By Aaris A. Schroeder
Editor-In-Chief
Thursday, May 12 marked the day that The C.U.F. eleased their album, C.U.F. Caviar, Vol. 1, released by C.F.O. Recordings. The evening, organized by Conscious Vibes at Harlows went into effect after 9 pm. UBOHAMMER arrived after 10 pm to set up shop selling t-shirts and posters.
All kinds of fans, new and old arrived between 9 and 11 pm. J Ras of Soul Lifted got the night started with soulful hip-hop beats and reggae sounds. Mayhem Xclusive is next, wrecking the stage with raw, gritty street rhymes and get-down and dance beats. The crowd was feeling Mayhem and acknowledged them by throwing their hands in the air and grinding on the floor.
A lot of fan fare and friendly exchanges moved on the floor, the stage and outside on the front as local hip-hop celebrities, Doey Rock and DJ Symphony stepped in the door, fresh from the Shaolin & Wu Tang Tour. Up next on stage, MAK brought neo-political-party beats and lyrics to the stage, Mic Jordan from Tribe of Levi rocked the mic as well.
The N-Crowd rocked the party with all new hits next. There are several members of this crew, first up is Maryann and N8 the Gr8. This firy couple lit the stage up with 90’s style r&b and underground hip-hop. This was Maryann’s first appearance on stage and minus a few technical difficulties, she did quite well with the mic and seemed to feel at ease by her third song. The crowd applauded!
Lost Tribe also hit the stage, this group, consisting of emcee Agustus thElefant and music producer/hype man, JusLove. This entertaining duo got the crowd moving and poppin’ and lockin’.
The C.U.F. stands for California Under Frustration, California Underground Funk or Cousins, Uncles, Fathers; which ever acronym is used to represent this group, they have the skill, know-how and background to bring a live show truly to life! The C.U.F. consists of N8 The Gr8, Brotha R.J., Pete B & CRUSH. DJ Riff Raff has honorly taken the place on the ones and twos for long-time C.U.F. dj, George.
The crowd went bonkers for oldies but goodies, such as “Sacramento” and newly recorded and released pieces like, “How We Get Down” and “Don’t Ask No ?s.”
The show was a success for Sacramento and The C.U.F. proved to release grown-hip-hop for their fans, most of which are in their late 20s and up. The local vibe was chill as everyone swayed their arms in the air and nodded their heads to Sacramento’s legendary hip-hop group, The C.U.F.
