The revolutionary hip-hop duo Dead Prez has been active in the game for 15 years now. Over the course of their journey, rappers M-1 and stic.man gained prominence with their instant classic debut “Let's Get Free” in 2000. Since that time, they've released a sophomore follow up plus a number of mixtapes under the banner of “Turn Off the Radio” where their music never enjoyed rotation anyway. A forthcoming independent release titled “Information Age” is said to be in the works, but there's no release date yet in sight.
Dead Prez brings all of that and more to the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa tonight. In keeping pace with the group, here's three reasons in three videos as to why their musical contributions always remain relevant and why you should head down to the show tonight and pump your fist in the air.
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1.BRWN BFLO f/ Stic Man of Dead Prez – Corazon (Remix)
With the recent Katt Williams rant in
Phoenix, Arizona and the audience heckler appearing to lob the n-word
at him in retaliation, black and brown relations can be misconstrued as
tense these days. Jettisoning that notion, Dead Prez's stic.man lent a verse to Bay Area rap
group BRWN BFLO's remix of “Corazon” solidifying the two communities
together within hip-hop. The politicized track released earlier this year is the most impressive
black and brown collaboration since the Funky Aztecs shared the mic with
the late Tupac Shakur.
2. Dead Prez – The Beauty Within
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the release of “Let's Get Free,”
Dead Prez released the impressive “Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz”
mixtape last year. Taking beats from popularized songs spun on corporate
radio stations, the MCs masterfully imbued them with a new social
relevancy in the effort. Case in point: B0B's “Nothin' On You” becomes a
celebratory anthem of black femininity in “The Beauty Within.” The
video was released just before the onset of a controversy when Psychology Today published an article asking “Why Are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women?” Outrage instantly followed as did an apology by the magazine.
3. stic.man – Runner's High
Last, but not least, Dead Prez continues its health kick and might
inspire you to take better care of yourself. The group has started The RBG Fit Club.
Stic.man, in that effort, released a solo album “The Workout” earlier
this year that bills itself as “motivational HIP HOP music, with
multi-relevancy, for all levels of sports training as well as personal
disciplines such as substance abuse recovery, weight control,
self-discovery, self-defense, yoga, etc.” If you don't break a sweat at
the Detroit Bar, the gym, weight room, and yoga mat awaits!
Dead Prez performs tonight at the Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa; www.detroitbar.com. 8 p.m. $20. 21+.
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Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!