Written & Photography by Andrew Mangum
On Friday August 1st, many “golden era” fans of hip-hop made their way to Baltimore’s Pier Six Pavilion where Jurassic 5 was reuniting for the Word of Mouth reunion tour. Kicking the night off, DJ Rhettmatic spun some classic vinyl for the crowd to bop along to. He was later joined by freestyle extraordinaire, MC Supernatural, who dazzled the crowd with his off the cusp rhymes.
As DJ Rhetmatic exited the stage and DJ Babu took to the turntables, we could instantaneously see that Dilated Peoples was back in full effect! After an 8 year hiatus, Dilated Peoples is returning with a new release, Directors of Photography – which will be their debut album under the Rhymesayers Entertainment label. Their high energy performance had the crowd grooving along. So much so, that they even brought up the livest fan in the crowd to perform onstage with them – I don’t think she missed a single lyric!
It was mainly a night for classics, but Dilated Peoples did play some records from their upcoming Album. Evidence, Rakaa, and DJ Babu demonstrated with their new collection that each member’s individual strengths has only allowed their chemistry to improve, creating a wonderful live performance. If you were wondering, the Directors of Photography album will be released on August 12th.
Now the night was ripe for renewal. Now in the center of the stage was a huge, cartoonish turntable with a Jurassic 5 logo on its center. DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist rev the turntables like a classic Chevy, and then the beat drops. Zaakir emerges, mic in hand, followed by Chali 2na’s distinct, baritone cadence. Then Marc 7 and Akil join the stage, and for a moment it feels like 1997 all over again.
Of course, it is not 1997. It is 2014, and we are currently witnessing over 20 years of hip-hop experience on stage. This is not just another music show for them. This is a night for celebration.