Friday 09/05/03 Buck 65 @ Masque Bar, Liverpool

A hip hop artist that you're likely to find supporting an act like Blackalicious is about as far away as you would imagine Buck 65 to be, yet he's recently finished supporting them on a UK-wide tour and now he's back on his own (having recently released his album 'Square' (Warner)). And, on his own is somehow where he suits being. Despite being one of the friendliest, most amiable rapper you're likely to meet.

Canadian Richard Tefry, as Buck 65 breaks just about every hip hop rule in the book. No bling bling flashes on his knuckles, we don't hear about how many houses he's bought with his last multi-million dollar pay check, there's no homies, there are no honey's draped from him and he not once asks the audience to bounce (although he does tell us in one rap that he has a massive dick, but hey no ones perfect). Instead what we get are almost downbeat odes to human frailty and stories from his life (either slightly embellished with unicorns and platypuses or other seemingly truer ones).

Much of Buck's set is filled with him talking with the audience and that's fairly entertaining in itself, but his countrified backing tracks, his sometimes dodgy as ****, sometimes amazing scratching technique and his (mostly) modest repartee are what stands out from his act. That and the free crisps and fruit he's sharing around from his rider with the crowd.

He's also keen to mention that his heroes aren't really from the rap world at all, name checking the likes of PJ Harvey, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits. This strange mix of hip hop, country, lofi and alt.rock make for an interesting alternative both to what's available within the now swingbeat saturated chart hip hop and the repetitive past-plundering rock world. Buck 65 is refreshing blast of countryside air.

Photos by Thomas Totti :: thomas@gigwise.com