Back in September, Brother Ali and Evidence announced that they were teaming up to go on a fall tour and I was immediately stoked at the opportunity to cover this show.  With 13 total shows packed into 16 days, the two rappers were set to tour the Western US and Canada with special guest Marlon Craft.  They kicked off their tour at The Observatory OC right here in Santa Ana and expectations were off the chart for this one.  Six days prior to their tour kickoff, Brother Ali sent shock waves through the rap industry as he dropped a surprise album on us, Secrets & Escapes.  Co-headliner Evidence was executive producer on this one and now the puzzle pieces began to make sense on how this tour came to be.  While keeping a low profile, Brother Ali had revealed the two had spending a ton of time together in Venice, California recording this new project and I was stoked to hopefully see them play some of this new material during the show. 

Opening up the show was Marlon Craft.  I’ve heard of him before, although I must admit that I’m not too familiar with his catalog.  I vaguely remember him as the scrawny white kid who shocked the internet when he killed his 5 Fingers Of Death freestyle on Sway’s Universe.  I knew he had to be dope if Evidence and Brother Ali agreed to taking this kid on tour.  Marlon hit the stage to warm up the crowd at The Observatory and this New York rapper set the stage for the nights festivities, playing a few of his hits such as “Gang Shit” and “Workin”.  I’m excited to watch this guy down the road as he’s one of hip-hop’s best kept secrets and literally on the verge of blowing up.

Up second was the California native, Evidence. The Dilated People’s rapper/producer took to the stage and effortlessly threw down a high energy hip-hop set.  While Marlon Craft was dope, he’s still rather young and it seemed like he’s still working through what kind of MC he wants to be on stage.  Evidence was the total opposite.  The 25+ year veteran graciously rocked the stage from end to end whilst soliciting crowd engagement.  Evidence rocked a variety of songs which the crowd sang along to including my personal favorite, “Throw It All Away”.  The entire set seamlessly flowed from beginning to end and was straight up fire.

Last but certainly not least was Brother Ali.  The Minneapolis rapper dialed the energy back a little as he and concert goers embarked on a thought-provoking lyrical journey.  In contrast to Evidence, Brother Ali didn’t just put on a rap show – he used his time on stage to speak to each listener combining elements of comedy, hip-hop, and philosophy.  A couple of highlights from this set were “Own Light” and “Uncle Sam Goddamn”.  Towards the end of the set, Brother Ali took a seat on the stage with his feet dangling into the crowd while rapping.  He’s a man of the people, and he definitely looked the part.

It’s not every day where a couple of hip-hop legends and a promising up-and-coming rapper come through your town.  If you’re looking for a laid-back brand of thought-provoking lyrical hip hop, all three of these guys are high on my list and I highly recommend.  If you live in the Western US or Canada, check out one their upcoming tour dates and see if you can catch these three gentlemen as they come through your city this month. You won’t regret it.

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