Sacramento hip-hop artists and followers braved the Tuesday night rain to see Abstract Rude, Los Angeles rapper and co-founder of hip-hop collective Project Blowed, perform at East Sacramento’s Blue Lamp. The show, sponsored by Midtown’s My BBQ Spot, was opened by local hip-hop talents DJ Oasis, Prozac Morris, Illecism, Random Abiladeze and DJ Nocturnal.

Sacramento-native Prozac Morris was the first act to successfully engage the crowd. His energy switched something on in his audience, who began to press in. It wasn’t until the crowd began to swell and connect with Prozac Morris that the space finally began to feel like a hip-hop show.

Local MC Illecism kept the momentum, rapping about the difficulties of pedestrian day jobs and high-maintenance Citrus Heights girls, all the while dropping Ricky Bobby one-liners. Illecism has established a following in Sacramento, appearing last June in the Sacramento Area Music Awards Showcase as a nominee.

In the end, the 2009 Outstanding MC Sammie went to Random Abiladeze, who opened for Abstract Rude, and whose poetic lyricism paralleled the act to come and set the right mood.

Abstract Rude is low-key. Pairing argyle with Nikes, he was an unassuming presence onstage. So when he began to tear into the microphone with eloquence and articulation, everyone shut up and paid attention. In his opening spit, Rude tore into overuse of prescription drugs and rejection of natural remedies, his comical wordplay achieving something grim.

DJ Artistic introduced Abstract Rude as the "scorpion with the deadliest sting."

While there is no doubt Rude’s mind and wordplay are sharp as teeth, his stage presence is inclusive and light. Sipping Newcastle, Rude dropped a Sublime tribute, references to Oakland Raiders, respect and peace to his hip-hop family Haiku D'Etat (composed of Rude, Aceyalone and Myka 9), and positive chants like “Life is not like a TV show!” and “I think I can, I know I can.”

Drea from San Diego, who ran merchandise for Abstract Rude and DJ Artistic at the Blue Lamp show, said she has been listening to Abstract Rude for years and got to know him as “part of the same underground collective, underground family."

Drea remarked at Rude’s ability to connect with audiences.

“He can hype Oakland fans with their Raiders as well as he can San Diego with their Chargers," she said. Of Haiku D’Etat, she noted a balance struck between Aceyalone and Abstract Rude, whom she described as “more raw, more rasta, more rooty.”

Prozac Morris described a similar sound.

“They’re two completely different characters. "Rude is more post-modern, urban poet, more beneath the surface.”, he described.

After Rude’s set, C-Plus and Matt Cali livened things up on stage by throwing out lots of witty, hyped flows, free CDs and a giant furry Russian hat for tipsy girls to dance in. Despite the mellow, happy haze after Rude’s performance, and despite the apparent fact that Tuesday night was C-Plus’ last night before an early morning at a new state job, C-Plus and Matt Cali were somehow successful at bringing the Blue Lamp totally to life.

Watching the set, when asked how to describe his experience in Sacramento, Rude smiled big and said, “Full of cowboys and gangsters!”

To listen to Abstract Rude’s 2009 album, "Rejuvenation," visit his site or MySpace.