By Daniel Paiz
There are some acts that one isn’t sure if they’ll ever get to see for a myriad of reasons. Fortunately for fans of Vancouver, BC’s storied Hip Hop crew in Denver that uncertainty is now resolved. Swollen Members & Co. engorge Cervantes on their “Bury the Hatchet U.S.A” Denver tour stop as the guys have reunited after many years.
Prevail, Madchild, and Rob the Viking did not come alone to Denver. Local acts and supporting tour acts combined to build excitement for the headliners. Nearly everyone built up the night’s energy.
Openers build the excitement
Pakman Los
The first opener of the night, I didn’t get to encounter much of their set. The last song or two I heard sounded alright musically, but I couldn’t really make out the lyrics. There was some call and response attempts from the performer, but it didn’t seem to go over well. Being the first opener of the show is arguably the hardest gig of the night.
MC DENT
DENT is an emcee and practitioner of all things Hip Hop here in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. The veteran emcee engaged the crowd throughout his set, gaining some participation and a bit of call and response from a fairly quiet initial crowd. DENT has a solid catalogue of records highlighting his skills on the mic and love for the culture. While the core of this his sound is classic Hip Hop and Boom Bap, there’s a sonic range of sounds and topics.
DENT had one of the hardest jobs of the night opening second for this show, but he boosted the crowd enough to get Endr Won off to an energetic start.
Endr Won
This first encounter with the Eugene, Oregon emcee was a very good one. The previous opener, DENT, got the crowd engaged, and Endr Won took that energy and piled onto it. Honesty with the crowd and self permeates throughout his music, and his vulnerability is matched by his determined rapping. Endr ended the night with some freestyling, dropping bars and getting the crowd warmed up even more.
Wildcard
The rapid-fire emcee currently hailing from Spokane, Washington built upon Endr Won and DENT’s efforts and added some fire to the excitement. There were a few lines that might’ve derailed crowd support once or twice. However, these gambles from Wildcard worked out in the end as there were some redeeming lyrics that smoothed over previously said lines. That was all part of the plan for this artist, as he interacted with the crowd and added energy to what was already growing nicely.
Locksmith
This lyrical tactician brings mic skills not everyone possesses. This second encounter of the Bay Area emcee rivals my first back in 2019 when he opened for Murs at Cervantes. The vulnerability, the energy, the love of the culture and music are abundantly clear. A snippet of songs performed included “Hypocrites”, “Burn”, and the deeply personal and very important “Hardest Song Ever”.
It’s easy math as to why Swollen Members tapped this veteran emcee to help prepare the stage for their arrival. He received the energy of the other acts and proceeded to douse the stage. The headliners encountered a fiery welcome as a result.
And now without further ado…
Swollen Members
Rob the Viking comes out and does the proper DJ action of polling the crowd to get a sense of their readiness. This crowd has been buzzing for the Juno Award-winning group since doors opened, and Rob gets his answer quickly. With no delay Prevail pounces upon the stage, delivering every bar known to humankind. Soon after his verses dispense upon the crowd, the man who maniacally mangles mics with a grin joins him: Madchild.
This man fascinates and draws crowds in because of his energy and a sound that nobody else delivers. The shades, the movements, the grin all send the crowd into a frenzy as they fully realize the head Battle Axe warriors are here. Music flows along rapidly.
Songs such as “Black Magic”, “Bring It Home”, and “Breath” move the crowd. Other tracks like “Too Hot”, “Fuel Injected”, and “Watch This” summon that extra Battle Axe warrior energy out. This is what everyone has been seeking since this tour announcement dropped.
The crowd reaction for every song was electric, plastering smiles of joy across the faces of Prevail and Madchild. There are times when artists make it abundantly clear how much they enjoy the set. These guys didn’t have to say a word to tell everyone how important this night and this tour is for them. This is what Hip Hop is all about, bringing together this community.
Madchild’s last statement as the group left the stage embodied the night:
You have no idea how much we appreciate this
Cypher Sessions 