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How do you get hundreds of hip-hoppers out of their warm homes on a blustery New York City night? |Bring the Native Tongues originators the Jungle Brothers, Afrika Bamabataa and the Rock Steady Crew to the Bowery Ballroom for a night of beats, breaks and British-influenced hip-hop music.
The legendary Jungle Brothers, considered to be two of hip-hop's
most eminent performers, have been embracing the British jungle
scene for over a decade. Their newest album, a compilation with
England's Propellerheads, Straight Up Good Times With No
Chaser (Gee Street), dropped this month, and the Jungle
Brothers took it live for the first time Tuesday night, January 25.
Hosted by Zulu Nation's Afrika Bambaataa and accompanied by
legendary breakdancers The Rocksteady Crew, the JBs surprised
audience members that hadn't yet heard their new global-fusion
approach to hip-hop. The audience seemed to flow with the mixture
of old hits and new creations, but the e-listeners seemed more
taken aback by the new approach.
Because the show was sponsored by a mile-long list of dot-coms, it was broadcast live on platform.net. The message board was full of listeners trying to figure out where the JBs were going with the new album. "Yo, what the hell is the deal? I can't figure out what the new album is" and, "The JBs need to get back to the 'Girl I'll House You' vibe" were some of their comments. But the JBs seemed to anticipate this reaction, explaining on their Web page, www.junglebrothers.com, that they're concentrating on taking hip-hop global. And loyal listeners spoke up in defense: "They are breaking new ground, son. You need to expand your mind."
The Jungle Brothers have been known in the past for their upbeat and original performances. Although they still performed with their trademark energy, their moves seemed too routine and contrived and lacked the spontaneity that makes hip-hop real.
Kristin Cleary