Words: Miljan Milekić
Lately, with very few exceptions, it seems like every artist I’ve gotten to see live was someone I have a history with. A band I have been following for years or sometimes decades, or artists we have been extensively covering or interviewing on these pages. This show, however, was not one of those. I also realized I was never a real hip hop guy. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved hip hop since I was in my early teens, a quarter of a century ago, but growing up in Southeast Europe meant that I was exposed to almost exclusively big mainstream names, and had to work hard for access to the underground, especially on the West Coast. So, what the fuck was I doing at this show?
Enter Codefendants – Ceschi Ramos and Sam King. A massive fan of both Get Dead and NOFX, I started following the new band since the very beginning and was instantly hooked. This April, after their Saskatoon show, I sat down with Sam and Ceschi for an interview, and once we got to their collaborators, influences, and inspirations, the names started dropping. Awol One, The Shape Shifters, Project Blowed, Gel Roc, The Cloaks, Freestyle Fellowship, Myka 9, and many others. Except, in these words, I didn’t see a list – I saw homework.
Fast forward to August 15th at Saskatoon’s Amigos Cantina, ID Obelus was hitting the stage, kicking off one of the best hip hop shows I’ve been to in years. With Rove on decks, the Indiana MC brought his signature “art rap” style and clever lyrics, on the edge of slam poetry. Once the tone for the night was set, it was time for Gel Roc to take the stage and bring things across the continent to the West Coast. Deeply rooted in Project Blowed legacy, it didn’t take him long to get the crowd going, with my personal favorites being ‘Lean In’ and ‘Out of Style, Out of Service.’
Once AWOL One entered the stage, it felt like the vibes shifted a bit. He started off with ‘The Machines Are Taking Over,’ a Codefendants collab and a track from his latest project ‘The Punkrock Drummachines.’ As soon as the first few bars kicked in, even the pockets of the crowd that had been reserved during previous sets got fully engaged, and once the exchange of energy started, there was no going back. AWOL One’s catalogue is as eclectic as it’s extensive, and it was fun watching him bounce between different styles and eras of his career.
Tracks like ‘Agony,’ ‘Patience,’ and ‘Waiting For My Ruca,’ his tribute to legendary Sublime, proved to be fan-favourites, with another Codef collab – ‘No Fighting On A Dance Floor’ blended effortlessly with his older stuff. At one point, even Rove got to take a quick breather during the night of double – and triple-shifting, as AWOL One brought Saskatoon’s own hip hop legend, Factor Chandelier, to the stage for a few songs, including ‘Stand Up’ from their collaborative album ‘Owl Hours.’
Rove’s return to the stage marked the next chapter in the night. Earlier this year, AWOL One, ID Obelus and Rove linked for a collaborative album under the Fresh A.I.R. moniker. “This is the first time three of us perform these songs on stage,” ID Obelus shared at one point, adding with a smile, “So don’t be too hard on us.” No need for apologies, as the energy was there all along, especially in songs like ‘Materialism’ and ‘Rap Rap Music.’ And if someone was there to count mistakes, they were in the wrong place.
The very end of the show saw Gel Roc once again tagging in for ID Obelus, this time reuniting with AWOL One under The Cloaks banner. The chemistry the two artists share on stage was contagious, quickly sucking everyone in and forcing them to spend whatever energy they had left. “There is one thing computers can do. One thing AI will never be able to replace,” the duo shared, while fist-bumping, high-fiving, and hugging fans in front rows, ”That thing is human touch.”
The biggest crowd reaction of the night came in just before the curtain drop, when they delivered ‘Rhythm,’ a song that got everyone moving. Here I also wanted to shout out the crowd, as it was so refreshing to see all the hands in the air, and almost none of them holding a cell phone. It almost made me forgive AWOL One for wearing a Dodgers hat. Almost. That Game Seven still hurts.
