Tachichi

The TD Halifax Jazz Festival has a long history of bringing in a vast array of artists, spanning a gamut of genres from Jazz to Hip Hop to Rock and everything in between. 2024 was no different, as Emmylou Harris and Killer Mike sat high atop the bill. Both acts carry impressive pedigrees, with Emmylou Harris having a career that has eclipsed many decades and included many high-profile collaborators. Killer Mike is a talented Atlanta-based emcee still actively building his legend as one-half of Run The Jewels and he’s recently returned to the solo-realm with his award-winning album Michael. You knew the organizing community hit it out of the park with the buzz these two headliners generated.

Kicking off the 2024 festival on a warm Wednesday evening was none other than Killer Mike. Organizers of the fest also paired the talented emcee with some of the region’s finest in the hip-hop genre. At the top of the bill was the silver-tongued Tachichi (easily one of the best lyricists in the 902), and his frequent collaborator LXVNDR (pronounced Lavender). They both showcased their prowess on the mic. The pair were a great choice to get things moving, eventually making way for Hali hip-hop OG’s Universal Soul.

Universal Soul hit the stage in the band’s current two-emcee and single DJ configuration. FIZ and Tacktishion (Finlay Tolliver and Tracey Williams respectively) handled the emcee duties, while beloved DJ IV (Brian Pelrine) worked his magic on the ones and twos. This collective is one of those acts that laid the foundation for many that followed in their footsteps. Universal Soul are Hali hip-hop pioneers, bringing a sound to the stage that features crisply polished honey-hued vocals smoother than a summer breeze, with a solid backbone built on a juicy bass line that reminded this listener of acts such as Dilated Peoples and Jurassic 5. On this night, they served as a great reminder of where the scene started, while Tachici and LXVNDER showed that the scene is healthy and thriving.

Many folks will be surprised to learn that this headline slot wasn’t Killer Mike’s first Halifax visit; instead, he first performed in the city as part of the 2013 Halifax Pop Explosion. As part of that festival, Killer Mike performed at the Olympic Bingo Hall across town. At that time he was promoting his breakthrough record R.A.P. Music, and had yet to form Run the Jewels. Looking back at the HAFILAX coverage of the festival, a sentiment cropped up that still resonates to this day, according to Justin Roy: “It was almost to the point where Killer Mike was this figure as if he was preacher, and the crowd were his disciples. Church was in session…” Now, that festival was well over a decade ago, and Mike is currently touring 2023 release Michael (his first solo effort since R.A.P. Music), a Grammy-winning album where Mike bares his soul, sheds the Killer Mike persona, and introduces us to Michael Render the friend, father and son. But that same sentiment that Justin identified in 2013 is still very much at the heart of Killer Mike’s solo material.

On this night in Halifax, the show kicked off with an opening hymn of sorts where the Mighty Midnight Revival (Mike’s backup singers) took to the stage and preceded the procession of the man of the hour. You could immediately tell that the tone of this performance was going to be clear-eyed and heartfelt and would differ greatly from the hazy performance that Snoop staged up the hill a few weeks earlier. Killer Mike treated the Halifax crowd to a show that brimmed with soul, gospel and funk elements, and undoubtedly took the patrons to church a few days early.

In shedding that Killer Mike persona, Michael Render let the shields down and revealed himself warts and all with the autobiographical tracks included on Michael. Seeing the talented emcee back on one of Halifax’s biggest stages was a treat, and in looking around the concert grounds, it was a sentiment shared by many folks who flocked to the venue in anticipation of this show. It was an absolute joy to hear songs such as “Down By Law”, “Run”, and “High & Holy” in person, and you could clearly see those sentiments reciprocated as Mike was beaming on stage.

At one point in Mike’s performance, he took a moment to honour local battle-rap legend Pat Stay, and dedicated the show to him as he was a highly regarded figure in the local hip-hop and rap scene. It was a touching moment in a magical performance on a near-perfect evening, that will be looked back upon with a reverence reserved for only the very best Jazz Fest performances such as Sharon Jones, St. Vincent or Lauren Hill who have all had epic Jazz Fest shows here in Halifax. It was undeniable once the dust settled that Killer Mike took us to church on this evening, much like he did back in 2013 at Halifax Pop Explosion.

Killer Mike

LXVNDER & TACHICHI

Universal Soul