“There’s a whole lot of 40-year-olds within the constructing tonight!” hosts Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds teased into the mic, because the viewers at B.B. King’s Blues Membership erupted into laughter.
They weren’t essentially incorrect both, as the group gathered final night time [December 3] have been there to honor and have a good time 20 years of rocking with Duck Down Music, rap’s undisputed primary indie label.
Having Rosenberg and Ciph (host of the long-running, acclaimed Juan Epstein podcast) narrate the event was as becoming because it was internet hosting the occasion at B.B. King’s. The venue holds the precarious stability of with the ability to accommodate a big crowd with out shedding the standard of intimacy, excellent for Duck Down’s vibe, with performances from Boot Camp Clik and extra, in addition to the night time doubling as a particular stay version of Juan Ep.
With a sofa, desk and turntable set-up occupying the stage—sandwiched in between two enormous projectors showcasing music movies from Duck Down’s spectacular catalog over time—this occasion wasn’t your common rap present. Fittingly, distinction to the norm for Hip-Hop occasions by no means operating on time, Duck Down had a packed home at 9pm for this great celebration.
“Y’all feeling distinguished ’n sh*t, sitting down at your tables,” Rosenberg and Ciph joked, “together with your girls, and your drinks by candlelight.”
Label co-founder Drew “Dru Ha” Friedman was the primary to bless the mic and kick off the night, diving proper into the historical past of Duck Down.
“These have been folks that have been placing different artists on,” Dru Ha mentioned, reflecting on labels similar to Unhealthy Boy, No Restrict and Loud Data, and what they have been doing throughout the period of the start of the Duck Down legacy. “These labels have been growing artists and we type of checked out it like the identical means, and mentioned, you understand what if we develop one thing, we will management it. And we will make it our personal motion and that’s what we did.”
With Black Moon taking to the stage first, performing classics similar to “Buck ‘Em Down,” and “How Many MCs,” the group began to loosen up and because the night went on, it started to really feel increasingly more just like the Hip-Hop household affair the Duck Down label is famend for cultivating.
“If it wasn’t for Hank Shocklee, we wouldn’t be up on this stage,” Buckshot mirrored after performing. “In the future, we bought the chance to buy our demo to Shocklee, so we hurried up over to MCA and we went to offer him our demo, and he was like, ‘I can’t test your demo proper now. I can’t hearken to it, however come again later and I’ll test it out.’ On our means out, there was a door open, so I walked contained in the room and I sat down. I mentioned, ‘Hey, the way you doin’, I’m right here for the job.’ And she or he checked out me like, ‘what are you speaking about?’ She goes, ‘We’re not hiring. Do you imply the internship.’ So I used to be like, ‘yeah, yeah!’ She goes, ‘Our internships are solely on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, are you out there Thursday?’ I walked out of there like ‘Oh my God, did that simply occur?!’ So Hank Shocklee let me intern for him for a few 12 months and after that we began placing our stuff out.’”
The remainder of the night adopted the identical system, with Q&A’s following every efficiency from the Duck Down roster, in-depth interviews protecting the historical past of the label and sharing the great instances. Dru Ha shared about educating Buckshot the best way to drive in change for being taught the best way to “rap higher” (the label founder’s authentic curiosity) and payed homage and tribute to the late, nice Sean Worth.
Tried and true all through the years, Duck Down is a collective the place “The following group is simply pretty much as good because the final group,” and with that introduction from Ciph and Rosenberg, Smif-N-Wessun have been as much as bat subsequent.
Smif-N-Wessun completely had the very best time commanding the mics, performing tracks like “I Love You” and “Let’s Get It On.” Following their efficiency, they joined in on the nostalgia kick, getting referred to as out for leaving out key particulars of a narrative, with Tek and Steele defending themselves saying, “Rappers are good writers, not the very best storytellers!”
The pair mirrored on how they selected their title, and the way they wished to provide you with somebody that while you noticed one member, you immediately considered the following, and landed on Smif-N-Wessun to explain them each. The dialog then took a foolish flip when Rosenberg and Tek shared an hilarious and semi-hostile second backstage, the place Rosenberg complimented Tek’s sweater. Tek’s response? “A grown man don’t inform one other grown man he likes his sweater with the shoulder patches! Sh*t’s not exhausting!”
The tales informed all through the night time have been as charming and enjoyable because the performers themselves. It’s clear with Duck Down it’s a household effort, and one constructed on bond and never expertise on the forefront.
“Once I first began out, I didn’t image a 20-year plan. I didn’t actually have a five-year plan!” Dru Ha mentioned, getting again into the historical past of the file label. “Proper now, we’re celebrating Duck Down 20, however we went again actually 22-23 years with Black Moon and Smif-N-Wessun. That was simply Duck Down administration. The Fab 5 on this stage, minus Sean P, relaxation in peace, ceaselessly Fab 5, that was the primary Duck Down Enterprises teams that we put out.”
“Proper off the bat we positively understood what Sean Worth delivered to the desk,” Dru Ha continued. “Internally, we had no doubteach one in all these MC’s had their very own set of expertise and we appreciated and revered all of them. However we had no doubts about Sean Worth.”
The celebration of Duck Down’s twentieth wouldn’t have been full with shining a lightweight on the profession accomplishments and sharing tales of Sean Worth, who tragically handed this August. With P! shirts scattered all through the viewers, and a few in attendance placing their lighters within the air, the love for Sean Worth was closely felt all through the constructing. The Duck Down camp additionally shared an emotional compilation video and spotlight reel, capturing a small a part of Worth’s legacy and essence, soundtracked to his observe “Mess U Made.”
“What you see is what you get,” Sean P mentioned, within the footage. “I’m a rapper to everyone else, however in right here, I’m a dad. I’m a father. A husband. I depart that rap shit outdoors!”
Bernadette Worth held it down for the P household, thanking everybody for his or her help and love in current months and shared about how they met in Brownsville, again at age 13.
When Rosenberg requested Bernadette if she was all the time conscious of the affect Sean would have, she responded, “Sure, I all the time conscious. He was conscious too. He knew what it was.”
“Sean was larger than anyone would consider,” Bernadette continued. “Now that he’s gone, everyone seems to be beginning to determine it out. He been good. He ain’t simply get good when he handed away. He mentioned, ‘after I’m gone everyone gonna love me. He wished to take action a lot music.” He wished to verify he had a legacy like Tupac. He made that quota. He sees, he’s wanting down, he’s nice. He did music to please the individuals. He did it for the love, he didn’t do it for the cash. He bought extra music coming quickly and I hope y’all gonna purchase it!” Bernadette mentioned, with a proud smile on her face.
The tribute continued with Illa Ghee and Your Outdated Droog rocking the mic subsequent, with Droog saying, “Sean P used to name me basic, man. He actually confirmed love. They are saying by no means meet your idols however when you meet Sean P, you received’t be upset.” The pair carried out Sean Worth’s “Bar-Barian” each with ardour and with everybody within the crowd rapping alongside.
Because the tribute went on, the particular friends continued pouring in, with performances and appearances by Rock of Heltah Skeletah, Pharoahe Monch, ninth Surprise, Skyzoo, Torae, Marco Polo, Ruste Juxx, Chelsea Reject, Raz Fresco, and final however not least, a particular blessing to the stage of epic proportions, KRS-One and DJ Kool Herc.
With everybody piled on stage, the quantity of expertise within the room was overwhelming to digest, however that’s Hip-Hop—the Duck Down means. Recognizing a number of twentieth anniversary posters (designed by Tanboys) being rigorously carried dwelling on the N-Prepare as I made my means dwelling to finish the night time, the phrases “Actual Hip-Hop” and no matter they might imply couldn’t depart my thoughts. As Rosenberg and Ciph mentioned, Duck Down has been the head of actual Hip-Hop since its inception and throughout the 20 12 months celebration, that was felt universally.
