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It was a shit hole six years ago and Kings Cross is still a shit hole announced Ugly Duckling as they took to the stage on November 2nd. Scala, the central London venue acted as their introduction to the capital back in 2000 and was where they chose to kick off the UK leg of their 2006 tour.

Ugly Duckling lie a long way from the cutting edge of the rap world; seeing them live is rather like taking a step back in time, a welcome step. Everything about the Long Beach trio from their music to their mentality hawks back to a bygone era, to rap’s heyday when the b-boy ruled supreme, when substance came before style and it all came down to what you could do with a mic in your hand. Thankfully, UD walk the walk as well as talk the talk — they clearly take pleasure in perfuming live and are highly skilled entertainers. In short they are bringing the fun back to hip hop.

UD is made up of turntable technician Young Einstein and MCs Dizzy and Andy - the magnetism that exists within the trio is clearly visible on stage as each jostles for the limelight. Rhymes and insults flow freely between Dizzy and Andy while Einstein provides the backbone — funky hooks and bouncy beats punctuated by some nifty scratching. The energy emanating from the stage soon infects the crowd and they are soon singing along, bouncing, swaying and, perhaps rather unusually for a hip hop gig, smiling.

Highlights of the show include the infuriatingly catchy Just a Little Samba and Eye on the Gold Chain, as well as Dizzy’s occasional heart felt rants against the world of bling and those wanabee rappers than bop around with diamonds in their teeth.

As for the venue, Scala has been around for so long it’s hard to think of anything original to say — it has hosted some great nights, it has hosted some awful nights, as well as playing host to some of the best performers around. Its charm lies in its beautiful interior tinged with just the right amount of dirtiness — it’s got corridors you can get lost in while managing to maintain a very intimate feel.

Links”
www.uglyduckling.us
www.scala-london.co.uk