Recap: Gravity album release concert – Warehouse Live Houston (09/28/12)

 

Lecrae takes center stage at the Gravity album release concert – Photo by Sketch the Journalist

Last Friday, September 28 Reach Records brought the Gravity album release concert to Houston to celebrate the chart-topping new project from Lecrae. This recap is already tardy so I’ll just hit you with a few quick notebook dumps, photos, and videos.

 

J.R. sings “Gravity” with Lecrae – Photo by Sketch the Journalist

On stage:

• A large video wall flashing various animations throughout the show. Some were lyrics, others were simply logos
• Opening acts included Derek Minor (fka PRo) and Canon
• Sho Baraka acted as host with DJ Official manning the turntables and Houstonian Nate Robinson on the drums
• Song features and added hypemen included: Sho Baraka, Swoope*, Andy Mineo, Von Won, J.R., and former American Idol contestant Ashton Jones

* Swoope’s appearance on stage for “Fallin’ Down” seemed to particularly animate both Lecrae and the crowd who might have let their energy levels slip during the more ballad type songs

 

Swoope performs “Fallin’ Down” with Lecrae – Photo by Sketch the Journalist

Biggest crowd pleasers:

• “Go Hard”
• “Welcome to H-town”
• “Jesus Muzik”
• “Dum Dum”
• “Violence”
• “Gravity”
• “Mayday”*

* Vocalist Ashton Jones took the crowd to “church” with her soulful singing. Mainstream rapper/producer Big K.R.I.T. appears on the recorded version but was not in town for this concert. However, that didn’t stop Sho Baraka from volunteering to be announced as K.R.I.T. during the performance just to see if anybody would notice.

The setlist appeared to go from songs that celebrate with believers to ones that can speak to non Christians – something that mat have simply been a factor of Lecrae parading through his back catalog of hits before moving on to his newer, Gravity material.

 

Backstage: Tre9, Canon, Lecrae, Von Won, and Gifted da Flamethrowa – Photo by Sketch the Journalist

Houston represented

• From the stage, host Sho Baraka gave respectful recognition to the recently departed DJ Primo (who chopped and screwed the initial 116 Clique compilation album that helped launch Reach Records)
• As predicted, the Von Won-assisted performance of “Welcome to H-town” was very well received. Check my video of this performance below and be sure to stick around for the end credits.

 

Derek Minor, Canon, Andy Mineo, and Sho Baraka came out to perform “Power Trip” with Lecrae – Photo by Sketch the Journalist

Quote of the night:

“Regardless of the genre, I still have that same call we all do: to tell the world about Him” – Lecrae

 

Andy Mineo posted this photo on his Instagram account hanging out backstage with the High Society crew (top), Houston Rocket Jeremy Lin (left) and Houston Texan running back Justin Forsett (right)

Spotted backstage or in the crowd:

• Houston Rockets star Jeremy Lin
• Houston Texans’ running back Justin Forsett
• Active By Faith founder and former Houston Couger basketball star Lanny Smith
• “25 Lighters/25 Bibles” producer/rapper DJ DMD
• Gifted da Flamethrowa
• Corey Paul
• Tre9 & D. Davis (who brought 30-plus kids from their Hip Hop Hope Missions efforts with them)
• DJ Chill
• Lita Rodi
• World Rejects
• DJ Millhouse
• Hilary Jane
• Trevor Lee
• Lil Sizzle

5 Things You Can Expect to See at Lecrae’s Warehouse Live Concert this Friday

Christian rapper Lecrae returns home to Houston on September 28 for the last of only three release concerts in support of his new album, Gravity, that landed at #3 on Billboard’s overall sales chart the week it debuted.

Here are five things you’re bound to see at Warehouse Live this Friday night.

1. Snapbacks, tank tops, and homemade Lecrae t-shirts

Fashion statements from the 1990’s made a comeback this summer. And despite almost being October, it’s still hot and muggy in Houston so look for hats and upper body gear that appears to be missing all of its pieces.

Also, Christian rap fans can sometimes be a thrifty bunch so don’t be surprised if you see a few youth group members getting their craft on.

2. Bored bartenders

A good portion of Lecrae’s fanbase would consider themselves tee-totaling churchgoers so the staff behind the bars at Warehouse Live might be equal parts bored and frustrated with the lack of drinks sold and dollar bills filling up their tip jars.

So let me speak directly to my Christian brethren and be so bold as to ask them to do Lecrae and Reach a solid and buy a few overpriced beverages while you wait for him to take the stage.

Yes, it sucks to spend $5 on a watered down Coke or drop a ten spot on two bottles of water, but it will also show this non-church performance venue that it can still be financially viable to book faith-based acts like Lecrae.

It’ll also speak well of you and your Savior if you offer a smile and generous tip to the nice folks filling up your glass.

3. Non-Christians*

But, let’s not assume that everyone standing in the general admission area in front of the microphone is a follower of Jesus.

Lecrae’s efforts to expand his “reach” outside of Christian circles (through things like his guest features for Statik Selektah, participation in the BET Cypha, commercials on MTV, and interviews with media outlets like Time Magazine, XXL, and Allhiphop.com) have actually worked. Surely some folks who bought a copy of Gravity just like the guy’s sound and positive message.

So if you happen to smell cigarette smoke on someone or hear a few four-letter words fly out of the mouth of the fella in front of you at the ticket booth, don’t go looking to report him to your pastor. Show some grace and pray that God uses that evening’s performance to stir something inside of him (or her.)

*Again, I’m speaking to my fellow believers on this one. Also, let’s not assume that a person you don’t know but happen to see smoke, drink, and/or curse isn’t a Christian.

4. Von Won performing “Welcome to H-town”

This one is a lock. Reach Records already confirmed that Von Won will be an invited guest (in addition to these other artists) and one of the biggest hits from Lecrae’s Church Clothes mixtape was his remix of this Wit & Dre Murray classic with local boy Von Won on the hook.

Get familiar with it now so you can sing along and don’t be surprised if you see some H’s in the air (I promise, they’re not gang signs or Illuminati devil horns) when hear this beat start its slow roll.

5. A good show

My first experience at a Lecrae concert wasn’t a good one. He talked more than he rapped and there wasn’t anything (or anyone) on stage besides himself and mic. Today it’s much different.

Simply put, Lecrae and Reach Records can put on a good show. It’s something they’ve studied and worked on for years (peep my interview with Lecrae at this year’s SXSW posted below) and have gotten better at.

Sure, you’ll get an uplifting, God-glorifying message, but you’ll also get a dope hip hop performance. And breaking news: it’s okay to simply enjoy that at face value.



Tickets for Friday night’s show at Warehouse Live can be purchased online here. Doors open at 6pm.

Should Christians battle rap? Playdough competes in EmSee Houston - Red Bull Battle this Thursday

This Thursday night rapper Playdough will compete in the EmSee Houston Red Bull Battle at Warehouse Live. I recently caught up with the MC, a 5-time winner of Dallas’ 97.9 The Beat’s Freestyle Fridays challenge, via e-mail to get his thoughts on what can be considered a controversial practice for some Christians in the hip hop culture.

Sketch: When I interviewed you last year, we discussed battle rapping and you told me that “Some Christians have made it into such a weird thing, but at the end of the day it’s about competing and wanting to win a contest.”

But these things can get pretty vulgar, pretty fast. As a Christian, do you set limits on what you will and won’t say in the heat of a battle? If so, does that handcuff or handicap your ability to win?

Playdough: I'm not a very vulgar guy so it's pretty hard for something that vulgar to come out of my mouth. I do try to represent who I am and maintain how I want to be represented. It probably doesn't help my ability to win, but it's better exercise for my brain.

While most people would just come out and say something straight to the point, I like to dance around it a little bit more and bring home the point in a more creative way. I like to leave more to the imagination of the audience and paint some imagery rather than just coming out and saying it.

It's freestyle, though. I can't predict what I'll say and sometimes in the moment only certain rhymes come to your head. Sometimes things come out and you didn't intend the line to sound the way it did.

It's all about being in the moment and it's hard to predict what will go down. I do try to stay in a place that makes me feel comfortable with who I am and how I want to be looked at.

Sketch: I’ve actually heard of Christian rappers “reverse battling” where, instead of tossing insults and verbal jabs at their opponent, they use compliments and try to build up the person holding the mic in front of them.

What’s your take on that? If it’s just a competition and about “iron sharpening iron,” could turning the negative aspects of this activity on its ear actually work?

Playdough: This has always sounded like the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If you're talking about getting better and finding a more creative way to stay on your toes and rap about spontaneous things then I do agree that it could be an exercise to sharpen your wit.

My issue is that it's only in Christian circles because they don't want to insult someone else. At the end of the day the "building up" is just as fake as "tearing down." If you're talking about someone's shoes and flow being awful or their jeans and shirt looking really nice and very in style, it's both saying things that you probably don't think are actually true.

"Your mom is super fat" or "Those jeans look really good on you and fit your body style great" are both things that you'd say to get a response, but may or may not be true. The jab is just as false as the props. All Christians ever want to do is take something and make the "Christian" version of it. That's never creative and is embarrassing to me.

Sketch: UGK rapper Bun B will be hosting this event. As a rapper who is known in some Christian music circles, do you feel any added pressure to come correct in front of “Professor Trill” who taught a “Religion & Hip Hop Culture” class at Rice University last year?

Playdough: I want to come correct for sure, but he doesn't add any pressure to the situation for me. Game recognize game and as long as I'm doing me I'm sure I'll get respect.

As much as I'd like to kill it and impress the judges, my main goal is to impress the crowd and gain some new fans. I want people to realize I'm not just a battle rapper and that I have a catalog of good recorded music. I never look to impress one person, he's just like you and me at the end of the day.

Sketch: You appear to be the only Caucasian out of the eight contestants slotted for Thursday night’s event.

How quickly do you think your race will be referenced by an opponent as a sign of your lack of talent? Or did Eminem’s Rap Olympics showing and 8 Mile movie help shatter that perception?

He hasn't shattered a thing from what I've experienced. People won't even make fun of me being white because they actually think white people are wack. They'll say it because it's an effective way to get the crowd response.

I'd be willing to bet that something will be said about my race in the first round.

Sketch: You’re in a group called deepspace5 with a rapper named Manchild. He’s also an accomplished MC and was even asked to judge the Red Bull Battle when it made a stop in Atlanta last year.

The obvious question here is who would win if you two squared off against each other?

He's the dopest. I wouldn't want to battle him ever. He's a great friend of mine and shares in my day to day struggle more than almost anyone. He's an incredible emcee on paper and off the top. My pride would want to tell you reasons that I'm better and why I'd win against him, but if I'm being real, I don't know if I'd win.

But honestly that's how battling is. Winning one or two battles against someone doesn't necessarily mean that you're the better emcee. Not to overplay the basketball example, but freestyling is like shooting the ball. Sometimes your jumper is on and sometimes it's off. Sometimes your freestyle is rusty and sometimes it's super focused. Multiple battles on different days would probably end in different results every time.

The EmSee Houston Red Bull Battle kicks off at 9pm at Warehouse Live on Thursday, September 8, 2011. Judges/performers include: ESG, Trae tha Truth, and Alchemist. Bun B will host.

Admission is free. For more details.

Here’s a clip of one of Playdough’s less-combative raps from his new Hotdoggin’ album.

Preview: Geto Boys Reunion Show - Warehouse Live - July 4, 2008

Well... this should be interesting.

The group, who apparently doesn't even really get along, is getting the band back together for a reunion show tomorrow night (Friday, July 4) at Warehouse Live.

This will be notable for the reason above and especially because Bushwick Bill has recently become outspoken about his Christian faith, is recording a gospel rap album, and just two weeks ago performed his new message music at the All Eyes On Me Awards (which honored holy hip hop's pioneers.)


Image by Scott Alan Photography Book him at www.scottalanphoto.com

I'll be going to observe - not judge. I'll probably even nod my head more than a few times.

Rest assured a follow-up will be written and posted after the event.

Buy your ticket here.

Venue locale.