s that he had on the rider. He explained “they never all get eaten, you guys should have some. WHO WANTS A COOKIE!?” People in the crowd went nuts, it got a laugh, and some people earned an oreo. His stories were deep, his flow was fast, his rhyme schemes were complex and the dude proved breath control. He played Uncommon Valor, which is cited as potentially one of the greatest guest verses in hip-hop history, telling the story of his father’s experiences in Vietnam and the effects of Agent Orange on him and his family. This Long Island native walked down into the crowd and rapped a few songs while taking ladies’ hands and spinning them around and telling people to dance. This performance was genuinely unforgettable and I would love to see him again. Insane lyrics and delivery. His hype man was Bullet Brak and his DJ was DJ Lala, both of whom were a perfect part of his team and vibe.

Sage Fancis was next. He didn’t have a DJ or a hype man, just his phone that he played instrumentals off of. The stage had just a chair that he would time to time sit in while he rapped his stories and introspections. Coming out of Providence, Rhode Island, the rapper is a master of his lyrical craft and has earned a reputation through battle rapping, slam poetry and political commentary. His album Personal Journals from 2002 is considered by many to be his Magnum Opus. It’s personal, emotional, unique and innovative. His music is like nothing else I’ve heard but reminds me of rappers like Aesop Rock and Brother Ali. His song “Makeshift Patriot” is his famous response to the media climate after 9/11. Not 9/11 itself but how the media responded to it. It led to media sensationalism, patriotism, loss of civil liberties and the outspoken push toward war. Francis is conscious rap to the max. Go listen.

Last up, we have Atmosphere from Minneapolis, a member of one of my favorite indie hip-hop labels, Rhymesayers. A rapper I’ve been looking to go see since before I was in high school. I’m so honored that the first time I see him, I get to photograph him and cover him for this article. Ant was his DJ (and was a bigger dude than I expected) and Slug had a second DJ, HEBL (who kind of looked like Gilfoyle from Silicon Valley). Atmosphere played a great mix of songs, from Lucy Ford to When Life Gives You Lemons, to Jestures, Bad Summer, etc. His set felt long enough to feel worth seeing him and definitely worth the ticket price. The sound quality was better than any rap show I’ve ever seen by far. The mix was so clean, the vocals cut through the air with ease, every syllable was understandable. The low end wasn’t too much, like at some rap shows where they think it’s just a party. The sound guys were musicians and understood exactly how to make Slug sound peak. I can’t wait until he comes around again. Slug and Ant were incredibly nice and as cold as it was outside, he walked up and down the line of people waiting to get in to chat and sign things for people while taking selfies and just being an all-around good dude. I’m a fan for life.

Follow these bands at @atmosphere @ratheruggedmanofficial @sagefrancisfr @officiailkoolkieth @mrfuckingdibbs to stay up to date on their next shows.

Images shot by Shane McNicholas @elsephoto with a Canon R5 and a RF 24-105 2.8