Aesop Rock, the independent hip-hop artist from New York is currently completing the last leg of his 2007 tour in support of his latest full-length LP None Shall Pass, it finishes with a November 20th in Atlanta at MJQ. Anyone familiar with the work of this underground legend is no stranger to his Picasso-like written images and the eclectic array of beats and bass lines in which they are laid over courtesy of himself and more so the contribution of his long time friend and producer Blockhead, who preformed an opening act with the very talented DJ Signify. Also joining on the tour are the independently managed lovechild of funk-rock rhythms and “homage-to-80’s-newwave” synths group known as Black Moth Super Rainbow. Last, but most definitely not least, were the supporters of the Bazooka Tooth frontal assault Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. I had the pleasure of catching this immaculate display at the New Orleans date on the 13th just passed.

Opening up the show was the ever-prolific producer Blockhead and teamed with the smith of beats was DJ Signify. The two performed a thirty-minute set with nonstop mixtures of original pieces (the first track played was Dinner with Blockhead from Aesop Rock’s Float album), hip hop classics from Biggie Smalls and the like, various club banger beats, even the Knight Rider theme music! While Blockhead was sampling and composing some of the music from his Mac, Signify was a one-man orchestra who set the air on fire with his inflammatory scratching. The entire performance was a musical skyscraper plunge in which the initial jump was an unwavering flood of intensity that led into a solemn mid-fall clarity and ended with a teeth-first plunge into concrete drums and iron-wire bass lines.

Black Moth Super Rainbow, the name pretty much says it all. With standard but skilled rock and roll drumming, bass licks from the stylings of Parliament and Funkadelic, synthesizer riffs paying homage the artists of 80’s new wave, all accompanied by a vast array of images of Richard Simmons workout videos and profile shots of 1970s porn, this was by far the most captivating of all the acts. BMSR was able to take all of these different elements from a wide spectrum of musical genres, melt them down in a cast iron kettle and pour it into a mold that produced this auditory and visual jabberwocky. They were the orange slice in this triple-act glass of Blue Moon.

The show that everyone paid to see, Aesop Rock featuring Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz was one for the books. I have never before witnessed such a performance with such voltage and artist/crowd communion and seeing as how Atlanta is the last date on the tour, the natives of the Mo-Town of the South are sure to be in for one hell of a hip-hop show. Going from one song to another succession, it was like a panzer attack more so than a concert. Aesop drops numerous tracks from None Shall Pass, expect to catch the title track, Coffee, and Citronella along with his own classics No Regrets, about Lucy the isolated artist and a closing with Daylight, which offers resolve for the disconcerted fan looking for emotional release and order within its optimistic lyrics. Let’s not forget about the supporting group, Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. Sonic helped Rock keep the crowd moving and into the show as if he were the headlining act and even played a few new songs of his own. DJ Big Wiz is a phenomenal master of his craft and offered the background of the lyrical centerpiece on display. Mid-show Big Wiz wowed the crowd with a solo display of what he could really do with a set of Technics.

What a great night of hip-hop that the city of Atlanta is in for come the 20th! Be ready for the unexpected and exciting. The MJQ is going to have a lot of cleaning up to do after the show. That is, not before all the artists on the bill come out for a fan meet and greet for signings and conversation. I had a chance, like many others, to catch up with the performers and saw that, despite the fact they were completely exhausted from months of relentless touring, they are never too tired and wore out to talk to their fans whom they care for and appreciate very much. This is not a show miss, especially with this mega-lineup of great artists. So come the 20th, have fun and be safe!