Next month, the Grouch reprises his holiday tradition, the “How the Grouch Stole Christmas” tour. Accompanying him on this ride will be DJ Fresh, with opening performances from Fashawn & Exile and Mistah F.A.B.

• 12/02: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
• 12/03: Bluebird, Denver, CO
• 12/04: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO
• 12/05: Fusion Nightclub, Santa Fe, NM
• 12/06: Chasers, Scottsdale, AZ
• 12/07: Belly Up, San Diego, CA
• 12/08: Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara, CA
• 12/09: Downtown Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA
• 12/10: Slim’s, San Francisco, CA
• 12/11: Avalon, San Jose, CA
• 12/12: Empire Events Center, Sacramento, CA
• 12/13: Humbrew, Arcata, CA
• 12/14: WOW Hall, Eugene, OR
• 12/15: Backspace, Portland, OR
• 12/16: Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA
• 12/18: The Underground, Reno, NV
• 12/19: Bar 24, South Lake Tahoe, NV

12/02-12/19: w/DJ Fresh, Mistah F.A.B., Fashawn & Exile

What’s a Living Legends album without a tour? Next month, the Grouch & Eligh will celebrate their forthcoming Say G&E! with a tour across the Western United States. Hipsters cavorting at SXSW this week and heads making the pilgrimage to the Paid Dues Festival next Saturday get a sneak preview.

• 3/18: Back Alley Social, Austin, TX
• 3/19: Gruv, Austin, TX
• 3/28: NOS Events Center, San Bernardino, CA
• 4/21: Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara, CA
• 4/22: Downtown Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA
• 4/24: Avalon, Santa Clara, CA
• 4/25: Slim’s San Francisco, CA
• 4/26: The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
• 4/29: Mazzoti’s, Arcata, CA
• 5/01: Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
• 5/02: Berbati’s Pan, Portland, OR
• 5/03: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
• 5/04: The Otherside, Missoula, MT
• 5/05: Neurolux, Boise, ID
• 5/06: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
• 5/08: Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
• 5/09: Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
• 5/10: Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO
• 5/12: Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
• 5/13: Club Congress, Tucson, AZ
• 5/14: Green Room, Flagstaff, AZ
• 5/15: The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ
• 5/16: Canes, San Diego, CA
• 5/17: Key Club, Los Angeles, CA
• 5/18: The Glasshouse, Pomona, CA

3/18-3/19: SXSW
3/28: Paid Dues Festival
4/21-5/18: w/Afro Classics, Jo Wilkinson
4/21-4/26: w/Exile
5/01-5/06, 5/10-5/15, 5/17-5/18: w/Gift of Gab
5/12-5/16: w/edIT
5/17-5/18: w/Rootbeer

Photo by Stephen Brooks.

On April 7, Living Legends the Grouch and Eligh add another chapter to their ongoing G&E partnership with Say G&E!

Set for release via Legendary Music, Say G&E features guest appearances from Slug, Gift of Gab, Pigeon John, Mistah F.A.B., the ubiquitous Blu and Sage Francis. Eligh handles most of the production, with a handful of beats coming from Flying Lotus, Amplive and Rick Rock.

And now for the bio:

For anyone who’s heard The Grouch’s recent work, it’s clear that the southland rapper –who now resides part-time in Hawaii–has moved beyond the average emcee. On “All In” where The Grouch and Eligh, along with Gift of Gab and Pigeon John rap about standing by the proverbial river and jumping in with both feet and giving everything to the hustle in life and music, without flinching, not to mention a notably infectious hook. On the title anthem track “SAY G&E!,” the pair recall their early days as struggling artists over a mesmerizing, synthesized beat.

These two aren’t afraid to tackle serious topics either. On tracks like “Denial” and “River Runs Dry” the two contemplate transcendent signature issues with a maturity and depth that is often untapped in the world of hip-hop. “There’s a lot of manning up that’s been done by Eligh and myself recently,” says The Grouch. “We’ve got some heavy stuff on the album.” …

As a founding member of the original D.I.Y. collective, The Living Legends, The Grouch has been at the forefront of the west coast’s independent rap movement for over a decade. Outside the Legends, The Grouch has released 7 solo efforts including Fuck the Dumb (2000), Crusader for Justice (2003) and No More Greener Grasses (2004), and Heroes in the City of Dope (2006) with Bay Area stalwarts Zion I, among others.

For those who heard The Grouch’s 2008 Show You the World or have seen the “Bay to LA” featured in a National TV commercial for PSP/Playstation, it’s clear that this emcee will continue to be a permanent fixture on the independent music landscape. Undoubtedly, 2008 was The Grouch’s breakout year: Show You The World garnered accolades by critics at The Source, XLR8R, and URB, to name a few. In addition, the video for “Artsy” was played on MTV, MTV2, and got over 600,000 plays on Youtube.

(April 2 update: The release date has been changed to April 21.)

• 1. “Intro” (feat. Mystic)”
• 2. “Say G&E”
• 3. “Push On (Push Up)”
• 4. “Old Souls” (feat. Blu)
• 5. “!Boom!” (feat. Slug from Atmosphere)
• 6. “Denial”
• 7. “I Know You Wanna Feel”
• 8. “Teach Me The Way”
• 9. “All In” (feat. Gift of Gab & Pigeon John)
• 10. “Do It Again” (feat. DJ Fresh)
• 11. “Rivers Run Dry”
• 12. “No Flowers” (feat. Paris Hayes)
• 13. “Comin’ Up” (feat. Mistah F.A.B.)
• 14. “Worried About The World” (feat. Mike Marshall & Sage Francis)
• 15. “Sign Of the Times” (feat. Mark Bell)

The Grouch and Eligh, “Say G&E”

It’s only right that the Grouch should do a tour called The Grouch Stole Christmas. Set for next month, the Grinch-inspired holiday run also features Eligh, the Grouch’s partner in G&E. Here’s the press release:

This December, The Grouch will be bringing hip-hop fans the, “How the Grouch Stole Christmas Tour”. Initially started as an annual show held in Oakland, CA, The Grouch decided to take the show on the road for the holiday season. He will be accompanied by fellow Living Legends crew member, Eligh as they perform solo sets as well as a combined G&E (The Grouch & Eligh) set, along with their DJ, DJ Fresh. Accompanying The Grouch will be the up and coming Bay Area trio, “The Bayliens”, and handling opening duties will be hip-hop violinist Paul Dateh who has been growing a buzz in the music scene over the past year.

What’s more, they will perform new, never before heard tracks from their forthcoming spring album, Say G&E (Legendary Music) Featuring a host of emcees, including Gift of Gab, Pigeon John, Mista Fab, Blu, Micheal Marshall, Sage Francis, Slug, this record (a March 2009 release) will not disappoint. Guest producers on the album include: Flying Lotus and AmpLive of Zion I, among others.

• 12/08: Domino Room, Bend, OR
• 12/09: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
• 12/10: Berbati’s Pan, Portland, OR
• 12/11: WOW Hall, Eugene, OR
• 12/12: Red Fox Tavern, Arcata, CA
• 12/13: Empire, Sacramento, CA
• 12/14: Phoenix Theater, Petaluma, CA
• 12/19: Voodoo Lounge, San Jose, CA
• 12/20: Terrace Restaurant, Pasadena, CA
• 12/27: Whiskey Dick’s Saloon, South Lake Tahoe, NV
• 12/28: Club Underground, Reno, NV

12/08-12/28: w/Eligh, DJ Fresh, the Bayliens, Paul Dateh

Living Legends has been on a tear this year. You’ve already heard about the massive stealth campaign swirling around Murs’ highly anticipated new album, Murs for President. But other crew members have been getting down, too. Sunspot Jonz dropped a new solo album in January, Never Surrender. The Grouch is coming out with a new album, Show You the World, next month. And Bicasso came out with an EP, Rebel Musiq, in February; it was available for free for a limited time.

All this activity is a prelude to the crew’s fourth album later this year. Before that comes The Gathering, a EP with all eight members that you can purchase at one of their shows; the retail release date is April 8. “The EP is 7 songs deep, and each of the Living Legends is on EVERY SINGLE SONG!” reads the Living Legends newsletter. “The Gathering is a warning of things to come as the Legends will be releasing a full length LP later this year.”

The Living Legends are on tour throughout March — shit, it’s already half over. But for posterity’s sake I’ve compiled all of the dates. And don’t worry, hipsters — they’ll be at SXSW this week, too.

• 3/06: The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
• 3/07: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
• 3/08: New Oasis, Sparks, NV
• 3/09: Kilby Court, Salt Lake City, UT
• 3/10: Ogden Theater, Denver, CO
• 3/13: Volume, Austin, TX
• 3/14: Club Rio, San Antonio, TX
• 3/16: Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
• 3/17: Old Brickhouse, Phoenix, AZ
• 3/22: NOS Events Center, San Bernardino, CA

3/13: SXSW
3/22: Paid Dues Festival

www.legendarymusic.net
www.myspace.com/livinglegends

When we last heard from the Grouch, he was making a memorable guest appearance on edIT’s acclaimed Certified Air Raid Material. “You ain’t artsier than me,” he rapped on “Artsy,” “because you got sideburns and a vintage T.”

With his umpteenth album, the Grouch continues to prove that he can get just as artsy as any self-respecting yoga-practicing L.A. hipster. (Dude’s put out so many collabos, solo joints, and demo collections that I’ve lost count.) Show You the World hits retailers via Legendary Music and Alpha Pup Distribution on April 8.

Guests on Show You the World include Murs, Bicasso, and Scarub from the mighty Living Legends crew, Raphael Saddiq, and Abstract Rude. “I worked on this record for almost threes years,” says the Grouch in a press release. “More, this record was an idea that sprang to mind after the birth of my daughter, Rio, in 2006. As soon as she arrived all I could do is think about wanting to show her everything that I love. I was quickly humbled when I realized I was learning as much from her as she was from me.”

Show You the World is one of several Living Legends releases set to hit stores this spring. More on that later. But for now, check out the track listing below.

• 1. “Watch Watch” (feat. Mike Marshall)
• 2. “Clones”
• 3. “Artsy”
• 4. “Favorite Folks”
• 5. “Yardwork”
• 6. “God Bless the Elephant” (feat. Abstract Rude)
• 7. “Show You The World” (feat. Raphael Saadiq)
• 8. “The Bay to LA” (feat. Murs)
• 9. “Mom & Pop Killer”
• 10. “Never Die”
• 11. “Woman”
• 12. “Bring It Back”
• 13. “Hot Air Balloons” (feat. Bicasso & Scarub)
• 14. “The Time” (feat. Marty James from One Block Radius)
• 15. “Breath”

Plug One review: Zion-I & the Grouch, Heroes in the City of Dope

www.therealgrouch.com
www.myspace.com/thegrouch

Zion-I & the Grouch
Heroes in the City of Dope
Om

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Backpackers have a hard time authenticating themselves in the rap game. They’re less parochial than their gangsta counter parts. They seem smart, nerdy and non-threatening, and often appeal to teenage suburbanites or college kids who want to sample ghetto life without leaving their white caves. They get no love from BET or the dominant hip-hop radio stations. Above all, they’re not speaking through the filter of what a rapper is supposed to be, i.e. a flossy playa or criminally-minded thug who wears 10 Gs around his neck and spends a lot of time trying not to look soft in front of his padnas. It’s difficult to recast those stereotypes without sacrificing street cred — hence the timeworn division between “underground” and “commercial” hip-hop — and few artists are brave enough to try. The exception would be Zion-I,
the internationally-known Oakland duo that’s spent the last two years trying to carve out a space for itself in the Bay Area’s hyphy movement while maintaining its politically-edged lyrics and “conscious” sensibility. The group’s Heroes in the City of Dope, a collabo with Grouch of Living Legends, shows that MC Zion and producer Amp Live are fumbling to find a happy middle ground.

The line “City of Dope” comes from an old Too $hort song of the same name, which kicks off with the lyric, “City of dope, I call it Oak/Can’t be broke, selling coke.” Since intertextuality usually amounts to genuflection in hip-hop, it’s obvious that Zion is trying to situate himself in a lineage of Oakland rap hustlers that began with $hort. At the same time he’s updating the meaning of “dope,” which has several iterations in hip-hop culture. Zion and Grouch appear to be casting themselves as heroes who emerged from a dope-ass city, rather than heroes with a mission to rescue Oakland from dope dealers. Most of the tracks on City of Dope put a positive spin on the “town” theme. The idea is that Zion and Grouch, despite being torchbearers for political correctness, still feel a sense of rootedness in Oakland and a certain affinity to the hyphy movement. Yet they’re also trying to go beyond it. These guys insist they’re capable of “going dumb” without actually going dumb.

Zion-I is known as the first “conscious” rap outfit to really break out an olive branch with the hyphy movement, given their recent collaborations with the Team and Mistah F.A.B. (The latter appears on “Hit ‘Em,” one of City of Dope’s strongest tracks.) Still, the musicianship in Amp Live’s beats — indeed, the beats on this album are beautiful — and the morality of the emcees’ lyrics make the trio seem a little too schoolmarm-ish to fully cross over. (For example, on “Too Much,” Zion castigates a teenage schoolgirl for acting too promiscuous.) And even though a lot of backpacker heads seem to have a real hard-on for the Grouch, his voice doesn’t have the right pitch or rhythm for hyphy.

Overall, City of Dope doesn’t cohere as well as Zion-I’s two previous albums, 2003’s Deep Water Slang V.2.0 and last year’s True & Livin’. But it certainly beats the hell out of a lot of Top 40 hip-hop. In comparison to P-Diddy’s self-aggrandizing Press Play, Yung Joc’s utterly disappointing New Joc City and Rick Ross’ vapid Port of Miami — all poised to become three of the year’s most successful rap albums — at least Zion-I and the Grouch are going in the right direction.

– Rachel Swan

w/Deuce Eclipse
10/07: w/Visionaries
10/07, 11/28-12/10: w/Crown City Rockers
10/15-10/18: w/Bicasso
10/15-10/31: w/Hangar 18
10/20-10/24, 11/10, 11/18: w/Instant Messengers
11/01-11/07: w/Pigeon John
11/12: w/Saul Williams
11/28-12/10: w/Strange Fruit Project

www.myspace.com/zioniandthegrouch
www.zionicrew.com
www.myspace.com/zioni
www.therealgrouch.com