Live Music Review: An Historic Evening With Scarface at Antone’s
On Friday, February 22 hip-hop icon Brad Jordan, famously known as Scarface, performed memorable, classic songs from his extensive catalog at Antone’s Nightclub. The fabled South Houston native has been a highly-respected force of depth and integrity in the rap game since the late 80’s. At Antone’s, fans witnessed Jordan not only rhyming in front of a live band, but participating with the instrumentation via lead guitar for several numbers.
Leading the sold-out crowd with “Face Mob” and “Go, Scarface. Go, Scarface go!” chants, Scarface opened the night with “Big Dogg Status,” from his 2007 release, Made. This led into “The Hot Seat,” from Deeply Rooted (2015), a slower-paced, emotive track that follows the everyday routine of living in reflection.
The already excited crowd upped the hype when “My Block,” the lead single from ‘Face’s 2002 break-from-Rap-A-Lot album The Fix, which he recorded with Def Jam Records, began to play. The melodic piano chords immediately queued the crowd into a frenzy for the popular number.
Not long into the set, Jordan picked up his white electric guitar and began to play and sing. Many faces in the crowd appeared pleasantly surprised at Scarface’s guitar chops. The rapper continued to play the instrument throughout the night.
As the instrumentals for “I Seen A Man Die” played, Jordan recognized an old friend in the crowd. “What’s up, Chris” he proudly said to the old friend. From the sixth grade, beatin’ on the lunchroom table, to the stage, right? Hey, man, never underestimate a dream…” the MC briefly and proudly reminisced. The rap legend continued, “My little cousin is on the intro to this song…” Jordan added, “…my little cousin Jamaal is not with us no more…we’re gonna ride a little bit, okay?” as the beat kicked in, and the classic hit, “I Seen A Man Die” kicked in.
Throughout the evening, Scarface interacted with the crowd and paid tribute to the many Hip Hop legends of Houston, many of whom are no longer with us. At one point, while performing “F— Faces,” from his 1998 double album My Homies, with the live band, they transitioned to a Screwed and Chopped version, paying tribute to the late Houston legend, DJ Screw who originated the beat style they employed.
Scarface ended the set with a cover of Isaac Hayes’ “Hung Up On My Baby,” which morphed into the Geto Boys hit and most-recognizable Hip Hop classic which sampled it, “My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me.” During the number, Scarface paid tribute to the recently-deceased Geto Boys band mate Bushwick Bill (a frequent Austin visitor), whose verse Scarface covered for the performance. For a brief encore, the iconic rapper spit a verse or two from the track that continued throughout his earlier work, the autobiographical narrative, “Scarface,” before exiting the stage to the chorus of “Let Me Roll,’ from his vastly underappreciated classic album, The World Is Yours.
What stood out most about the show was Scarface’s powerful vocals. So often, artists sound far different in person than they do on studio recordings. Jordan, however, sounds just as good and perhaps better in person. His recognizable baritone propels his unique and unmistakable delivery
Over the decades, there might not be a more highly respected rapper in the hip-hop industry. From the East Coast to the West, rap artists and fans alike know and respect Scarface. In a genre that has seen many iconic careers come and go, Scarface has remained, steadily making his mark on history, thus becoming part of its lore. To see him perform live, is to feel part of that history first hand.
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