Tha Plague, 5 Seasons, Dec. 9
By half past 11 on this evening, the nearly packed house at 5 Seasons was buzzing with anticipation. Sexy all-female trio Tha Plague was the headlining act for one of the year’s most anticipated mix-tape release parties, and the group proved that it’s capable of sharing a stage with established local heavyweights like show openers Skarr Akbar and the supertalented Shellbe Raw, a legitimate contender for queen of the city in ’06.
The mix tape itself, HitVillainz: Tha Mix-Tape, is 17 skit-free tracks of the ladies showing lyrical flexibility with joints from the chilled-out and flirty “I’m Sexy” to gritty ’hood narratives and battle raps, where they sound most comfortable. The women show their talent on tracks like the violent and aggressive “White Meat,” a thumping force that has group member Symphony holding her own with grimy visuals: “Pump in the trunk, niggas carry double pipe heat/ Rip ya doors off/ Blow a hole through you wifey/ Like blow, that’s what I do with the shotty/ They’ll have her funeral/ When they find the rest of her body.”
By the time the group—barley legal potty-mouth Larceny, the sultry and lyrically deft Nina Ross (the only woman to win the city’s high-profile battle fest Style Wars), and the battle-tested Symph—took the stage, the vibe was total celebration. Local favorite and mix-tape host Ogun demanded the few people who hadn’t left their seats to get their asses to the front of the stage to check out “the best female rap group, ever.” Women in the crowd bounced and waved their hands in the air as the crew spit venom over industry beats and original tracks, including their ’hood classic “Throw It Up.” Dudes gave up nods of approval and exchanged stunned looks of disbelief as the ladies took turns cranking up the sex appeal and sauntering around the stage before snapping back to gully mode to rock a few a cappella battle bars.
From Ogun to AB Rock to E Tha Poet MC, the list of MCs in this town pushing demos and rocking open-mic venues that should be on the radio, touring, doing collaborations with rap heavyweights, and chilling on 106 and Park is long enough to fill 92Q’s playlist. You can add three more to the list.
