MESSIAH J & THE EXPERT live at The Shelter Sat week

Deaglan

Wide O presents…

MESSIAH J & THE EXPERT

(live 5 piece band - the artists formerly known as Creative Controle)


The Shelter, Vicar St. Ph: 01 454 5533


Saturday 13th December 2003. 11pm till late

+ DJ FLIP (Eastern Hemisphere ITF Champ 2003)


+ RELEVANCE feat Exile Eye + Kormac (Basscape)


Tickets just €12 from Urban, ROAD, Sound Cellar, Big Brother, City Discs, All City, Comet, Freebird.


Dublin hiphoppers Messiah J & The Expert wrap up a brilliant year on Saturday week 13th December with a late nite live show at the intimate surroundings of The Shelter – Vicar St’s mini sister venue.


Previously known as Creative Controle, Messiah J & The Expert’s excellent debut album ‘What’s Confusing You?’ was released two months ago to massive critical and commercial acclaim - lead single ‘First Place’ was a radio hit in Ireland with all the major stations playing it. This, alongside an almost unanimously awed press reaction (the oft-used phrase ‘best ever Irish rap album’ doesn’t really do it justice) has led to shops selling out of the first pressing of the album. A second pressing is on the way and fans outside Ireland will get hold of this gem when it gets an international release after that.


Messiah J & The Expert’s live show consists of five members and they have consistently blown crowds apart when opening up for the likes of Public Enemy, Xzibit and just last week – Gang Starr in both Dublin and Belfast. The show at The Shelter on Saturday week will also feature a DJ set from their scratcher DJ Flip who last month achieved a massive international milestone by travelling to Prague to represent Ireland in the Eastern Hemisphere half of the ITF World Championship – and winning it!


Support acts also include Dublin freestyle MC Relevance who will be no stranger to Creative Controle fans – he is still smarting after releasing his debut EP last month – and Basscape DJ Kormac.


"This is not just great hip-hop, but great, great music." Hot Press on ‘What’s Confusing You’ LP

"Truly great hip-hop. A brilliant soundtrack to any moment either pharmaceutical, sexual or simply dysfunctional where you feel like your head’s gonna explode." DJ Magazine

"Irresistible. Aggressive, funny and technically on point – just how it should be done" MUZIK

MESSIAH J & THE EXPERT – biog www.MJEX.com


"Messiah J & The Expert, formerly Creative Controle, release their long-awaited debut album, What¹s Confusing You? on Volta Sounds this September 26th. This fourteen-track gem includes their two widely acclaimed singles, Bloodrush and Check The Vision. The anthemic forthcoming single, First Place is scheduled to hit the shelves on September 12th. What¹s Confusing You? is a bona fide classic, an album that will not just confirm Messiah J & The Expert as the most creatively pertinent hip-hop act in Ireland, but also one that is quickly swelling beyond the bounds of country and, indeed, genre.


What¹s Confusing You? presents a perfect marriage of imaginative, fluid lyrics with layered, masterful production. Crafted rhymes twist and weave around vivid soundscapes transporting the listener to the crossroads where traditional and progressive hip-hop meet. Messiah J¹s unshakable delivery compliments a unique flexibility with ideas that allows him to switch from insightful and poetic to utterly hilarious to bruising and honest. From within the walls of Labbey Road, The Expert works the boards as only a true composer can, serving up exquisite beats that merge beauty, soul and grit all together.


MJ cites inspiration from key figures such as Sage Francis, KRS-1, Rass Kass and Otis Reading (although such is the weight of his wordplay you could easily include the likes of Kavanagh, Tennyson and Bukowski). Similarly, The Expert is drawn towards the innovators, whatever the genre might be - The RZA, Marvin Gaye, DJ Shadow, the Motown triumvirate of Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Aphex Twin, Burt Bacharach, Timbaland


Messiah J & The Expert¹s debut single Bloodrush, laden with heavy orchestral sweeps and hypnotic wordplay, became an anthem at all manner of clubs and music events across Ireland. BBC Radio 1¹s Evening Session couldn¹t get enough of it, resulting in regular airplay and a live session. Bloodrush and its infamous animated video clip were included on the Kicking Against compilation alongside tracks by The Frames and David Kitt. The track was also featured on the soundtrack to the controversial new Irish film, Goldfish Memory.


Messiah J & The Expert received five stars in MUZIK and four out of five in both Hip-Hop Connection and DJ magazine for Bloodrush. It was given Single of The Fortnight status in The Event Guide. The dazzling follow-up single, Check The Vision was awarded Single of the Fortnight in both The Event Guide and Hot Press.


Earlier this year they were nominated for Best Dance Act at the Meteor Music Awards. Critics and fans alike already recognise Messiah J & The Expert as a powerful new force in Irish Music and their live shows have provoked widespread excitement, such is the raw and exhilarating talent on display. Hot Press described them as ³talented, focused and ****ing amazing live². As well as playing with leftfield rock acts, they have also supported hip-hop luminaries such as Public Enemy, Jurassic 5, Xzibit, The Pharcyde, Wyclef Jean, Blackalicious and Buck 65. When playing live, Messiah J & The Expert are joined by DJ Flip, MC Ricky Sambo and bassist The Twiddler for a truly riotous live hip-hop revue.


www.mjex.com

Deaglan

sorry forgot to say it's a late nite gig - MJEX won't be onstage till after midnight. If you havent heard their album yet you really should - classifying it as hiphop doesn't do justice to the broadness and depth of styles on it and it gets better with every listen - the last gig in Whelan's was an absolute stormer too