The Mighty Underdogs at The Jazz Café

The Mighty Underdogs at The Jazz Café

20 February, 2009
by: Trol23

Four men take to the stage at Jazz Café wearing scary dog masks. Once the masks are off it turns out to be the Bay Area supergroup that is The Mighty Underdogs. It isn't that much of a surprise. This is, after all, the reason the place is so packed on a school night.

The Mighty Underdogs consists of Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Lateef the Truth Speaker (Latyrx), and Headnodic (or as Gift of Gab at one point refers to him: The Sheriff of Nodingham). Joining them, on keys, is Ervin Sultan (at least that's what it sounds like...he's not listed anywhere and the only time they say his name they're shouting it over the roar of the crowd, so sorry...to Ervin...or Erving...or something else entirely).   

The group take to the stage with gusto and the pace is relentless. The keyboardist of dubious name is like a man possessed. At once key supremo and backing dancer (in a kind of Prodigy meets James Brown stylee). For me one of the highlights of the show is Headnodic and the keyboardist doing back-to-back solos early in the set. Anonymous keys guy is playing with his fists and the palms of his hands, Headnodic is freestyling on the bass. It really sets a tone for the evening.   

'They're promoting an album, and they're a 'new' group essentially. So there's no reason for them to do any of their collective back-catalogue.' I think to myself, just moments before Gift of Gab breaks into the opening lines of 'Alphabet Aerobics'. I have nothing to worry about: the two rappers are polished showmen, and the set has a well thought out balance of new and old. Headnodik brings in all kinds of samples in the background, from Michael Jackson to tapping out a beat on the MPC made of dog barks. I'm pretty sure he even mixed in a bit of Mariah Carey at one point. Founding Solesider, Lateef, is a really remarkable rapper/singer, a real presence on stage. Gift of Gab is more subdued but by no means less impressive. They both show off their freestyle skills a couple of times and it's a pleasure to see real, non-written, unrehearsed freestyling for once. It doesn't all work, but overall it's amazing.   

I've watched a lot of hip hop shows in this country and I've noticed American rappers often being quite frustrated by not getting, what they perceive to be, an acceptable level of crowd participation. In this case, however, hands are in the air, call and response is answered noisily, and people generally get down. Gift of Gab asks the crowd to make the 'Booo' noise he claims he only hears on stage in London, the ubiquitous 'BOOOO' sounds out. Looking to his left at the other Mighty Underdogs he says, 'that sounds like victory to me.'

The group bust in to the last track on their album, 'Victorious'. It's a fitting way to bring the evening to a close before the almost inevitable encore brings a sing-along rendition of the Blackalicious classic, 'Deception'. ...'Don't let money change ya!', they sing, and it seems The Mighty Underdogs are taking their own advice...or they haven't made any money. Either way this was by far and away the best hip hop gig I've seen in way too long. The Jazz Café comes through with the goods once again.

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Trol23