Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Mighty Underdogs In Madison, WI (Concert Coverage)

The Mighty Underdogs are a hip-hop "supergroup" composed of Lateef The Truth Speaker, Gift of Gab (from Blackaliscious), and producer Headnodic. Their tour made a stop in Madison, WI last week on February 2; naturally, I was there to cover the event.

The Might Underdogs' debut album, Droppin' Science Fiction, is a funky, fun, and relaxed album from start to finish. Many of the tracks have a chilled-out party vibe, and save plenty of room for Lateef and gift of Gab to kick some socially conscious lyrics. Their concert was pretty much what you would expect, after hearing the album once or twice — energetic, free-wheeling, consistent.

After a terrific opening act from the local hip-hop band Dumate, the crowd was surprisingly hyped for The Mighty Underdogs. Madison is a city that, from my past experience, has a pretty sketchy attendance record for hip-hop shows, yet the concert venue was packed for this show — on a Tuesday night, at that. After a brief wait, The Mighty Underdogs took the stage for their performance.

The set started out lively, with a dynamic performance of their track "Gunfight." The Mighty Underdogs proceeded to shuffle through various songs on their latest album, such as "Hands In The Air," "ILL Vacation," and "Want You Back." But with only one release to the group's name, their options were limited for group songs to play. This ended up being an asset to the performance, as Gift of Gab and Lateef, both veteran performers, delved into solo tracks they have done in the past. The two emcees also launched into multiple extended freestyle sessions, which kept the crowd actively involved in the show.

Overall, the concert was a solid one. The artists' many combined years of experience allowed them to put on a polished act, despite having only one album in release. The Madison crowd was clearly enjoying the show — particularly Gift of Gab's rapidfire lyricism. With this show, The Mighty Underdogs lived up to the hype of their supergroup status, and delivered with a enjoyable and entertaining performance. Check out a few videos I shot during the show below.

The Mighty Underdogs: "Gunfight"


The Mighty Underdogs: Freestyle Session


Lateef The Truth Speaker: "Wonderful Night"

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