Karen Ponzio Photos
Expertiz and Sketch tha Cataclysm
Tuesday night at Cafe Nine found a wealth of friends, fans and fellow hip hop artists from all over the state joining Sketch tha Cataclysm to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his seminal album Indie Rappers Do It For Gas Money Volume 2.
Frequent collaborator DJ Mo Niklz got the crowd warmed up spinning rap and hip hop classics while video clips played on the screen covering the back of the Cafe Nine stage before Sketch made his way up to thank everyone for coming to the anniversary show and “shenanigans party.”
The first set included rapper/producer Mandy Moorehol, backed by Skobiewon on sounds. Moorehol rapped with voice effects, but his lyrics shone through, including the lines “the only reason I got the vaccine was to psychoanalyze my fever dreams.” After a couple of songs, he thanked the crowd for “coming out and listening to my nonsense” before Sketch joined him onstage for a few of their collaborations, including “Dead Recon” from their 2020 release Hella Kafkaesque Vol. 1&2. The three collaborators were clearly having a good time and brought the audience along with them.
Chef the Chef
The next set began with Sketch, fresh from a wardrobe change, introducing his first special guest, New Haven’s own Old Self, who he said was “a very good friend of mine.” After delighting the audience with his words, Old Self told everyone “Let’s be grateful to be here tonight. Tip the bartender. Give Paul extra money.” Many laughed but also cheered in agreement. Bridgeport’s Chef the Chef, another good friend of Sketch’s, came to the stage for a few songs, one in which he inserted the lyrics “Sketch the fucking Cataclysm’s been a fucking legend,” which also garnered cheers from the crowd.
Sketch came back to the stage for another set with Mo Niklz, who had also accompanied Old Self and Chef. He announced that some of the songs he would be performing during this set were from a new EP The 50x50s — his project with Deto-22 — would be releasing in the next few months. He also added in crowd favorite “The Sound,” from the Sharing is Caring EP which found Sketch coming off the stage to the floor and taking advantage of the song’s highly danceable beat. Many in the audience joined along.
Sketch and Deto-22 aka The 50x50s
More recent releases by The 50x50s, including “Kolsch” and “Red Eye,” also found Sketch jumping off the stage and adding a dance to the proceedings. Deto-22 himself joined Sketch on stage via video on the screen behind him.
The final set began with the Hartford-based group AQMNI, who Sketch introduced as “one of my favorite groups in CT,” noting that they were “two incredible young gentlemen” and “amazing human beings.” CrissB.amazing and Ty-HookZ raised the energy of the room multiple levels as they tore through a 10-song set that got the crowd fired up, moving, and cheering along to songs like “Courage” and “I Do What I Want.”
“I need you to feel my energy,” said Ty-HookZ. That was more than easily accomplished.
Sketch took the stage one last time after one more outfit change to share a selection of tunes from the album being celebrated, including “Re-Introductions Aren’t Necessary But Fuck It,” “Kidney Stones,” and “If (The Possibilities),” letting the combined poetics and energy of their lyrics shine through with each performance as if they were fresh and new. Sketch was joined on vocals by Expertiz and guitar by William Vega for “Get Over You,” adding another level to another of this album’s classics.
Before he played one more song, Sketch took a few moments to offer his love and gratitude to everyone for coming to his “weird idea for a show,” shouting out the “members of the hip hop community that came out and rocked with me and Mo Niklz.”
“It was a very tough year last year. This was becoming another home to me and then everything shut down,” he added about Cafe Nine. He also talked about the history of the album being celebrated.
“I decided after I did that album that I was not gonna stop. I don’t care what happens. I’m never gonna stop.”
He played one more song from the album — “Love Poems to My Impending Poverty” — and dedicated it “to the fact that I gotta go to work at six in the morning tomorrow.” Its words cut just a little bit closer than ever before: “Tonight, I pray that I’ll be able to pay my bills or find a way ‘cause I can’t think of a better way to throw my life away.”