It’s always hard to see a good man on his way down, especially one who once showed as much fresh potential as Aceyalone. When the versatile lyricist first emerged from East L.A. in ’91 as one spit-shined quarter of jazzy sensation Freestyle Fellowship, he and fellow MCs Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E. and Self Jupiter were “free flow” pioneers in an age when gangsta rap overwhelmingly ruled the West Coast (led by OGs like Dr. Dre and Snoop). Aceyalone’s erratic rhythm and playful delivery set new standards on the mic — in fact, Fellowship albums To Whom it May Concern and Innercity Griots are two of the most under-recognized and influential works of hip-hop’s golden era, as they launched an entire generation of conscious imitators.
Though Ace did lose a little Fellowship freakiness upon going solo in 1995, All Balls Don’t Bounce still glowed with his signature style and wit. After leaving Capitol and creating his own record label (Project Blowed Recordings, home to such talents as Busdriver and Phoenix Orion), he dropped his second solo project, accompanied by producer Mumbles. His 1998 album A Book of Human Language explored the inner workings of his twisted mind with rhymes only a master could lay down and an intricate theme only the reigning king of the left coast underground could pull off.
Since 2000’s collaboration with Abstract Rude (together they formed the hit squad A-Team) and the duo’s joint release with Mikah 9 (as Haiku D’Etat), Ace has been releasing more solo material than ever — but as usual, quantity hasn’t always meant quality. Accepted Eclectic was a disappointing follow-up to Human Language and definitely had bragging-without-backup syndrome, a disease that plagues most rappers at one point or another but was still an unfortunate turn in such a talented career. 2003’s Hip Hop and the World We Live In got a little funk back, but it wasn’t enough to save a drowning MC.
Enter RJD2, experimental DJ who toots his own horn and starts a computer nerd’s musical revolution with debut album Dead Ringer. Aceyalone recruits the producer for a couple tracks on Love and Hate (not even RJ could save that album) and apparently the two hit it off — after RJ’s Since We Last Spoke and a collaboration with Blueprint (Soul Position) — out popped February’s Magnificent City, featuring the pair.
The beats are large, the rhymes are not. RJ really went all out on the backdrop, perhaps forgetting there was an aging guy on the mic getting dragged out behind him. Only on those more familiar, simple drumbeats is Aceyalone able to catch up to his counterpart and take us back to the days when he commanded the audience’s undivided attention.
It’s always a mystery how recorded material will translate to the stage — it’s hard to imagine the latter chunk of the album, which consists of long, drawn-out instrumentation and downer vocals, getting the crowd very hyped up. A few songs, namely the raucous “Cornbread, Eddy and Me” and bouncy party jams “Disconnected” and “All For U,” will serve the live purpose perfectly, but as for the rest of the performance, there seems to be no choice except to bring out some old mashed-up material.
Mile-a-minute ball of energy Busdriver is scheduled to accompany the pair, and will no doubt help pull Acey out of his rut and lend himself to the betterment of the show by diverging from the album. Busdriver seems better suited for RJ’s eclectic environment, filling in the gaps that otherwise would loom if the two headliners were left alone to flounder.
Though Aceyalone isn’t at his best on Magnificent City and hasn’t been delivering quite like he used to, maybe that shouldn’t be enough to completely overshadow such an impressive resume. A live show could be just the opportunity he needs to prove he’s still the performer he always was, and the ink just hasn’t been flowing out of his pen the same way lately — or perhaps it doesn’t matter, because it will be RJD2 the kiddies flock to Porter’s to see. He’s without Ace’s illustrious history, but a hell of a lot hipper.
RJD2 and Aceyalone will perform at Porter’s Pub on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.
Free with UCSD student ID
