A Monthly Bondfire @ Bowery Poetry Club

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to a true Hip Hop show in Manhattan. DJ TastyKeish (of WBAI 99.5 FM's "Rise Up Radio" show airing Friday nights) informed me of "A Monthly Bondfire: Mic Open & Concert Series" which is a monthly Hip Hop show that has been taking place at Manhattan's Bowery Poetry Club since 2008 (308 Bowery btw Houston & Bleeker). I would like to personally thank DJ TastyKeish (www.Twitter.com/TastyKeish) for the invite because what I was able to witness last night was what I've been searching for since moving to Brooklyn at the beginning of 2008: REAL HIP HOP.

Bondfire is essentially a forum for budding, underground emcees to take the stage and show and prove their skills/talent. What's special about this particular open mic is that not just any kid with a pen and a pad can grab a mic and perform. You have to truly be a Master of Ceremonies to grace the Bondfire stage. I've been to quite a few open mic events in my day and the majority of the performers lack the skills to actually emcee. Most open mic MCs utterly fail at the art of Ceremony Mastery and I usually leave such events disappointed and upset about the lack of talent in the underground. Last night was an exceptionally different experience for me.

When I entered the Bowery Poetry Club at about 10:20 PM, I assumed I'd be the only person there 'cause, let's be real, Hip Hop shows NEVER begin at their scheduled time. Much to my surprise and delight, the crowd was already packed and the show began on time at 10:30 PM. DJ TastyKeish and The Bronx Uber Villain (www.Twitter.com/BXUberVillain) shared hosting duties and DJ Boosh Wheelz (www.Twitter.com/DJBooshWheelz) represented on the 1s & 2s. One can usually determine if a show's gonna be ILL based upon the crowd's energy. I don't care if Jay-Z is rockin' in the middle of Marcy givin' out free gold Roc-A-Fella medallions!!! If the crowd isn't energetic and participating in the show, then the show is gonna suck worse than the NJ Nets. The crowd at the Bowery Poetry Club last night was packed wall-to-wall with true HipHoppas. There was a good mix of ladies and fellas and they were all committed to experiencing Hip Hop last night. Their energy was high and their participation was live!!!

The format of Bondfire is to have a few scheduled acts perform and in between the mic is open for local talent to flex their muscle on the microphone. There was no delays and the show moved right on schedule. Of the local talent to hit the stage last night, I was truly impressed by Final Outlaw (www.Twitter.com/FinalOutlaw), YC The Cynic (www.Twitter.com/YCtheCynic), Eboi Da Rebel (www.Twitter.com/eboidarebel) and Premonition (www.Twitter.com/Premonition1). I suggest checkin' their Twitter pages and then linking to their web sites for more info on them. They definitely rocked the mic right.

The headliners of the event last night were My Brother's Keeper, a Bronx trio consisting of emcees Skallah, Tzo, and Thinker (www.Twitter.com/MyBrothersKeep) and the sultry and exotic female vocalist Raye 6 (www.Twitter.com/Raye6). Both headlining acts showcased their talents on stage exhibiting true star power. Raye 6 was accompanied by the lovely Bubble Girls who complimented Raye 6's over-the-top sexual stage presence with their erotic dance sequences. I've never seen Raye 6 live before, but she's been referred to as the female Prince. I would agree that this is an accurate comparison, to say the least. Her sexy performance was just the icing on the cake though. Despite all the wildness that occurred on stage, Raye 6 has an amazing voice and vocal range. She's one hell of a singer. Be sure to check her web site and download her new mixtape at: http://www.raye6.net/ . Peep some of her performance below:

In the midst of all the REAL Hip Hop that was occurring around me, there were six artists hittin' the easels hard to the right of the stage. They were interacting with the performances and audience members could discuss their work and even purchase the pieces after the show. The piece you see to the left was done by Ignite Designs (http://www.myspace.com/269622230). I was really feelin' this joint 'cause it would have gone perfectly in my living room. Unfortunately, it was a little pricey for someone who just quit his job!! Haha.


On my cab ride home at about 2:00 AM, I was smiling at an event that was successful and most importantly entertaining. From the backpackers in the crowd pumpin' their fists and rhyming along with the emcees to the sexy style of Raye 6 and the Bubble Girls, A Monthly Bondfire at the Bowery Poetry Club was an excellent venue to experience REAL Hip Hop as opposed to all the BULLSHIT that surrounds us flowing steadily out of every media outlet possible. I'll most definitely be attending next month's Bondfire to listen to the all the talent that Hip Hop's birthplace still has to offer the real fans who lurk in the sewers of the "NY Shitty" Underground.

Word is Bond... FIRE.