Recap: Low End Theory With ?uestlove & Scoop Deville

By | September 4, 2012 at 1:27 pm | No comments | Featured Post, MUSIC, Recaps | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Infamous for their full throttle sound system, innovative DJ’s and tall boys of Pabst Blue Ribbon, the Low End Theory has established itself as the premier location for all things progressive when it comes to banging ass sub-sonics in Los Angeles. Originally low key and a members only type of thing, the Low End has blown the fuck up since then, and now that the hipsters have caught wind of the freshness, and guests like Erykah Badu and Thom Yorke of Radiohead make guest appearances on the 1’s and 2’s, the line into the venue can stretch around the block Do-Over style and entrance into the Airliner on a Wednesday night has become a coveted thing.

Flash forward to August 29th of the year 2012… it’s going to be another big night at the Low End. Tonight is special, and the line around the block started as early as 7 something O’Clock. The people are gathering because not only is up and coming producer Scoop Deville on deck with live beats, but ?uestlove, the afro-chic rocking drummer from the hip hop band, The Roots, is gonna get down with the get down on the wheels of steel next to the humble resident DJ’s which have paved the way for the Low End to grow into legend. Also featured on the line up is Colta and Cazal Organisms, two talented up and coming producers who are currently earning their stripes by cutting their beats from a different cloth.

Heads began filling the bar up before the music even started playing. DJ Nobody jumped the night off in traditional trill fashion, playing everything from wobbling Dub-Step synths to Trap House beats. Fellow resident DJ D-Styles jumped on next with some slick beat juggles and effortless scratching. The godfather Daddy Kev played after that, giving the audience a sneak preview of some mushroom jazz sounding slappers from beat guru Flying Lotus‘ next project, “Until the Quiet Comes.”

Resident host Nocando splashed the mic between sets with tenacity, dropping 16’s from out of his lyrical vaults and some freestyles, which included memorable lines like “get off my dick and go ride a fixie.”

After Daddy Kev did his thang thang, the featured guests started showcasing their skills, beginning with Colta, and followed by Cazal Organisms. Local favorites like Aspect One and Foci were in the house to check out their drops. After Cazal blessed the speakers, Scoop Deville stormed the stage.

The Get Busy Committee producer was accompanied by the west coast group, Pac-Div, who grabbed the mics and performed an amped up version of their latest Scoop Deville produced single, “Bank.” Wells-Fargo beware… this joint might just inspire some young heists. Scoop then proceeded to roll through his young catalogue, dropping the instrumental versions of his big hit songs like the Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z assisted “I Wanna Rock Remix” and the Kendrick Lamar summer anthem, “The Recipe.”

The crowd was feverish as Scoop Deville signed off and DJ Nobody manned the decks one more time before ?uestlove came and dropped heavy science for everyone who wanted more. The upstairs was so packed inside of the Airliner that the heat was oppressive, you could hear bar patrons murmuring that even their sweat was sweating… I must have lost at least 5 pounds from the perspiration.

When ?uestlove finally took over the turntables, he announced that this was his dream kind of DJ gig. The reason behind this was that he could play exactly what he wanted to, and didn’t have to worry about conforming to a promoter’s playlist. He said that everyone wants to know what he and his fellow members of The Roots were up to now that they play live for Jimmy Fallon on a regular basis and spend countless hours on the set of 30 Rock. ?uestlove told everyone that mostly The Roots spend their time in the green room, and that they knock out about 10 beats a day just chilling there. ?uest then blessed everyone by playing an entire performance worth of production work that damn near nobody in the game had heard before. The beats were soulful, jazzy, and exactly what you would expect from The Roots. Fans cheered between the transitions from beat to beat, excited by what they were hearing. ?uestlove dropped a couple little scratches and some beat juggles, but mostly let the new music speak for itself as fans fought the sweltering heat inside of the venue just to hear the exclusive freshness straight from the source.

You could break your neck from all of the head banging going on inside of the Airliner that night. The evening air had never felt so refreshing as I walked out of the Low End Theory after the performances. My shirt was dripping wet with sweat, but it was all worth it. The Low End had done it again and wrote another new chapter in the pages of Los Angeles bass. Make sure you stop by the Airliner on a Wednesday night if you have yet to be baptized by the sound system and caressed by the grooves which can only be found at a club night named after A Tribe Called Quest’s groundbreaking second album. No doubt the scenario will have you buggin’ out if you dig the vibes and stuff. It’s definitely worth an excursion into extraterrestrial funk.

-you know ya man’s Drop Jewelz
All photos by Jacqueline Cooper

© 2011 ILLSOCIETY Media Group LLC. All rights reserved.