Lyrics Born. Doing it with style.
At The Independent, San Francisco
May 15, 2015
Words by: Chris Ryan Mannix
Photos by: Kristina Baky
I have often come down on San Francisco for being too stiff and slow to get dancing, but this was never going to be an issue for Lyrics Born.
With mammoth presence and an unmatched effortless style, the Berkeley-based rapper/producer found a vein and intravenously entered the soul of San Francisco on Friday night. He instantly ignited the stage, introducing new track “$Ir Racha” at spicy level: fire. For the rest of the show, the Independent was under command of Tom Shimura, AKA Lyrics Born.
The Independent may have been the best venue to host this concert, as it fosters the perfect blend of capacity, intimacy, and on-point acoustics. Not to mention, Patrick and Kristen are the most fun, silly bartenders in San Francisco. I have never seen someone walk away from the bar at the Independent without a smile. And with Lyrics Born setting the tone, that place was all the smiles.
Leading into the night, I fully anticipated getting low and burning some carbs. But that said, I was still blown away by how much fun Lyrics Born is to watch live. It’s a struggle, because he makes you dance so hard but the performance is so rich you don’t want to look away.
Shimura unleashed his fourth studio album, Real People, on May 5th. And with a mix of his older hits, like “Do That There,” and brand new bangers like “Chest Wide Open,” he had the whole party moving from start to finish. Channeling the funk soul vibe that resonates with San Francisco’s roots, Shimura and his crew create a sound that gives a nod to legends like Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield.
With Real People, Lyrics Born has solidified a spot next to Jurassic 5 and Outkast at the spearhead of an ongoing movement that has been playing with a mixture of Hip-Hop, Funk, and Motown.
If Lyrics Born is coming to you, get two tickets, grab a date and prepare to dance your face off. Lyrics Born is set to perform at this year’s Electric Forest Festival (Rothbury, MI) along with acts like Wale, BASSNECTAR, and Skrillex.
Favorite tracks seen live: $Ir Racha, Chest Wide Open, Do That There