This post was originally published on this site.
Sometimes genius and chaos show up to the same show… and depending on who you ask, Jay Electronica’s latest Los Angeles appearance might have been both.
Word on the curb is that the elusive Roc Nation lyricist pulled up to an LA showcase this weekend (April 4) and delivered a performance that quickly turned into a conversation piece. There are scattered accounts of what happened so we are just piecing it together. Clips now floating around social media say things got tense when Jay decided to perform his signature song “Exhibit C” without the iconic Just Blaze production behind it.
Yes… that beat. The one most Hip-Hop heads can probably hum from memory.
Sources on social media say the DJ briefly dropped the instrumental, which got the crowd hyped up. But just as quickly as the momentum built, Jay reportedly asked for the music to be cut and things went left from there. He wanted to flow acapella. Some in the audience did not like that decision.
Some fans started booing…and the energy shifted.
Instead of pivoting back into a more traditional performance, Jay addressed the audience directly, pushing back against the negative reaction. I think he wanted them to go along and not respond in any other way other than positive. Artistic integrity… or a disconnect with paying fans?
When he got off the stage and went looking for people booing…it got “uncomfortable,” some say. But Jay has always been unpredictable and uncompromising.
Is this really surprising though?
The man has disappeared for years between releases and then dopped the craziest comeback last year.
So maybe the real question isn’t whether the show went left.
My takeaway…for what it is worth.
Here’s what I’ll say: Hip-Hop crowds usually want the moment they fell in love with. Artists sometimes want to give you the moment they’re living in now. There has to be a happy medium. Jay has a HIP-HOP HIT….a rarity. He’s the most enigmatic rapper alive.
Was this a disaster? Nah, but it very Jay Electronica!
Stay tuned.
