Local Hip Hop at the Knitting Factory Saturday Night

     The L.A. native rapper known as "Bambu" describes himself as "a dad, a comrade, an organizer, an artist, a worker, a fan, a soldier, a thinker, a do-er and a fighter until death."      In a world where the hip hop chart-toppers continue to sell a superficial story of "riches and bitches," it really can be a struggle for artists of politically conscious hip hop like Bambu to get their voices heard. But on Saturday night at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, he rocked the stage reflecting on all of these aspects of his life while still maintaining a groove that kept the audience jumping. His latest album, The Exchange, dropped on Sept. 11, and is available online through his Myspace - (see bottom).   This is Bambu's "I Scream," off of I Scream Bars for the Children:        The show also included performances by a local duo called U-N-I, featuring one MC from Los Angeles, and one from Seattle. They were recently nominated by MTV as an L.A. Breakout Artist. They gave an enthusiastic and goofy performance, with the highlight being their song "Beautiful Day," off of Fried Chicken and Watermelon, which is great to see live, but also has an awesome music video:      The show also featured a Seattle MC-DJ duo called Common Market. Unfortunately, they were unable to perform due to an equipment malfunction. This group is also well worth checking out for those interested in music that promotes a well-crafted and empowering message. This is "Trouble Is," off their new album, Tobacco Road, released in January:   Overall, the show was well worth its cost ($10), in spite of the equipment malfunctions. The Knitting Factory is a cool little venue to check out for future shows, featuring lots of local up-and-coming artists. Their schedule is available online. Bambu Common Market U-N-I

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