Whatever Black On Black/Quit Playing Entertainment and their All Stars rap squad do is oh “so serious.”
The day to day operations of the recently Universal-signed label are run like clockwork by the savvy Just Black and Guccio, two of the “bourgiest” ghetto-reared executives on the local music scene.
They still get their party on, but they handle business like MBAs. So if they get at something they get it done right.
That perhaps explains the All Stars debut performance with a live band last Sunday night during the 5Spot at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Trust (DeAndre Graden), Top Dolla (Rashon Brightmon) and Nimmy Russell (Montel Russell), who make up the All Stars with Vic Damone (Abdul Smith, who sat this one out), laid down a crowd-pleasing show.
“That’s just practice,” Trust said. “We really worked with that band. They’re talented and they came in and knew what to do.”
The band Trust refers to doesn’t exactly have a name, unless they go with “Still Water” that the rapper gave them during one of their rehearsals.
Trust said he gave them that name because the trio, Ted Brookings (base), Darius Savage (keys) and Grover Stewart (drums) had just met.
The musicians were actually sitting in for Level Ground, the 5Spot’s house band. Level Ground plays the 5Spot every Sunday, a way for the event’s producers Harry Colbert, Isis Jones (also host and intermitting vocalist), DeAmon White and Will Hart to promote live music.
However, this past Sunday night, Level Ground backed local standout trio LLC, who opened for, but could have headlined, Boyz II Mens’ concert at the Ambassador.
That’s where Brookings, Savage and Stewart came in. And the All Stars felt the experience.
“I couldn’t believe a live band could reproduce the sounds of a triton or MPC (on a beat machine),” Trust said.
In fact, after the performance Sunday Trust said he prefers the organic touch of a live band and it won’t be the last time the group works with one.
“I liked being able to get inside of the beat and you have more control of the dynamic,” he said explaining that rappers “have to bend to a track.”
The All Stars’ fascination with the band was apparent as they performed for the engaged artsy, young professional 5Spot patrons.
“Let the band play,” Top Dolla said during a rap. “I like that.”
The band and the All Stars rehearsed only three days at the Black on Black/Quit Playing Entertainment studios on Locust bordering Midtown and Downtown, St. Louis.
“They would tell us what to do and we would do it,” band member Brookings said. “We’re freelance musicians – we can tailor the sound.”
The All Stars’ sound is smoothed-out gangsta. And the band accompaniment was immaculate.
Sunday’s performance was laced with more politically conscious and melodic tunes by the All Stars.
Their short but intimate set jumped off with the “Movement,” a hit they’ve had in their archives for a couple of years, produced by Rico Wade of Organized Noize, who creates tracks for artists such as Outkast.
The following two songs, “Bumps ‘N Bruise” and “Little Do They Know,” were perfect selections since poet Dorian kicked the 5Spot off with “in your face” politically and socially charge spoken word poetry.
Rapper Trust opened “Bumps N’ Bruises” telling the crowd, “When I was locked up this old man told me I could be spending this time with my kids.”
The crowd responded with a round of applause, screams and yells.
“They were coming from the heart,” Colbert said. “Our crowd appreciates that. They are true professionals, so people get a greater appreciation for Hip-Hop.”
The crowd felt the piping hot hit single, “Little Do They Know,” from the sultry, smoothed-out melody with Isis Jones providing moving vocals to it’s thugged-out, politically-charged message. Nimmy Russell spits Don’t be fooled, they know who shot JFK, who shot Pac/They know why the Towers were knocked…They know it’s impossible to grow a flower out this pot/’Cause the dirt is unfertile and plus it showers not/But I will not give up on my seed, I will keep watering to something sprouts…
But don’t get it twisted. They can crunk up gansta rap like they did during their performance Saturday at the Spot with UGK’s Bun B featured on “Little Do They Know.”
The trio ended their 5Spot set on a grimier note, their current hit single “So Serious” and “Do Whatcha Do,” an obvious strip club song.
“We kinda brought in the heartfelt stuff first, then took them there,” Trust said.
