The Godfather of Noyze. The Undisputed World Champion of Beatboxing.
By any name, it was ironic that a performance by Rahzel was delayed because of problems with an electrical soundboard Wednesday night at Little Brother’s.
Rahzel, formerly of The Roots, earned the reputation of being the world’s greatest beatboxer since the heydays of hip-hop’s fifth element in the ’80s.
Without the aid of recordings or instruments, Rahzel is a drum line, a rapper and a singer and proved Wednesday his reputation is well deserved.
But Columbus hip-hop fans who came to witness Rahzel’s unbelievable ability to perform both the bass and the drums simultaneously had to wait.
Following opening performances by local hip-hop artists, The Lab Rats and Illogic, Rahzel’s performance was delayed for nearly an hour when an air conditioning unit leaked onto his soundboard.
Many fans left the show before the Godfather of Noyze took the stage at close to 1:00 a.m.
“The technical difficulties were a little rough,” said Illogic’s Aaron Hohwald, better known as DJ Eyamme. “But it seems like people stuck in there and had a good time.”
Less than an hour and a half before the bar’s closing Rahzel appeared before a thinning and confused crowd.
“The crowd was a little upset about the long wait,” said Nick Fabian, a 22-year-old graphic design student at Columbus State University.
Once people knew he would be performing it became a big party and the crowd enjoyed the music, Fabian said.
Rahzel asked the crowd to sing the lyrics, while he began with a compilation of hip-hop classics, including Snoop Dogg’s, “Lodi Dodi.”
Unfortunately, the crowd was unwilling to carry the tune and Rahzel had to stop several times and encourage them.
“Anytime you have someone who is concentrating on the beatboxing element of hip-hop you’re going to need a lot of participation,” said Hohwald. “It’s a give-and-take type aspect.”
Over time the audience grudgingly submitted to the performer’s pleas for assistance. And as the concert progressed there was a constant dialogue between the performer and the audience.
Before his song, “For the Ladies,” Rahzel distributed roses to the female members of the crowd.
Since the ’80s, beatboxing has given way almost entirely to DJs, samples and machines, leaving Rahzel and his status as the Muhammed Ali of the beatboxing world, with the reputation of being something of a novelty act.
In 2000, he was able to silence some of his critics when he put “Make the Music 2000,” the first and only profitable full-length album devoted entirely to the dying art form of beatboxing, according to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
But five years after the release of his solo album, his originality, in large part, was what drew the crowd to Little Brother’s.
The concert would not have been complete without the performer stretching his vocal muscles a little, and it was clear that Rahzel does not like to disappoint his audiences.
He wowed the crowd with his rendition of “Seven Nation Army,” by the White Stripes and left them awestruck and chuckling with his nearly on-the-money impersonation of Erica Badu’s chorus in “You Got Me.”
Rahzel concluded with his best-known single, “If Your Mother Only Knew,” in which he manages the incredible feat of maintaining the chorus as well as the beat.
Rahzel kept a fun atmosphere throughout the performance, brandishing a surprisingly good sense of humor.
Though the concert got off to a rocky start, Rahzel recovered by giving the crowd what they wanted, promoting a fun and laid-back experience.
“I thought the show was awesome,” Fabian said. “There was a good vibe in there, everyone was enjoying themselves.”
Although the days when there was a viable market for beatboxers in the mainstream hip-hop world may be gone forever, Rahzel single-handedly proves that there is still an interest and appreciation for the roots of hip-hop beats.
