Music

Kendrick Lamar is blowing my mind

by Darcy MacDonald

And so is Osheaga’s hip hop programming. See the line-up details and this weekend’s top shows & parties here.

shineI’m a little out of the loop, friends, as I’ve been high in the Himalayas, staring directly into the sun and reflecting on every note of To Pimp a Butterfly, from memory, so as not to be distracted whatsoever with physical vibrations.

Someday perhaps I’ll share what I discover. Until then I’ll leave you to the ocean of overly verbose think pieces  on the topic already afloat out there in the abyss.

Meanwhile, here’s where the rap is at on terra firma this weekend.

Friday: NYC’s Jean Grae speaks at Concordia this afternoon, in conversation with MF Gold, followed by a show at le Belmont at night. Also on the bill is L.A.’s Bambu, who killed it in November opening for Brother Ali at Phi Centre, as well as beatsmith Freddie Joachim. Today should be a good day. Talk at 1455 de Maisonneuve W., 6:30, $10.30, show at le Belmont, 10 p.m., $30

Saturday: Let’s do it all over again with the man, the myth, the God MC — Rakim — who parlays with Narcicyst at McGill before puttin’ it on at le Belmont. Talk at 855 Sherbrooke W., 5 p.m., $10, show at 4483 St-Laurent, 11 p.m., $30 ($35 for both, $30 for students)

Osheaga heads-up: Hip hop programming at this year’s mega-fest, which started rolling out confirmed acts earlier this week, is shaping into the best-ever. Kendrick Lamar has been announced as a headliner alongside Nas, with Tyler the Creator and Action Bronson added to a bill that had already included Run the Jewels and Schoolboy Q. Also, I’m going off the dome right now and certain I am forgetting something.

More announcements are to come but fans of all these heavy hitters should start saving their ducats.

Also, a jolly welcome back to all the naysaying, anti-fest douchebags who have never attended and yet somehow feel compelled to come out of the woodwork around this time of year to tell everyone how corporate and lame Osheaga is. Have fun running your tabs at Barfly that weekend while the rest of us party together and love life for a minute between the anger and bills. ■
 
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Posted in Music

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.