3001: Laced Odyssey Tour 2016

4 years ago during the summer of 2012, a lot of things were happening. President Barack Obama was soon to be reelected to a second term, the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY had been unveiled, and Miami Heat superstar/media punching bag LeBron James had finally won his first NBA championship. This was also the time that I had first discovered this eccentric new Hip-Hop trio from NY named Flatbush Zombies. The first ever track I had heard from the collective was the solo cut by the obnoxious but always exciting Meechy Darko titled “Face-Off” off of their remarkably underrated debut mix tape D.R.U.G.S. and it immediately blew me away.

Not since ODB had I seen a rapper on the swank level of Meech, which was even more surprising when I found out how early into the game he and his bandmates truly were. The video featured Meech and the other two members of the group, Erick Arc Elliot and Zombie Jewice, walking through Flatbush with 40 ounces of Ol’ E in hand spitting outlandish bars such as, “I love weed n**ga/ I got a green thumb/ She F**k me n**ga, until she bleed cum” to a banging instrumental provided by sole producer for the group, Elliot aka The Architect. While their lyrics touch on many different topics such as motherhood, the downfalls of drug addiction, and wavy acid trips, the Zombies have always been praised for their originality as well as their brash attitudes toward the industry as a whole (except A$AP). With two critically acclaimed mix tapes and a few sold out country wide and world tours in their rearview, the young trio has kept it true to their roots of not giving a f**k while also evolving into more mature and well rounded artists, which is not an easy feat for most. Capitalizing off of the immense success from their debut album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, as well as their acclaimed performance at Tidal‘s X 10/20 concert and their viral appearance on Hip-Hop podcast: Rap Radar, the Brooklyn natives decided to head out on a global tour, starting in the US, which has been sold out at almost every stop.

I got a chance to catch the stars in the making live in action in San Diego at The North Park Observatory on 4/30 and if there’s one thing that is certain about these men, they know how to put on a show. Check out my evening with Flatbush.

Although when artists come to California, they do 4-5 shows in various cities, the stop that every artist always looks forward to is San Diego. Accompanied by an intimate setting with a spacious pit and an overlooking balcony, The North Park Observatory is the perfect venue for artists who want an intimate experience with their fans. “I just wanna let y’all know, San Diego has been my favorite show” said Eric. “And I don’t just say that shit to any venue,” he added after. The excitement from the Zombies was evident from the jump. They started the set off with Jewice channeling his best Bruce Buffer impression and announcing the group as a whole. The first track they played was “The Odyssey,” the opening track from their debut album and they all came out one after another displaying unforgettable energy and precise bars over instrumentals. This was the most impressive part of the show as the Zombies are all known for their machine gun speed flows; especially Jewice. They all 3 hit every bar and every line with the precision of trained snipers.  The trio then kicked off fan favorites “Bounce” and “Good Grief” before going into a five minute tribute to the late Capital STEEZ in which they got the crowd to join in on a “RIP Steelo” chant which was then followed by similar tributes to Biggie Smalls and Tupac.

One of the more impressive parts of the show was the amount of detail that was put into the stage props and lighting. The Zombies were accompanied by a screen behind them that was portraying wavy acid inspired art videos the whole night. Though that was trippy in itself, during the song “This Is It,” the lights would flash like strobe lights perfectly on cue with the drum beat. The amount of effort they put into their live shows was very evident as the crew rarely looked gassed or missed a bar as they went from song to song turning up with energy that even Desiigner could appreciate. Also, notable was how well the trio engaged with their fans during the show. I had the pleasure of seeing them in Tempe, Arizona in 2013, and although that show was one of the most fun I’ve been to, the group has definitely grown in this area tremendously. They had their crowd hanging on to their every word, teasing unreleased material and even having everybody turn to their neighbor and say I love you at the end of the show.

I LOVE U SAN DIEGO BEST SHOW EVER pic.twitter.com/polpIuFIez

— Mel (@AsapTwelvyy) May 1, 2016

In total, Flatbush blessed the crowd with about 18-20 songs in total for a fantastically crafted performance. Some of the highlight songs from the show were “RIPCD,” “Fly Away” and “222” which showed Erick rapping acapella at the end of the track. Though those tracks were exciting in their own right, the best three songs from the night by far were “Ignorance Is Bliss,” “New Phone, Who Dis?” and weed-head favorite “Smoke Break (Interlude).” The latter was accompanied by the screen behind the group displaying videos of old white folks taking some mean bong rips, which cued the crowd to light up themselves during the vibey smoker’s anthem. “Ignorance Is Bliss” and “New Phone, Who Dis?” were incredibly live though, and were without a doubt the highlights from the evening with the trio showing out their best dance moves and culminating with Meech doing a stage dive. The Brooklyn natives even managed to let their political stance be known. “I’m not sure if you guys f**k with politics and pay attention or any of that, but if you want a better future you have to make sure in November, you do NOT vote for Donald Trump” Jewice said to the crowd which was followed by a “F**k Donald Trump chant” that was sang in unison as if it was part of the Zombie discography.

The energy was incredible, the smoke was heavy, and the sold out crowd was at the will of the performers, hanging on to every word. My evening with Flatbush was live to say the least; if you’ve never had the chance to see the group in action, you’re missing out. They’re easily one of the best live shows in Hip-Hop right now, and with them selling out almost every stop on their tour, good luck finding a ticket. Take a look at some of the photos taken from the show and check out the rest of the tour dates below to catch the tour in your city. Also, be sure to check out 3001: A Laced Odyssey in stores now and available on iTunes, Spotify, and of course Tidal.

SET LIST:

1. The Odyssey
2. Bounce
3. Good Grief
4. Glorious Thugs
5. RIPCD
6. This Is It
7. Ascension
8. Fly Away
9. 222
10. Smoke Break (Interlude)
11. Trade Off
12. New Phone, Who Dis?
13. Unreleased Song
14. MRAZ
15. Ignorance Is Bliss
16. Don’t Do Drugs
17. Bath Salt
18. Palm Trees
19. S.C.O.S.A.
20. Thug Waffle

Suggested Articles:

Flatbush Zombies Release Their Anticipated Album, ‘3001: A Laced Odyssey’

Flatbush Zombies Hit Us With Their New Single, “Bounce”

The post The 3001 Laced Odyssey Tour: An Evening with The Flatbush Zombies (San Diego, CA) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The Zombies of Flatbush have finally come through with their album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey. What is there to find within this 12-track body of work? There’s plenty to explore as you enter their space (double entendre). It’s Brooklyn meets a space voyage. As they find themselves usually doing, they elevate the mind in the form of words and Erick Arc Elliot production. There is a lot of growth from Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, and Erick. The “Beast Coast” movement continues to sprout with this new release from Flatbush Zombies.

“Bounce” was released as a single in the earlier part of February. Arguably being one of the few tracks that feel like vintage Flatbush, the title was relevant to the feel of the production.

You may have noticed Kanye West’s tweets that spoke on the death of CD’s. We are unlikely to ever get a physical copy of a Kanye West CD, and the same may go for the Zombies.

During their track “R.I.P.C.D.,” they speak on the generational changes that we’re in the midst of.

“R.I.P. to the CD can’t even play my hits, cause new computer sh*t without the means to play this sh*t.”

The group gets nostalgic during the song, saying “reload the memory, they got me feeling like we’re nothing like we used to be.”

An advantage to listening to this project, is that it doesn’t take long for the group to dive into the song, letting you decide if you like the song early on.

However, we encourage that you check out their debut album all the way through, if time is on your  side. Enjoy your listen.

The post Flatbush Zombies Release Their Anticipated Album, ‘3001: A Laced Odyssey’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Flatbush Zombies are back with yet another track this week. This time around Meech, Zombie Juice, and The Architect team up with Joey Bada$$ and Issa Gold for “Did U Ever Think.” With dope production everyone involved comes together to create a Beast Coast master piece with its lyrical depth and concrete delivery. Peep the track below, you know you want to.

The post New Music: Flatbush Zombies-“Did U Ever Think” ft. Joey Bada$$ & Issa Gold appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Zombie Juice haters, rejoice. Hopefully the little guy doesn’t feel left out: his two partners just made a hell of a creeper. Fleezus Christ a.k.a. Not The Father slows his gravelly mischief to match Eric Arc Elliott‘s watery beat, making for a track that bodes well for a solo run from Meech.

The post New Music: Meechy Darko – “The Baby of Rosemary’s Baby” (Prod. The Architect) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Last Wednesday night the Flatbush Zombies finished off the last show of their first ever headlining tour. Since its kickoff in late August, the Better Off Dead Tour hit 31 North American cities before finally closing out in Trilladelphia, Pistolvania. Along the way, the Zombies and their opening acts, Bodega Bamz and Dillon Cooper, performed at both the Rock the Bells Music Festival and the North Coast Music Festival, while also making appearances on Action Bronson‘s headlining tour in Texas. While other venues along the tour route may have been bigger or more well known, the small crowd that jam packed Philly’s Barbary night club definitely came ready to show some love to their east coast neighbors.

Dillon Cooper, the 20 year old emcee from Brooklyn (who’s laid back, retro style has been compared to that of fellow Brooklynites Joey BadAss and The Underachievers) was first to perform. His newest cut, “State of Elevation,” was a particular crowd favorite and helped to transition the Eagles and Phillies fans into a more New York state of mind.

Next up was Bodega Bamz, who served as the hype before the storm. His performance of “Told Ya” drove fans into a frenzied mosh pit, but luckily there were no causalities. Unfortunately, there was no guest appearance by frequent collaborator A$AP Ant (but we definitely held our breath).

Of course, the principal players of the night, Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, and Erick Arc Elliot laid their final performance down proper. Amerikkhan Pie, Death 2, and Live from Hell almost ended a few lives, but the enthusiastic crowd loved every minute of it- especially when Darko, drenched from head to kicks in sweat (and maybe blood and tears) nose dived into the audience for an incredibly intimate crowd servicing experiencing. Check out close up photos from the event, as well as small timeline to summarize the Zombies first ever headlining circuit.

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