Thug Friends Thug Friends are hard to get a handle on. They said it themselves (again and again) when they repeated, "We are not rappers," but William H joined them onstage. They mixed semi-serious jokes about Tupac with a sarcastic attack on their lazier listeners ("Even you bowlegged bitches in the back, get your hands up.") all while taking on lyrics about a turtleneck. There was sass, to be sure, but there was also lip synching, a reality the group's female member took few pains to hide. Key moment: The group's most polarizing track -- an anthem entirely about "titties" -- set a multitude of women off in search of another stage while vehemently shaking their heads.
Ruka Puff This will be a surprise to approximately no one, but Ruka Puff kind of killed it. If you don't believe us, consider the middle-aged dude in a Beatles shirt next to us who freaked out through the majority of the St. Louis legend's set. With his pants really low (no seriously, how did they even stay on?), his tattooed stomach fully out and his red mohawk at arms, Ruka Puff was rowdy, rapacious and at times R-rated -- basically just the way we like him. He and his fellow rappers filled the set with warrior faces perfectly timed to match the most aggressive lines. Key moment: The most intimidating lyrics were also met with Ruka's version of a choreographed dance, a scary, synchronized sway during which the group stared down the audience.
Teresajenee If you managed to miss this set, we pity you. Teresajenee was bespectacled and humble in her lace-up boots as she unleashed stunning lyrics that paralleled an autobiographic insight into the city and an independent spirit. Jenee spits and sings in equal measure in a mix that is as comforting as it can be surprising. Backed and sometimes fronted by the equally worthwhile Black Spade, Jenee's too-short set ended with a call-out for listeners to support independent music and a quick but sincere "Thank you." Key moment: Black Spade focused a good section of his lyrics directly on local experimental artist Adult Fur, standing in the front row, in an almost romantic gesture.
The Beat Battle The night featured its fair share of battles, both planned and otherwise, but we're going to go ahead and say this one was the toughest to miss. It was also the easiest to groove to as its 12 producers unloaded their sharpest creations on the largest audience to collect at the Xraylibra stage during the night so far. The battle's hosts started the night with a misinformed (foreshadowing) shout-out to the event's previous winners, Total Kaos by saying, "You know how an eye-for-eye battle goes. We all take on our beats and then Total Kaos wins. Seriously, it's not fair. We need to split them in half and make them battle each other."
Actually, we don't. In a surprise upset, Total Kaos, one of whom was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt, was knocked out by the three judges in the first round, leaving the remainder of the battle up to a series of tough decisions and tie-breaker rounds of audience appreciation. The eventual winner, JBJR, earned the comparisons the crowd gave him to "Jesus music" with a hearty and unpredictable mash-up of heavy electronica and gritty rhythm, but the final round came close. The night's runner-up, Acedeuce, was a stone-faced teen whose threatening backbeats matched the Spartan attitude that might have ended his final chances. JBJR left the night with $300 and a trophy in addition to the knowledge that he knocked down a bold set of assailants. Key moment: The best part here might have been watching the number of people who flocked to JBJR and Acedeuce for phone numbers as they left the stage.
