Neck of the Woods on Clement Street is one of the better spots to catch a small show for a dedicated few hundred people who actually came to listen. I've recently caught hardcore punk bands like Soul Glo and Zulu there, but they also have great nights for hip hop fans. We recently covered Wav Forum, a monthly beatmaking showcase, in a previous issue, and caught Blu and Exile at this same venue in 2022 when they celebrated the 15th anniversary of their classic album Below the Heavens.
On Friday, Blu & Exile came back for an album release party for their new record Time Heals Everything. Neck of the Woods is right in the neighborhood, so I had no excuse not to walk over to the venue and check it out. As I headed upstairs, I could already hear the familiar soundtrack of a hip hop show warming up: Royce da 5'9"'s "Boom."
Jay Midnight, a DJ out of San Mateo and founder of Run the Record, was on stage getting the crowd warmed up, playing classics like MF DOOM's "Accordion" and Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Part II." Yeah, it's predictable and we all know they're coming, but it's a necessary ritual. I had just gotten up off the couch about 15 minutes ago, so I needed it.
Sirplus and Jay Midnight @ Neck of the Woods, Source: The Fogline (FoglineSF.com)
Some people show up late for shows like this, and just go for the headliner. I prefer showing up early and connecting the dots between everyone on the bill. I often find they have interesting backstories and side projects. For example, early in the evening Sirplus did a set on the SP-404. He is a producer out of Orange County who collaborated with Exile on his debut instrumental LP Squares.
Later came Dregs One, who made it clear this was an SF show. He repped the city in Giants and 49ers gear, and his songs referenced Bay Area legends like Spice 1 and San Francisco landmarks like Sutro Tower. I was familiar with him from his History of the Bay podcast, which you can watch on YouTube.
Passwurz @ Neck of the Woods, Source: The Fogline (FoglineSF.com)
Passwurdz from Oakland was next. He is a battle rap veteran with a reputation for precise flow and dense material. He also runs Rap Off Battles, a project that animates rap battles as cartoons on Instagram, and has a studio album called Flowers.
Dibia$e came out next, wearing an old school Mitch Richmond Warriors jersey. Late in his set, I glanced to my left and noticed Exile standing right next to me, watching and nodding along. I thought about saying something, started to turn, then decided to leave it. Let the man enjoy the music. Shortly after, he walked right up on stage to perform with Blu.
Blu & Exile @ Neck of the Woods, Source: The Fogline, FoglineSF.com
When Blu and Exile took the stage, some of my favorite moments were actually when Blu stepped back from the mic and just performed beats on his Akai MPC. He is a genuinely underrated producer and seeing it up close was a good reminder of that. At one point he played a beat built around "fuck Trump, fuck ICE" samples that got a strong reaction from the crowd. He posted a clip of it on his Instagram.
At one point Blu paused and asked the crowd who their favorite MC was. Someone called out his name, which he brushed off. Someone else said Black Thought, and he gave a shout out to Black Thought. Then he said his own favorite was Planet Asia, who came up on stage alongside Latoya Lain, and both jumped on the mic for a few bars. Exile kept the beats going while Planet Asia performed, with Blu stepping back to let him have the moment.
Planet Asia and Latoya Lain @ Neck of the Woods, Source: The Fogline (FoglineSF.com)
The set pulled from both old and new, with songs off Time Heals Everything mixed in with classics from Below the Heavens. One highlight was "The Narrow Path." At some point (and I'll admit I was a bit faded by this point), Exile seemed to switch the beat mid-song over to a track from Mos Def while Blu continued rapping over it seamlessly. I can’t recall what track it was from, but it worked.
You can stream or buy Time Heals Everything on Bandcamp.