May17

Wil Blades - Undercover Presents ATCQ Midnight Marauders

Yerba Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California

UnderCover Presents is honoring A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders, an album that bridged the gap between hip-hop and jazz. The show takes place May 16-18, 2019 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Given that both YBCA and this album celebrated their 25th anniversaries, UnderCover felt it appropriate to continue to introduce this classic record to new audiences. Not to mention that the messages embedded in this album continue to echo resoundingly as we witness all that is taking place in the world.

With this tribute, UnderCover and YBCA aim to reflect the spirit of Midnight Marauders by incorporating elements from all four pillars of hip-hop: DJing, MCing, Writing (graffiti) and B-Boying (breakdancing), along with the minimalism and free-forming nature of the jazz instrumentation. The institutionalized racism and classism that A Tribe Called Quest was grappling with when this album was released, is still being played out today, from border walls to prison bars. By hosting this tribute, we invite the audience to think about the way that hip hop (and this album, specifically) might break down these barriers and serve as a door to greater equality and unity.

  1. Midnight Marauders Tour Guide - Special Guest TBA
  2. Steve Biko (Stir It Up) - Awesöme Orchestra Collective feat. RyanNicole (Orchestral)
  3. Award Tour - LA GENTE SF + Awesöme Orchestra Collective (World Music/Cumbia/Reggaeton)
  4. 8 Million Stories - Gina Madrid ft. Jennifer Johns (Latin/Hip Hop)
  5. Sucka N*gga - MJ's Brass Boppers feat. Karega (New Orleans Jazz/R&B/Soul)
  6. Midnight - Wolf & Crow (Indie Folk)
  7. We Can Get Down - Royal Jelly Jive (Rock/Soul)
  8. Electric Relaxation - Wil Blades feat. MC All-Stars (Funk)
  9. Clap Your Hands - Ghost & The City feat. RyanNicole (Future Soul)
  10. Oh My God – Skip The Needle (Alternative Rock/Funk)
  11. Keep It Rollin – Terrence Brewer feat. Gift of Gab & D Wolf (Jazz)
  12. The Chase, Part II - Starita feat. Aima the Dreamer, RyanNicole, & Terra Lopez (Electronic/Dance)
  13. Lyrics to Go - Rav-E Sandhu feat. Lateef the Truthspeaker & Gift of Gab (Bhangra)
  14. God Lives Through - Lagos Roots feat. Jennifer Johns (Afrobeat)