Far East Movement far from original
A veteran of the underground hip hop circuit in the L.A. area, the Far East Movement brings its sound to Pegasus tonight. After stops in Hong Kong and Singapore last weekend, the Far East Movement (comprised of three MCs: J- Splif, Prohgress, and Kev Nish) treats Shanghai to a one night stand, hoping to attract the same audience that flocked to see MC Jin -- Ruff Ryders' freestyle battle emcee extraordinaire -- late last year.
For fans of more commercial American hip hop, this movement is exactly what the doctor ordered: cookie cutter production, thematically mainstream concepts, and solid hooks and verses. Their stage presence is at once comical and charismatic, so audiences who are not particularly intent on originality might wake up tomorrow morning with stiff necks.
For fans of the American underground hip hop scene, or for those who recognize the difference between V-Nutz and Top 40, Far East will provide you with little (if anything) new. While their reputation has grown over the past year, the scope of their material has not, leaving more than a little something to be desired.
Far East Movement, tonight 10 pm to 2 am, Pegasus, 2/F Golden Bell Plaza, 98 Huaihai Zhong Lu [淮海中路98号2楼 (金钟广场)]. Tix: RMB 50 in advance (plus delivery, from mypiao.com), RMB 75 at the door.
Photo courtesy of the Far East's Xanga weblog.
