Thursday, October 23 was like no other gig you had been to before, all the ‘bling’ and bravado attached to rappers would not be the premise here. Something lay much deeper in this performance, this was not about showing off or trying to be cool, this would be the most true and honest thing you bear witness to on The Kazimier’s stage – how two men, so much more intuitive, brought their collective consciousness of shared ideals to the people of Liverpool.
Revolutionaries and powerful mavericks at heart, Dead Prez – M-1 and Stic.Man – delve deeper, and the Kazimier stage is their platform, their words spoken with such spirit and gusto take flight. A powerful performance is about to commence, as this is a meeting of minds. This was the night to listen, take stock, as this is a innovation, welcome to the insurgency of Dead Prez!
This is definitely a hyped crowd, lively, excitable, almost like a rave scene, this was without a doubt going to be a fun-filled night! As the atmosphere is electrifying, the crowd are all fired up now. The raucous cheer is deafening as Dead Prez emerge from the haze, centre stage, before we can digest them appearing, its straight into a track, the volumes at eleven, the ceilings shaking, its on! They have still got it, so cool and these weighty, heavy beats add colossal carnage.
The perfect tag-team, back and forth with one another, playing cat and mouse as they sporadically spit bar after bar, perfection! An animated duo, humorous, playful and all done with a charming swagger, so jovial as M-1 jests, “Good crowd, beautiful people, you look healthy, I hope you’re healthy”. And like that, with no warning, blazingly blasts “Hell Yeah”, the crowd are ecstatic, the elation is apparent on every single face, as the duo deliver this classic with exceptional ease. So confident on stage, a natural existence for them, every crevice of the stage is covered, every person is given attention, everyone here is important!
“Hell Yeah”:
Don’t be fooled by the malarkey of “Hell Yeah”, as what these guys do best is to shock, a realism of society, as there’s an important message being delivered at The Kazimier. There has to be more for a disillusioned youth to aspire to. Every interval is delivered with a serious message, an angst, a passion, this is confident ‘real talk,’ as they relate to the crowd. They talk to them, not at them, but with them as there’s a great rapport here.
“Police State” sirens into action, as these two activists offer an inspiring, and revolutionary performance. Dark, heavy beats fire out as you feel them in the pit of your stomach, mesmerizing momentum as a cascade of verbal dispositions echo out and ruminate the ears of a spellbound audience. This is stage presence at its best, they have the crowd in the palm of their hands, as an uproar unfolds, raised hands gather in the air, reaching up as justice prevails.
“Police State”:
The sincerity is the motif of tonight’s gig, even “Mind Sex” is delivered with zeal, which is solidified with the honest, perplexing principles straight from Stic-Man as he remits an earth-shattering rendition. Just Stic and a mic at the end, spur through the silence as the crowd watch on in awe. Words spoken so smoothly, with an authenticity, a consciousness of a virtuous performance. All we can do is watch on in admiration, a wonderfully, aspiring rendition.
Tonight is a roller-coaster of a performance, an adrenaline attack, whereby Dead Prez have annihilated everything. Crashing beats, so loud and pivotal. There is an affection here for these two guys, lovely and smart delivering powerful messages straight from the heart, from them to us. This is an inclusion, a reflective night but it isn’t all hard-hitting, this is a gathering of minds.
“Mind Sex”:
Enter their DJ, the back-bone, upholding a stealthy performance, MC Mike Flow comes from behind the decks and raps. An effortless rendition, so flawless as Stic takes to the decks and Dead Prez spur on Mike who fuels this crowd with his mighty conduct. The crowd are definitely feeling it, salutes and cheers spiral around as Mike slows it down, getting the crowd to two-step, bringing the sensual soul to The Kazimier!
A sterling gig, “Gangsta” ruptures out, a ‘freaking good night’ and so much more! This has been a political arising, a thought-provoking night and ends with a celebratory feel as M-1 takes selfies with the crowd. Smiles all round as chants of “one more, one more, one more!” crescend all over The Kazimier, this baying crowd want more, more messages of power and peace, and emerges again Dead Prez to “They Schools”. What a way to end a stellar performance, not only on a high note, but on an informed, insightful, and real note.
Back and forth, the duo spit out an inferno of, “fuck them schools, teach myself”. A repetitive refrain as Dead Prez say their goodbyes and leave the crowd with the embers of these chants, which will forever glow on tonight’s gig. An honest, sincere, forthright performance from start to finish and so long as there are wrongs in this world, Dead Prez will speak out forever and be advocates of justice, “knowing that we will be free one day“.
“They Schools”:
Words by Melanie John // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
