Mighty Morphin Hip-Hop Rangers

Related Content

• Ten Movies Kanye West Should Have Starred In
  February 2, 2012
• Calculating Pie
  December 15, 2011
• Joey Bradfisch, What Are You Listening To?
  February 10, 2012
• Top 10 Songs of 2011: Christina Caldwell
  December 13, 2011
• Year in Review, Kickstarter, Top 15 Local Releases in This Week's Issue
  December 29, 2011

More About

• MF Doom
• Kanye West
• Julian Marley
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Science Fiction

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The term “hip hop supergroup” gets thrown around a lot, but Bay Area outfit The Mighty Underdogs can make a pretty good case. Composed of MCs Gift of Gab (from Blackalicious) and Lateef the Truthspeaker (of Latyrx), and backed by producer Headnodic (of Crown City Rockers), the group just released their full-length debut, Droppin’ Science Fiction, on Definitive Jux. Droppin’ Science Fiction enlists a bevy of underground heavy hitters, including MF Doom, DJ Shadow, Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, and Damian and Julian Marley. Though the songs venture everywhere from outer space to tropical islands to gunfights, the album title is perhaps a bit misleading. The CD feels more Golden Era-throwback than futuristic, especially when compared to Kanye West and TV on the Radio’s recent output. Still, on their best tracks the group gets goofy. “Love Life Soundtrack,” off their The Prelude EP from last year and featuring Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets, has a Midnite Vultures flavor. There’s little doubt, in any case, that their shtick translates better to stage than to record; show attendees tend to speak in superlatives. Expect the group to have fun showing off their old-school lyricist skills in concert and, who knows, maybe some unexpected guests.
Fri., Oct. 31, 9:30 p.m., 2008