Tonight, two groups that take hip-hop to new levels of interesting bring their "Oaths and Transcripts Tour" to the Orpheum stage. Orlando's X:144 & SPS is made up of producer/emcee X:144 and his partner SPS, the former responsible for intelligent, positive rhymes about rising above the commercial nastiness of rap music and making money without selling out, the latter mixing/matching, scratching, and beat juggling on a pair of turntables to produce an accompanying blend of dirty funkiness and hip-shakin' hop. Emcee Napoleon Maddox and saxophonist Jack Walker of Cincinnati's Iswhat?! incorporate a heavy doze of jazz and funk into their buoyant brand of hip-hop, the live free-form show featuring live instrumentation and precisely dictated, beat-box-infused rhymes. We don't get a whole lot of quality underground hip-hop here in Tampa, so this show is highly recommended. Wed., May 2, 9 p.m., Orpheum, 1902 N. Republica De Cuba, Ybor City, $7, 813-248-9500, statemedia.com.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 1, 2007.
