Brutal New York City winters are sometimes best soundtracked by hip-hop and on a day when the "feels like" temperature never cracked double-digits, a night of supreme rappers doing the damn thing and proving why they're the best in the business was the ultimate move to combat the frigid vibes. Night Club 101, a new spot that occupies the former home of the Pyramid Club, made for an intimate night and the DIY nature of the space was a perfect setting for the killer duo to lay down their claim as two of the top rappers in the game. Testing out the speakers and getting the crowd warmed up, DJ Haram hit the decks and cranked out some industrial blasts of rattling noise that shook the room and got the crowd hyped as billy woods slowly made his way to the stage before he beckoned for E L U C I D to join him. As the abrasive beats continued to rumble out of the speakers, the rappers asked the crowd for a volume check and the audience demanded a volume increase to which the duo gladly obliged. "Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die" clicked into gear and started the night off with a hard hitting beat that got an immediate reply from the crowd and set the tone for what was to follow. Bounding back and forth between their own tracks and of course some shared joints as well, the two MCs were effortless in their style and flow, E L U C I D with the raspy, gruff voice that barked out repeated lines for emphasis while woods would inhale massive breaths before unraveling with stunning diction and undeniable force. billy woods' delivery always is impressive when it's bumping out of your speakers, but watching him hit these strides live is a spectacle that amazes each and every time. Dropping the beat into woods' "Year Zero" was banging and had one of the biggest responses from the crowd all evening as numerous hands went in the air to deliver the lyrics "Sooner or later it's gon' be two unrelated active shooters / Same place, same time / Great minds / Tesla and Edison." Of course there were countless rhymes that resonated ever harder than usual, but the two needed no change in their delivery as they've been hitting us with these words with the same urgency from day one. As always, closing things out with "Stonefruit" felt as epic as ever, the hovering beat doing circles while two rappers swirl the groove with their dexterous rhymes. Even on the third show in as many months, seeing these two conquer a stage is always a grand form of entertainment and each show proves their day in and day out dedication to the craft, even when they're not the headliners.
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