August 12-18, 2004

musicpicks

Masta Ace

Hip-hop

From his legendary start at the Cold Chillin' label to his recent excursions with Eminem, Brooklyn MC/producer Masta Ace has remained one of hip-hop's most colorful multihyphenates. Whether part of Juice Crew, starring alongside Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and Roxanne Shante ("The Symphony"), or soloing on hits like the Kraftwerkian "Born to Roll," Ace made his name as a rapper whose flow is as serious and emotional as his lyrics. With concept-driven, character-study rhymes, Ace rhapsodizes on the pragmatic pluses and minuses of gangsterhood. Specifically, he paints impressionistic pictures of the before and after of prison life, dissected on both 2001's Disposable Arts and his brand-new CD The Long Hot Summer (M3). Rapid-fire tracks like "Da Grind" and "Big City" take on everyday people with everyday problems while "Brooklyn Masala" is a finely etched look at an elegant Pakistani woman. Ace shows grace, danger and introspection at every turn.

The Underground Artist Suite, Tue., Aug. 17, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., call for price, Filo's, 408 S. Second St., 215-238-0151.

—A.D. Amorosi