Delicious Vinyl Records hosted one of the most memorable Labor Day block parties this weekend, inviting some of HipHop Royalty’s finest to grace the stage. Historic West Adams was once the setting of a predominantly Black upper class prior to its impoverished state of being. Stories of Ella Fitzgerald and other Greats of her era would pass through West Adams and have even performed in some of those buildings that are now local shops. Leave it to a classic label like Delicious Vinyl to take it back to the roots and you’ve got a historical lineup on a historical boulevard.

 

 

Plenty of water, drinks, and Delicious Pizza surfed the crowd on this particularly “tropical” Cali day.  The legacy of King Dilla and others of the best in kind were present for the festivities, including top acts like Talib Kweli, Chop Black, Illa J, and Tiffany Gouche.

We got a taste of Soulection’sbest on the spins, Joe Kay & Andres Uribe.  With an eclectic mix of classic HipHop, Afrobeat, NeoSoul, AfroCaribbean, and Chicano reverb, there was a taste of something for everyone and folks were eating it up like candy!  Not that this is a surprise, Seeing that Soulection is one of the best sound collectives around right now.

Blessed with his presence and wise words, Talib Kweli took a moment to honor Steely Dan amidst the loss of the late Walter Becker, who was a musical genius in one of the best bands of all time.  Kweli went on to mention the loss of so many Greats in most recent times, also touching upon the condition of the human collective and racism in today’s world. One of the most poignant topics he touched upon was how important it is to come together as humans and celebrate the beauty of diversity in a time where Humanity is threatened by ignorance and a lack of understanding. Kweli tied in the message with songs like his remix of The Beatles’ “Lonely People” closing with some of his classics. The show was outstanding and DJ Spintelect was phenomenal.  The crowd simply couldn’t get enough of the Black Star.

Chop Black came full force with the G – Funk era, representing for the city of Oakland as one half of the WhoRidaz in the West Coast classic “Shot Callin’ & Big Ballin’” . Like other flowers grown from concrete, Chop Black embodies the struggle of survival in the mean streets of Cali and has since stood the test of time.

Illa J was also there in collaboration with the spirit of the Godfather of HipHop J Dilla, keeping to the legacy of his brother’s classic sound with a twist of his own.  A pseudo- nostalgia brought Illa J forth with an evolved art form on the Dilla sound, whose eternal music is the template for nearly every form of new-age music in the human atmosphere.  It just feels good to know there is a piece of Dilla still alive in the form of his blood brother, Illa J.

Tiffany Gouche never fails to pass through the spot with the aura of a Queen, as if the royal robe were trailing behind her.  She is the people’s choice; humble, as her crown radiates the moment she steps on to the platform.  The songstress begun just as the sun set behind her, a perfect backdrop for our sonic journey through a lover’s memoir.  Riddled in harmonic highways and underpasses, her “Red Rum Melodies” drift along like a lullaby on a journey of sound waves riding into the dawn, prepping that grown & sexy “Pillow Talk” for the late night lovemakers. I could bet that she’s up there with R. Kelly’sbabymaking music for some of this era’s baby boomers!

Amongst these heavyhitters were also Frank Nitt, Doug E. Fresh and Mellow Man Ace alongside others that included The.Wav, Hannah, Boomyard LA, Nina Dioz, DJ Ethos, The Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Band, Polyester the Saint, Jansport J, and Cazal Organism

images courtesy of @westadamsblockparty via Instagram