New York, NY —
Decon Records
has been quite the busy brand lately, with
88 Keys
garnering major buzz via the net,
Evidence
,
Jurassic 5
and
Aceyalone
reviving classic facets of hip hop culture with their latest projects, and a new LP,
Decon Presents Fresh Rhymes and Videotape
, available now. To celebrate the launch of
Decon
‘s creative agency, hipsters from all over town gathered in New York City’s West Village for the label’s
Never Not Fresh
showcase, which featured performances by a few of the industry’s most novel emcees.
Aceyalone, the key member of the 90’s collective
Freestyle Fellowship
, moderated the evening’s event. The veteran off-the-dome rhyme-slinger made his way through the smoke and introduced the acts, later demonstrating his mastery of his craft, from lightning-speed emceeing to reggae flows.
As
protégé (and King of Myspace Layouts)
Izza Kizza
commanded the stage, it was clear that he’d made an impression on the audience members way before the showcase. As everyone instinctively sang along to “
,” the Georgian crowd-pleaser opened the show with Oompa Loompa-like background dancers and Saturday morning cartoon imagery.
The crowd was revved up for another unconventional artist, and 88-Keys was set to deliver. Sporting a Southwestern-style poncho, the emcee gave the audience some insight into what exactly it is that motivates men to run astray (typically women and their vajayjays). Gems of the evening included “Morning Wood” and “
,” for which he re-emerged poncho-less with a colorful,
-inspired look to perform his collaborator’s verses.
Dilated Peoples
’
and Evidence collaborated on stage for a closing set that would leave a lasting impression. For his opener, Evidence showed love for NYC’s individuality on “Down in New York City” despite his being from “Cali-fly,” as Babu worked his magic on the 1s and 2s. After demonstrating his lyrical acumen, the Left Coaster indulged in a little crowd-surfing to cap off the night. The
Never Not Fresh
showcase proved a night to remember, and a fitting kickoff for
Decon
‘s new creative agency.