Tanya Morgan is a rap group, a fact that should be fairly obvious after just a quick look at their 2008 mixtape, um, Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group. It was even more obvious after Saturday night at Mercury Lounge, where two of the group’s three emcees – Von Pea and Donwill – spit intelligent lyrics with few frills for nearly an hour. Drawing largely from their latest album Brooklynati (which melophobe ranked 7th on our Top 10 Hip Hop Releases of 2009), the duo traded verses that brought some fire to their signature jazz-influenced hip hop.
“Our DJ is locked in the trunk,” said Von Pea, cheekily explaining why the group was backed by a CD rather than a live mix. It seemed to be a tenuous set-up for the pair, and multiple times throughout the night they reminded each other not to stomp on the stage around the equipment table lest they jostle the player. A couple times they slipped up and jumped too high, prompting off-the-dome raps from Von Pea about skipping CDs and extended outros. If anything, though, the technical limitations made the show more engaging – the focus was completely on Von Pea and Donwill the entire time, without distractions.
The crowd at Mercury was loaded with Tanya Morganati, faithfully rapping along with cuts like “She’s Gone AKA Without You” and “Hardcore Gentlemen.” The beatmaker for the prior, Aeon, was in the front row of the show and got a few callouts throughout the evening. It was one of many touches that made the night seem like a homecoming – Donwill called New York his second home, and thanked the fans for supporting Tanya Morgan’s ascent in independent rap.
Tanya Morgan has a unique style that recalls old-school rap, with focus on clear lyrics and verses rather than flashy hooks. The trio met via the okayplayer message boards, a genesis that helps explain their sound. The hooks are there, but the strength of the group lies in their laid-back flows that emphasize content. “I used to just rap with a lot of punchlines,” chattered Von Pea on the smooth “On Our Way.” “Doubled my meaning, now I’m mean, and you’ll adjust fine.” No adjustment needed – that’s the shit we came for. “So Damn Down,” one of Tanya Morgan’s smoother cuts, showcased those butter-like flows perfectly; they chilled out the beat, nixed all the haters, and the crowd was so damn down with it.
The show’s surprise pinnacle was “Bang & Boogie,” a track from Brooklynati that took on a newfound energy on stage. “We’re gonna need your help,” said Donwill from the stage, getting the audience to join in on the familiar “We bang and we boogie (buh-bang and boogie)” chorus. With a stop-and-start beat that sounded dangerously like a skipping CD at times, the song was the most energetic of the night.
The duo wasn’t flawless, but was better for their imperfections. As Von Pea implored fans to put their hands in the air, Donwill endearingly struggled to match the direction of his waving, going against the flow for a few beats before shrugging his shoulders and giving up with a smile. Later, Donwill apologized for messing up a verse on a new track – a mistake that was barely noticeable in the first place. Those unpolished spots were indicative of the real vibe in the house. This was no finely tuned hip hop spectacle; it was two dudes with microphones looking to spread their message.
Von Pea described Saturday night’s performance as Diet Tanya Morgan, but it felt like anything but light. The show didn’t suffer much from the absence of Ilyas, the group’s third lyricist. Tanya Morgan is a rap group, and Von Pea and Donwill proved it all by themselves.
