‘BMI Presents’ Public Enemy, Ozomotli & X-Clan at SXSW
BMI will present musical icons Public Enemy, bilingual rockers Ozomatli and legendary rap group X-Clan on Friday, March 16 at the Town Lake Stage during the SXSW Music Festival being held in Austin, Texas, March 14-18. X-Clan will kick off the show at 5:45 p.m. and then hand the mic off to Ozomatli at 6:30 p.m. to keep the evening rolling. Public Enemy will close the night, taking the stage at 7:45 p.m. The Town Lake Stage is located at Auditorium Shores in downtown Austin, and the event is free and open to the public.
On the eve of their 20th anniversary, Public Enemy - one of music’s most influential and important groups - shows no signs of slowing down. Their messages are as urgent and compelling as ever, and their performances just as electrifying. The legends have embarked on more than 55 tours and performed over 1,300 concerts for fans in 45 countries. Boasting three certified multi-platinum albums, three gold albums, four gold singles and a platinum-selling home video, Public Enemy continues to blaze musical and technological trails with new songs and new media, pulling rap music into the future, all while keeping its musical roots firmly intact. Since the group burst onto both the rap and pop music world in 1987 with their first single, “Public Enemy #1,” their startling combination of Chuck D’s commanding orations and Flava Flav’s show-stopping antics to keep the message entertaining set the pace for hip-hop, both in the studio and live. Performing with a live band over the last five years, Public Enemy’s trademark “noise” is louder than ever.
Ozomatli’s signature sound crosses genre and language barriers with a thundering Spanish/English hybrid of salsa, hip-hop, cumbia, dub and Middle Eastern funk. Since the group’s conception in 1995, Ozomatli has released five albums, all the fruits of relentless gigging, personal tribulations and musical maturation. 2007’s Don’t Mess with the Dragon finds the group’s co-founders still at its core, more congruous and appreciative of each other’s strengths. With veteran Latin producer KC Porter at the helm, Don’t Mess with the Dragon provides a dazzling display of Ozomatli’s style-bending concoctions. The group’s effervescent dedication to shedding light on social injustices remains audible in new tracks like “Temperatura” and “Magnolia Soul,” while genre-twisting experiments including “After Party,” “La Segunda Mano” and the title track illustrate Ozomatli’s contemporary relevancy and hit-making know-how.
Politically charged hip-hop forefathers X-Clan relay passionate messages with enlightened lyrics and infectious grooves. The early 90s saw co-founders Grand Verbalizer Funkin' Lesson Brother J, Professor X the Overseer, Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider and Grand Architect Paradise release two groundbreaking LPs, To The East Blackwards and Xodus. Hits including "Funkin' Lesson," "Heed the Word of the Brother" and "Raise the Flag" were dance-inducing conduits for the messages of figures including Malcolm X and Sonny Carson. Following the success of their first two albums, X-Clan took an extended hiatus, choosing to focus on individual projects and recording endeavors. During this time, the group's architect Professor X passed away. Now led by Professor X protégé Brother J, the X-Clan revitalization began with the release of a brand new album, Return from Mecca, in 2006.
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