Kenneth Masters Record Release

Philadelphia Weekly
September 26, 2007


Snapshot

by Joshua Valocchi

Click here for more snapshots from the show.

Sometimes the “new old” is even better than the tried and true. Such was the case last Wednesday night when Kenneth Masters—perhaps the ultimate torchbearer for Philly’s old-school hip-hop guard—invaded Silk City to celebrate the release of his latest EP Jet Set Stereo.

As much as KMass and his dynamic duo of breakdancers rocked the house, throwing the party at Silk City may have been the slickest move of the night. New owner Mark Bee somehow managed to retain the charm and reverie associated with the old Silk while injecting just the right dose of renewal. No one who frequented Silk City through its Back 2 Basics-driven heyday in the ’90s will ever forget watching koi through glass tabletops, but this recent revival is enough to lend some credence to hopes for another golden era at this fabled Northern Liberties diner.

Last week’s show certainly didn’t hurt such prospects. After the Yah Mos Def fired off a short set with their typical slapstick intensity, KMass took the stage and simply took over. Kenneth Masters is for real. Besides reinforcing that fact, his set served as a warning to all the sucker MCs and clueless backpackers who bring anything less than their A-game.

KMass remains one of Philly’s most stellar MCs, all while remaining—as one of his most well-known tracks states—“independent as fuck.”