Ahead of the (Back)Pack

The Bay Area's Hieroglyphics have been nicing-up underground hip-hop for 17 years. Over that stretch, they've maintained high-quality control with their lyrics and production, becoming a paragon of the self-contained rap unit built to (b)last. The lineup for this gig includes Souls of Mischief, Casual, Pep Love and Domino. Seattle's Blue Scholars are leading that city's hip-hop renaissance with their own brand of conscious lyrics and noggin-bobbin' boom-bap. They rock a party smartly and responsibly. And Cincy/Brooklyn trio Tanya Morgan deftly combine unusual instrumentation (or samples thereof) with true-school rhymes that radiate wisdom, wit and soul. Bring some cash for Hiero Jeans' clothes, SOM member Opio's new Vulture's Wisdom, Volume One and the Freshly Dipped Tour 7-inch.
Fri., July 11, 7 p.m., 2008