PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond » Sean Price and Smif-N-Wessun played Highline Ballroom

Sean Price and Smif-N-Wessun played Highline Ballroom

January 24th, 2012 by chocko

Sean Price

Smif-N-Wessun

Duck Down was definitely in the Building…Highline Ballroom that is. Anytime you got members of Brooklyn’s Boot Camp Clik performing a show, you know you’re going to get some REAL Hip Hop. Opening up the show last Wednesday, was Maffew Ragazino from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. A couple years ago he was on a Sean Price Mixtape titled “Kimbo Price” and now it’s great to see him branching out, making things happen in the world of hip hop. He’s got excellent flow, swagger and energy on the stage. I like the way he got the audience involved in the performance particularly on the track “Slum Lord.” I couldn’t find the dude after the show to get a CD, so after stalking him on twitter and a paypal transaction, I got a CD coming my way. I’ll be anxiously awaiting its arrival at my mailbox.

Next up was Phony Ppl a collective of musicians who write songs, produce and sing R&B songs and hip hop. Tonight they were in hop hop mode, a bit on the jazzy side at times but these young dudes had oodles and oodles of energy. They lost most of the crowd later in their set who grew impatient and yelled out for “SEAN P!”

Smif-N-Wessun (Tek and Steele) aka Cocoa Brovaz came out next along with the debut of Duck Down Man, the record label’s mascot! Tek and Steele went right into “Let’s Git It On” from their classic 1995 debut album, Dah Shinin’ and proceeded to crank out the hits. Smif-N-Wessun shared the stage with a few cats including Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire and Jakk Frost from the mean streets of Philly who showed some of his lyrical skills and busted some rhymes…The Beards In The Building! A highlight was bringing out Sean Price for the classic Boot Camp Clik track, “And So.” Another highlight of the Smif-N-Wessun set was their performance of “Bucktown” from the top of the bar.

Sean Price headlined the show and shortly brought out Rock which made it an official Heltah Skeltah reunion. By this time, the crowd was pretty toasted but the enthusiasm was always kept at a high level due to the presence of the great MC from Brownsville. Sean Price performed a slew of songs including Heltah Skeltah stuff and solo material “P-Body”, “Onion Head” and “Boom Bye Yeah.” Price brought out Apollo The Great from Camden, New Jersey who definitely looks like he’s got a future in the rap game. Hopefully 2012 brings more Duck Down shows and fingers crossed…a new album from Sean Price titled “Mic Tyson.”