Here's my concert review that will run in the upcoming edition of CL.
Photo of Jersey by Shanna Gillette.
Jersey w/Larcen/Infarell/Preme/DJ Ranmecca/Kayess, Fri. June 15, Crowbar, Ybor City.
When it comes to rap, Miami’s got the rep. And everyone knows that Atlanta has it big time. Tampa’s never boasted much of a hip-hop scene — at least not in the eyes of the New York/L.A.-based music industry. That hasn’t stopped nine local artists calling themselves the Umbrella Corporation from trying to change all that.
Several members of the crew, including the night’s headliner, Jersey, performed last Friday at Crowbar in Ybor City, not the typical venue for their brand of thug rap. In terms of showmanship and execution, each man proved capable. However, the subject matter rarely veered from the hardcore genre’s stock themes — with threats of bodily harm wearing thin by night’s end.
When Jersey finally arrived on stage around 1 a.m., he immediately alerted audience members that he was not a man to be messed with. The Tampa (by way of the Garden State) rapper who calls himself the “King of the 813,†blasted away with the requisite boasts and taunts. “Got a problem, nigga?†he snarled. “Then bust a move.â€
This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2007.
