Bukue One
Fri May 17
Berbati’s
Bukue One has three obvious passions: Emceeing, skateboarding, and graffiti writing. The three combine together to make up the Oakland emcee’s persona: “You could be tight but I’m tighter, best believe me/I’ll paint the whole city a done deal in graffiti/You don’t really want to raise the stakes/let’s put 20 bills on a game of skate.” His latest album is titled Triathalon, referring to the three parts that make him a whole.
Infused throughout the slow-paced rhymes and beat loops (provided by a host of different DJs, including DJ Sing) Bukue One throws in soliloquies on his history like he was a skater before anything else, since 1987. His music is actually funny if you think of it in contrast to gangsta rap–or rather the other way around. Instead of bragging about his wad of cash, chicks, guns, or murders, Bukue One raps about his lyrical skills, names his skateboarding tricks, and hypes his talents as a graf writer. And his bragging is warranted. On his website, bukueone.com, you can see 26 samples of his Bukue One grafitti tags, and shots of his skate tricks–showing that Bukue One doesn’t just talk a big game, nor does he seek to stamp out his competition: “Blessin’ each element with my heart and soul/My goal’s to hoist the flag and still remain humble.”
Bukue One raps socially conscious lyrics, and preaches a positive and interactive message to his listeners. “When I roll through your city I try to rock all three/ Peep me at the skatepark sparking interest having them spectators amazed, ‘Wasn’t he that guy on stage?’/Sho Ya Right! It was I, but now I’m down to build/We’re blue-collar work ethic with executive skill.”
Bukue’s music includes scratching and samples, and the accompanying emceeing of artists such as EMC (present on this tour) and his cited favorite artist, Abstract Rude (learn more about Bukue One’s favorite things at www.hiphophunks.com). With Bukue One’s obvious musical integrity and drive to succeed, his show will undoubtedly be skilled and high energy–whether it’s his ride over at the Burnside skatepark, tagging, or dropping rhymes.