Have no fear, St. Louis rap fans: December has many shows for you, both big and small, where you can rest your weary hip-hop head. Though some national acts can't be bothered to reschedule dates (cough, cough...Yeezy), other acts, like the much-anticipated Drake concert, have been securely rescheduled. Also look out for a few intimate and fun shows from some favorite locals. From Canadian (insert Canadian joke here) to St. Louis rap acts, December should light your hip-hop fire, just in time for the holidays.
Chance the Rapper with DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn at the Pageant December 8 8 p.m. / $20-22.50
Chance the Rapper first graced us with his presence as the opener for Childish Gambino in summer 2012. Now, as the young Chicago rapper makes a name for himself, he has his own tour, aptly titled the Social Experiment Tour (it seems he has an affinity for Lucy). Though Chance has gotten a lot of flack for his strange, youthful, maybe-white cadence, he's definitely a rapper to look out for.
And don't forget about DJs Rashad and Spinn, two big Chicago producers in the juke and booty house genre. Not exactly sure what that means, but whatever it is will probably get your booty bumpin'.
Drake with Miguel and Future at the Scottrade Center December 11 7 p.m. / $26.50-96.75
On the heels of his new album, Nothing Was The Same, famed Drake (or as many still refer to him, Jimmy from Degrassi) comes through St. Louis on a rescheduled tour date from October 8. An official member of Team YOLO and Weezy's mentee, Drake usually spits about the same things most rappers do -- riches, fame, relationships -- but with a distinctively brooding, nostalgic and melancholy tone. If you don't know Drake by now, then you probably don't really care about hip-hop and shouldn't be reading this article.
DJ Mahf with DJ Uptown and Deadasdisco at the Gramophone December 20 9 p.m. / free
Mmmm... free. Need we say more? Local DJ Mahf won RFT's "Best Hip Hop DJ" in 2013, and has shared the stage with numerous hip hop heavyweights, including Snoop Dogg, Tech N9NE, Talib Kweli, DJ Z-Trip and most of Rhymesayers Entertainment. His sound is fairly funky; mixing hip-hop and rock samples with his own produced beats. Arrive early at the Gramophone's monthly Mass Appeal series to catch local openers DJ Uptown and Deadasdisco.
Illphonics "Unplugged" at the Kranzberg Arts Center Studio December 27 8 p.m. / $10
Want to hear hip-hop fusion done right? Local pioneers, Illphonics, are playing their first ever "unplugged" event this month, after the release of their self-titled sophomore album. Though rap and rock can sometimes be hard to blend, the band does it tastefully, coupling the instrumentation of keys, guitar, drums and bass with the rhythmic storytelling of front man and emcee Fallout Morris.
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