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You know you're in for an incredible night when you arrive at the club and not only is there a line around the block, but also a couple of guys waiting outside with their massive pit bulls. That was the scene this past Tuesday, anyway, as MySpace returned to the East Coast for our first ever Secret Show in Brooklyn. So who was the artist we went with for this very special event? None other than New York's own Aesop Rock. Brooklyn has always shown lots of love for Aesop and, on this night, the hip-hop fans in the area came out in droves. In fact, by the time that the doors swung open at Southpaw, the line out front was three blocks long, and it included not only 400 anxious MySpace users, but also a couple of guard dogs who, as it turns out, were taken home before things officially kicked off. You had to feel for our new furry friends, though, because they missed out on one hell of a show.
Things first got under way with the New York group Hangar 18, who dropped their new record, Sweep The Leg, this past October on Def Jux. The jokey trio (which includes MCs Windbreez and Alaska, as well as DJ PaWL) played a winning mix of new and old tracks, including "Barhoppin,'" a song that Windbreez introduced as an ode to one of the band's favorite past-times: Pounding beers. From there, the Hangar 18 guys wrapped up their set and Aesop Rock and his crew quickly took stage.
Seriously, we have got to give it up to these guys: For nearly two hours Rock, as well as Rob Sonic and DJ Big Whiz, had the crowd in the palm of their hand, as they played a string of fan favorites as well as a handful of songs off of Aesop’s latest album, None Shall Pass. But that wasn’t all they had to offer. This being New York, there were no shortage of guests to bring out and soon Aesop was joined onstage by not only Def Jux labelmate EL-P, but Slug from Atmosphere.
By the end of the night the ever-growing group of friends threw down an epic freestyle marathon, passing the mic until recent Def Jux signee, Despot, ended up rapping on top of Rob Sonic’s shoulders. It was like a mini-Def Jux family reunion and, after Aesop’s set, the whole lot of them stuck around at Southpaw, mingling with fans. It was definitely a Secret Show to remember and it wouldn’t have happened without the help of Def Jux, Aesop Rock and the staff at Southpaw.
So thanks to all of them as well as all the fans that braved the elements to see it all go down.
Things first got under way with the New York group Hangar 18, who dropped their new record, Sweep The Leg, this past October on Def Jux. The jokey trio (which includes MCs Windbreez and Alaska, as well as DJ PaWL) played a winning mix of new and old tracks, including "Barhoppin,'" a song that Windbreez introduced as an ode to one of the band's favorite past-times: Pounding beers. From there, the Hangar 18 guys wrapped up their set and Aesop Rock and his crew quickly took stage.
Seriously, we have got to give it up to these guys: For nearly two hours Rock, as well as Rob Sonic and DJ Big Whiz, had the crowd in the palm of their hand, as they played a string of fan favorites as well as a handful of songs off of Aesop’s latest album, None Shall Pass. But that wasn’t all they had to offer. This being New York, there were no shortage of guests to bring out and soon Aesop was joined onstage by not only Def Jux labelmate EL-P, but Slug from Atmosphere.
By the end of the night the ever-growing group of friends threw down an epic freestyle marathon, passing the mic until recent Def Jux signee, Despot, ended up rapping on top of Rob Sonic’s shoulders. It was like a mini-Def Jux family reunion and, after Aesop’s set, the whole lot of them stuck around at Southpaw, mingling with fans. It was definitely a Secret Show to remember and it wouldn’t have happened without the help of Def Jux, Aesop Rock and the staff at Southpaw.
So thanks to all of them as well as all the fans that braved the elements to see it all go down.
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