Percee P’s flow is historical; he’s been rapping since ’79. His childhood peers in the Bronx include such figures as Pharaoh Monche and Prince Po from Organized Konfusion. His 1988 debut 12-inch “Let The Homicides Begin” broke what was then the rapping mold, and placed him beside Kool Keith in terms of high octane flow. His 1989 battle against Lord Finesse in the Patterson Projects will make you think Clyde Stubblefield played that classic “Funky Drummer” drum break for Percee and not James Brown. It’s hard to believe how far hip hop has come… He’s dropped tons of 12s over nearly 20 years, and has appeared as a guest rapper with the best of them – with no full-length release to his name… Until now.
At long last, Percee P drops his debut album this year on Stones Throw Records. Appropriately titled Perseverance and produced entirely by Madlib, this long-awaited tour-de-force features luminaries such as Prince Po, Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, Diamond D, Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinnie Paz and Aesop Rock. If that‘s not enough, the album will come packaged with a bonus disc of Madlib remixes. The album’s title Perseverance fits him perfectly.
One listen to Perseverance and you’d have to say there’s little chance that’ll happen. For now, the best introduction to the Rhyme Inspector Percee P is the same one he sells on the street – Legendary Status. This compilation hits all the high points of his storied career – from the galloping “Let The Homicides Begin” by Top Priority, his debut on wax in 1988 on Gotham City Records; to the Big Beat/Atlantic 12-inch, “Now They Wanna See Me” b/w “Lung Collapsing Lyrics,” his major-label break in 1992. Indie single releases from the ’90s and guest shots on records by Lord Finesse, Maestro Fresh Wes, and on the Kool Keith/Godfather Don “Cenobites” collaboration on Fondle ’Em make this package an essential overview of hip-hop’s most influential underdog.
CATCH PERCEE P LIVE ON THE VIDEO TRAPPED THE RAPPER TOUR:
March
3rd Hudson Duster Troy, NY
5th Blind Pig Ann Arbor, NY
6th Abbey Pub Chicago, IL
7th Cowboy Monkey Champaign, IL
8th Hangar 9 Carbondale, IL
9th The Annex Madison, WI
10th Blueberry Hill St. Louis, MO
11th Jackpot Salon Lawrence, KS
12th tba Colorado
13th Ego’s Salt Lake City, UT
14th The Other Side Missoula, MT
15th Rock Coffee Spokane, WA
16th The Rainbow Seattle, WA
17th WOW Hall Eugene, OR
18th Tiger Bar Portland, OR
21st Capital Garage Sacramento, CA
22nd TBA Pittsburgh, PA
23rd 2232 MLK Oakland, CA
25th TBA San Diego, CA
26th Cooler Lounge Las Vegas, NV
27th TBA Tempe, AZ
28th Martini Tree Taos Ski Valley
29th Tom Cats Dallas, TX
30th The Parish Room Austin, TX
31st Atomix San Antonio, TX
April
3rd Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, LA
4th Apache Cafe Atlanta, GA
7th TBA Miami, FL
9th TBA Charlotte, NC
10th The Library Chapel Hill, NC
13th TBA Pittsburgh, PA
14th Lawrence College Green Bay, WI
15th Univ of Indiana Bloomington, IN
16th Webster Theatre Hartford, CT
18th South Paw Brooklyn, NY
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