- Red Bull Music Academy’s United States of Bass - July 19, 2016
- Red Bull Sound Select: Adrian Younge, No ID, Joey Dosik - April 14, 2016
- LA Red Bull Sound Select: Stormzy, Lizzo, and Kauf - March 28, 2016
Nearly two weeks into the Red Bull Sound Select month-long takeover of LA’s music scene, and I found myself at The Echoplex to see Run The Jewels, Mystery Skulls, and Thurz.
After grubbing on some free tacos and frolicking around in front of the Red Bull photo booth, I caught the funky west coast vibes of Thurz. Backed by a full band, the LA native hit the crowd with sobering honesty on the track “Right Now,” from his new Designer EP, stating “I wouldn’t rap if I knew who my father was.”
His band, two keys (including a Roger Troutman-like talk box), two guitars, drums, bass, and a DJ stayed in heavy funk grooves throughout the set. Thurz let them “get loose” and show off with skilled solos on “Waiting,” a new song with that feel good- A Tribe Called Quest type of flavor.
Thurz brought a few special guests, including up and coming R&B singer Jarrell Perry who helped perform the Vegas style party joint “21.” Thurz ended his set by bringing out the venerable, legendary, DJ Quik who came and performed his classic hit “Tonite.”
Next up was Mystery Skulls, with his magical blend of dance, funk, and DJ wizardry. Mystery Skulls played some songs from his new album Forever, including his uber-catchy song “Magic,” which features the one and only Nile Rodgers and Brandy.
Mystery Skulls thumping low end and scattered stutters made for a dope ass mashups that included Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” and Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money.” Overall the set was an energetic mix of EDM and Urban Pop sentiments.
Run The Jewels took command of the stage and gave the audience their all, starting with “Run The Jewels,” from their first album. Killer Mike, sounding a bit hoarse told the crowd “What little voice I got left I will leave in Los Angeles if y’all turn the fuck up!”
And we did.
As Killer Mike and El-P delved into material from their new album, Run The Jewels 2, the whole crowd was bouncing and bopping on “Blockbuster Night Part 1,” chanting along: “I tell em fuck em, I never loved em and salutations.” Run The Jewels also brought out some extra especial guests like Travis Barker of Blink-182, and Zach De La Rocha of Rage Against The Machine to help out on some songs.
Their hardcore boom-bap beats and hearty flows echoed throughout the night and made for an awesome headlining set. Next on my list of #30daysinLA is Chance The Rapper at the House of Blues!
