Talib Kweli and Homeboy Sandman Headline Rap City Tour
The country's best hip hop mini-festival returns even stronger.
For a while there, it seemed like every hip hop tour to Australia was doomed to fail. Poor ticket sales, high-profile artists that don't show up, lazy and greedy managers and a general lack of any business savvy whatsoever have conspired to kill off a handful of festivals and some major tours in just the last year or two.
But in the midst of all that, Rap City has not only gone ahead, it has thrived. Since its inception in 2010 the single-stage mini-festival has brought out some of the all-time greats of the game, from Ghostface Killah and DOOM to The Beatnuts and Masta Ace.
This time around, Rap City will be headlined by none other than Talib Kweli, one of the most thoughtful, socially aware and lyrically gifted MCs around. His 1998 collaboration album with Mos Def — Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star — remains a masterpiece of politically and socially conscious hip hop, but over 15 years and half-a-dozen albums Kweli has proved time and again that he is one of the most gifted lyricists of his generation. With a new album, Prisoner of Conscious, recently released featuring Miguel, Curren$y, Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius and Busta Rhymes, Kweli is sure to be at his energetic, eloquent best.
Joining Kweli will be Homeboy Sandman, the rapidly rising star signed to Stones Throw Records (home to the likes of DOOM, Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, Australia's own Jonti and the late, great J Dilla). His praises as a lyricist and intellect have been sung by XXL, The Source, NPR, Rolling Stone and everyone in between, but his beats have a groove so good you almost don't notice that Homeboy's lyrics challenge almost every thought you have ever had.
And if that weren't enough, these twin lyrical titans are being joined by Trademark 'Da Skydiver', the next big thing from the Jet Life Crew label — home to the likes of Curren$y, Smoke DZA and Sir Michael Rocks (formerly of The Cool Kids). With a handful of rapturously received mixtapes under his belt, Trademark is currently putting his finishing touches on his highly anticipated album Flamingo Barnes 2, which is due on the eve of his Australian Rap City tour.
If anyone ever told you hip hop was dead, make sure you drag them along to Rap City and shut them up.
MELBOURNE – Thursday October 3 @ The Hi-Fi
PERTH – Friday October 4 @ Villa
BRISBANE – Saturday October 5th @ The Hi-Fi
SYDNEY – Sunday (Long Weekend) October 6 @ The Hi-Fi
Tickets go on sale on Monday, 12 August, via Moshtix and OZTIX.
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