Monday 29/09/03 Joyo Velarde, Maroons, Life Savas, Lyrics Born, Blackalicious @ The Wardrobe, Leeds

‘Y’know, when they told me we was gonna play in Leeds, I said, "**** that!"’ Lyrics Born glares out at the audience. He’s just stopped 'I Changed My Mind' midway ‘cause the roar from the crowd just wasn’t loud enough. Sounded pretty deafening from where I’m stood, but Lyrics ain’t happy. Then a shit-eating grin spreads across his face: "But when I got here and saw all your beautiful faces... I said '**** it, I changed my mind!'" As he launches back into the track, the crowd goes wild, just one of countless great moments from the crew that ranks no. 1.

Though Blackalicious are nominally the headliners, the show is really a democracy. The Quannum Projects collective functions like a tag-team. There’s never any let up: the next MC is up and rhyming before the last has left the stage. Each new voice on the mic blows the last one away. It happens all night.

Seriously, there should be rules against having so much talent in one crew. Be it Gift of Gab’s awesome speed delivery, Lateef’s funky sing-song flow, or Lyrics Born’s cool soul rumble, the Quannum MC’s are untouchable. Chief Xcel is on the decks, providing the low slung funk that holds it all together. The beats are gritty and tougher than the smooth productions that sometimes mar his productions for Blackalicious.

There’s a healthy focus on new material, including tracks from Lyrics Born; Lateef and Xcel combined as Maroons; and newcomers Lifesavas who prove capable of rising to the Quannum challenge. Their songs are traditional party hip-hop fare in the vein of Jurassic 5 or People Under The Stairs and in Vursatyl they have a vocalist to reckon with.

Over a 2-hour show there are many more highlights: Lateef and LB deliver a blinding 'Lady Don’t Tek No'; Gab performs the impossible fast 'Alphabet Aerobics' without breaking a sweat; 'Deception' has the whole audience singing along. But the crowning glory is a solo spot for regular backing vocalist Joyo Velarde, a gorgeous slice of old-fashioned lover’s rock with honey-drenched vocals worthy of Minnie Ripperton.