Sunday night, The Maison hosted a beautiful moment for the New Orleans hip-hop community. After openers Na’Tee, Truth Universal, and Melphyre and Chels set the mood by spitting undeniable truth and rawness, revolutionary gangsta duo Dead Prez hit the stage as they demanded the audience, “Turn off the radio! Turn off that bullshit!” The air was energized, and Dead Prez made it their duty to build on that energy. stic.man and M-1 appeared to be in great spirits as they tore through classics including “Hell Yeah,” “Mind Sex” and “W-4”.

Frantic whispers made their way through the crowd as hip-hop icon Mos Def, now Yasiin Bey, emerged from the dressing room and took a spot backstage next to Dee-1. On stage were two of the most outspoken and enlightened leaders in the hip-hop community, and just behind them stood a portrait of consciousness and progression. DP gave Mos a shout out as they explained how he and Talib Kweli were the first people to give Dead Prez a chance during their humble Brooklyn beginnings and played a monumental role in the success of the group. They also acknowledged Dee-1, and when I interviewed M-1 in the week before the show, he liked the sound of an M-1/Dee-1 collaboration.

Stic.man, wearing a shirt proclaiming “Healthy is the New Gangsta,” explained how great it felt to be three years sober and in the best shape of his life as he proceeded into his workout anthem, “Back on my Regimen”: “Back to the gym again / back on my vitamins / Back on my training feeling stronger than I’ve ever been.” The roof almost came off the building as the two comrades sent the crowd into a frenzy with their single, “It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop.” Mos Def and Dee-1 were rocking hard backstage. The beauty of the night was amplified when the sweet horns of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” made their way through the speakers and the whole crowd sang in unison along with stic and M-1.