The Outlwaz at The Music Room, Dubai. Saeed Saeed / The National
The Outlwaz at The Music Room, Dubai. Saeed Saeed / The National

The Outlawz triumph at Dubai’s The Music Room



When The Outlawz were recently reduced to a duo after the death of Hussein Fatal in a car accident last month, it would have been understandable if the mourning rappers, Young Noble and E.D.I. Mean, cancelled their debut Middle Eastern performance in Dubai on Thursday.

The fact the group pressed on is an enduring testament to their survivor status (Fatal is the third member to have passed on after founder Tupac Shakur and Yaki Kadafi) in what is increasingly becoming a fickle hip-hop industry. Nearly 20 years in the game and The Outlawz remain one of the handful of active touring and recording artists from hip-hop’s second golden age in the mid-nineties. Playing to a nearly full house, the duo reminded us of the good times with a forceful set of vintage tunes ranging from original material in addition to some of Tupac’s biggest hits.

The night kicked off with the latter's Hail Mary; what is a brooding track on the album sounded triumphant on stage with both rappers imploring the crowd to belt out that declarative chorus. Next up was the swaggering High Speed and it served as a demonstration of the chemistry both rappers share. Young Noble's flow was gruff and raw with rhymes dropped like hammers. E.D.I Mean, on the other hand, added some light with his booming voice and playful delivery. E.D.I Mean also reminded the audience of his active solo career by dropping Thug Life. The 2013 single is his best offering yet, with his tight nimble flow delivered over gothic sounding production and a call and response chorus made for an ecstatic crowd.

Fortunately, not everything was relentlessly nihilistic, however, Thug Passion was a treat courtesy of that classic bouncy G-Funk production of bobbing bass lines and soul drenched keyboards. That said, it was only brief sunny respite as we immediately returned to the streets with a pair of Tupac's most furious offerings; the first being the abrasive Homeboyz which had The Outlawz immediately turning up the intensity.

It was the ideal set up for the night's biggest moment and set closer, the Tupac anthem Hit'Em Up. Despite the venomous diss track remaining absolutely brutal 19 years on, it somehow over the years transformed form being what is essentially a hate filled letter aimed at fellow murdered rapper Notorious BIG into becoming an unlikely street anthem. Despite one's views on its artistic merit, Hit' Em Up remains a landmark of gangster-rap and The Outlawz's contribution to the original track has alone cemented their place in the genre's history.

While Hit'Em Up was the night's biggest moment, the best part of the gig came mid-set when The Outlawz directly addressed their suffering. Ever so stoic, Young Noble introduced the track Breathing by addressing his partner and childhood friend E.D.I Mean and stated "you know what? We are the last two breathing." Not one for wallowing, the duo ditched any navel gazing discussion and responded to the realisation the best way they know how, and that's by once again giving it their all to the crowd.

sasaeed@thenational.ae

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

Fight card

1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)

2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)

3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)

4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)

5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)

6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)

7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)

8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)

9.  Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)

10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm

Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh317,671

On sale: now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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