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<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nBetter late than never, but we were in the building when Sage The Gemini<\/a>, IAMSU!<\/a> and the HBK gang<\/a> from the Bay came down to LA & took over the Echoplex in Echo Park this past October the 18th. Safe to say, it was hella turnt up; a ratchet-fest in fact. But what else might one expect when the Bay’s in the building?<\/p>\n To our knowledge, it was their first big show in LA.<\/p>\n For those unfamiliar, Sage The Gemini is who’s been shaking the airwaves with that notorious club slapper everyone’s doing their best Miley impression to as of recent, “Red Nose.”<\/em> & IAMSU! you might remember from, if not anything else, his appearance alongside the Bay god E-40 & Bompton’s finest, YG, on last summer’s twerk anthem “Function.”<\/em><\/p>\n Speaking of YG, for those of you who haven’t heard of HBK, you can almost think of them as a more fashion forward, Bay version of the Pushaz Ink Crew. They’re a group of friends making turn up with a more eclectic edge than what’s spinning on the major radio waves.<\/p>\n When we stepped in, the standing room was far from full, but the heads in the house (which was a nice mob of 200 to 350 people) were all packing the front of the stage. Power 106’s DJ Carisma<\/a> was spinning the finest of ratchet hits and IAMSU was about to grab the mic.<\/p>\n Through the grapvine, we learned we had just missed a breezy set from HBK member Kool John<\/a> who rocked the spot with below-the-radar bangers (most notably his lowkey hit, “Full of Dat Weed”<\/em>) off his overlooked mixtape, Peace, Love & Shmoplife<\/strong>, as well as the L.A. bred Finatticz<\/a> who apparently had the whole spot bouncing with their now notorious hit, “Drop That Thun Thun.”<\/em> But luckily our photographer arrived in time to hold us down! <\/p>\n IAMSU (wearing a t-shirt reading “Been Hyphy” in that signature drippy drug font acts such as Been Trill & Flatbush Zombies have made popular) then stepped to center stage and opened with his verse from his recent club-hit with Loverance, “Up.” Bouncing around the stage and at one point jumping down to rap in the crowd, he tore the speakers open with cuts from his mixtapes Kilt<\/strong>, Kilt II<\/strong>, and $uzy 6 $peed<\/strong>. Highlights included bringing out Sage The Gemini, to boom the crowd with their jawn, “Return of the Mac”<\/em> and a special guest appearance from Tennessee’s underground star Yo Gotti<\/a> to perform his hit banger, “Act Right,”<\/em> which had much of the crowd screamin’. That was an ill surprise.<\/p>\n This was after a brief interlude in which the whole HBK flooded the stage and led the crowd in the “J-12 dance” (associated with Clyde Carson’s “Slow Down.”) Like we said, the night was hella turnt.<\/p>\n After Gotti finished, Sage stepped up to the mic to drop a few bass-heavy jams from his Gas Pedal EP<\/strong>, before he let IAMSU step back in and rock a few more tracks, including previously mentioned ratchet anthem, “Function,”<\/em> which everyone seemed to know and every woman in the house’s booty seemed to love.<\/p>\n Sage then stepped back up to perform his notorious hit, “Red Nose,”<\/em> during which members from the HBK had a few women on stage “yiking” (the latest Bay dance craze) to. Sage & Su then both closed the set out with “Gas Pedal.”<\/em><\/p>\n After the sets were finished, HBK proceeded to dance to whatever their DJ played for almost an hour, climaxing at Mac Dre’s<\/strong> “Feelin’ Myself”<\/em> which seemed to summon the spirit of the late Bay legend throughout the entire venue.<\/p>\n End note, it was a beautiful little night of bouncing bubble butts, ratchet raps, and bass that rattled every inch of the speakers it was pouring out of. <\/p>\n In our opinion, the Bay’s welcome to come party in LA anytime. We wish more Angelinos came out to show love. Hopefully next time, we’ll see you there.<\/p>\n Shout out the homies at Check Yo Ponytail 2<\/a>for bring down the Bay to LA and putting together a ill show!<\/p>\n Til then, be peace, be turnt, be free. –Absent Avery<\/a><\/p>\n All photos shot by Favian Fernandez<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n
\nOne love & all’at.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n