Date: 24th April

Venue: King Tuts

I dragged The Calafornia Trouser Snake along for his first visit to King Tuts last night and what better way to break him in by letting him see a “Real” Hip Hop show provided by UD and their support, Giant Panda

Giant Panda are a band I am not familuar with, I only heard of them through Ugly Duckling and the fact that they were the support act. I don’t think the Duckling boys could have chosen a finer openner than the Panda. They new how to get the crowd going with some funky beats, funky bassline, fast rhyming and some funky dancing!!! I even saw “The Snake” nodding in approval in time with the music. Only two of them and no DJ to back them up, only a backing trach, but they were still, to quote a phrase I heard some young person say at the gig “Off Tha Hook”, which i pressume means something good

I don’t know enough about them to talk about the song titles ect, but they are definately a must listen to for any of you folk out there with a keen ear for the Hippidy Hop. I for one shall be purchasing their album.

10pm, a rather not so young looking Young Einstein (he has a goatee beard now, didn’t really recognise him at first) was standing behind the decks. Sunddely the Rocky theme starts up and Young Einstein cutting into it. A cheer goes up as the 6ft 7″ Andy Cooper comes striding on to the stage and starts rapping, he finishes and announces that the 3rd member of the duckling boys is a bit shy and needs some encouragement to come up on stage. Almost immediatley the “Dizzy, Dizzy” cheer comes up from the crowd and Dizzy Dustin takes to the stage and the group automatically launch into “Get Ready”.

Here is a Hip Hop outfit true to the form, they are not covered in “Bling Bling”, they are not surrounded by scantily clad women, they don’t have all of their “Homies” hang about the stage trying to intimidate the crowd, hell they don’t even use lots of swear words, they ain’t got musicians on stage, they are just two MC’s and 1 DJ, and by god they can entertain better than most bands!!!!

They like to poke fun at what Andy refers to “Gangsta Pop Ring Tone Rap”. At one point Dizzy comes back on stage wearing Bling, headgear and tries to act tough with the crowd before they launch into “Mr Tough Guy” which is all about these fake rappers that are more image than talent, you know who I am talking about!!!

Dizzy Goes Gangsta!

They give us the full hour and a bit show Pulling tracks from all there previous releases and the current long player “Bank for the Buck”.

“Just a little Samba”, “Turn It up” and “Pass it on were among my favorites. Of course we had to see Einstein arise from behind his decks super charged wearing wis legendary Golden Dookie Rope before launching into “Eye on the Gold Chain”.

I love this kind of show, I have said this before and I will continue to say it, this is what hip hop is about, its not your D12’s, your Naz ect, this is hip hop in its purest form, FUN!!!

Your DJ Formats, Jurassic 5s, Buck 65s, Blackalious are what Hip Hop is all about

Do yourself a favour check em out!

GI: “Still love hip hop when they are fillin’ my grave in”