Just like they did last month to honor the five-year anniversary of billy woods' record Hiding Places with a show at Warsaw, a large majority of the crew that makes up Backwoodz Studio showed up to support the man of the hour, E L U C I D, as he officially celebrated his most recent album, REVELATOR.
After DJ Haram kicked things off with a DJ set to welcome in the crowd, Rebelmatic officially brought the ruckus as their blend of hardcore and metal made for an intense and rather unexpected start to the night. Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard's brother / GZA and RZA's cousin on drums, the act led by rapper/vocalist Creature were a volatile force that blazed through their set with killer energy and incredible volume. It's not often that a band of this style will open a hip-hop showcase, but there was a lot of mutual admiration in the crowd and when Creature dusted off his verse off "CCTV" from the album of the night, it was clear that his talent spanned the genres of the occasion with undeniable tenacity and got the crowd ready to throw down a mosh pit at a moment's notice. Through epic guitar solos and lethal drum fills, the night began with an unexpected, yet absolutely mighty set that proved just how dynamic of a night would lay ahead.
Taking the stage next was New Orleans rapper Cavalier, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and without question was in his element the moment he grabbed the mic and unraveled his remarkable flow. Spitting serious rhymes over a lush groove of beboppin beats, the set felt like an art piece as he piled sampled behind sample to create such a steady flow of raspy and dusty moods that it was almost as fascinating to try and dissect the melody as it was to watch the man annihilate the stage with his rigorous focus and precise articulation. "Mad white people had my records on their lists from last year so you know it's fire" he proclaimed with some laughs towards the end of his set, but even at a jest, he was speaking the truth and his performance on this occasion really helped establish his skill and unlocked a new level of talent that has been waiting to display itself to a crowd ready to grab hold.
Label mastermind and one half of Armand Hammer, the arguably more popular billy woods took the penultimate slot of the night and delivered his marvelous set of punishing and uncompromising bars that, as always, took no prisoners and flowed out with the serous force that only woods can deliver. Running through his gauntlet of unparalleled verses, the striking meter and tone that woods conjures up while behind the microphone continues to be uncanny and unlike anyone else in the game. Blowing through "Kenwood Speakers" and "Soft Landing" never grows dull and being part of the crowd laced in marijuana smoke (I've never seen so many blunts sparked inside Baby's) as we belted back "YOU PROMISED" during an early set showing of "Spongebob" was a real highlight. Of course not much can hold a candle to the visceral reaction of bearing witness to "Remorseless" each and every time woods gifts it to us live. His winded take just goes to show his own sacrifice as he runs through the epic and the affirming phrases continue to give a new kind of levity to our always unsettling times.
After letting his homies warm up the stage, E L U C I D made his way in front of the crowd and slowly began to swirl up some beats and background sound. Slowly and decidedly making up tunes, he was patient and reserved as he served up the vibes and eventually grabbed hold of the microphone to dive into "Spelling," a wooly number that spins things up into a tight bind that put the night firmly into the grip of the rapper. Holding on with a sincere power, he dug deep into the moment and began to spit some serious fire that would take over the room for the remainder of the night and give E L U C I D the moment to prove his turn as a headliner. With his gruff and gravely voice, the mc matches the wispy, dirty cracks of his samples and makes for a lived-in mood that puts the emphasis on his rhymes and all-around sinister grime which adds to its already alluring appeal. Bringing out a drummer to handle the live beats for "THE WORLD IS DOG" was a fantastic move and elevated the night into new territory as he'd remain behind the kit for the rest of the show. Now hitting us with brazen live rhythms, E L U C I D doubled-down on his rhymes and brought the show to a resounding finish that had the room spinning as the smoke began to clear. Commanding the stage after a serious showing from your friends and peers isn't easy, but E L U C I D made it look like child's play as he traversed the stage with incredible power throughout the set. It was his night and there was no mistaking it for anything else.
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