Where do I begin, well first off it is in the 4:00 hour and I am still up LOL. I did not plan to write a review but it just hit me a little bit into the screening. It was one of those nights I knew it was going to be something special. The place: Wooly Mammoth Theater in Washington, D.C. a few blocks away from “official D.C.” and in the heart of downtown on D street NW right off of 7th NW, with Chinatown, it’s bars and a plethora of restaurants to choose from, there is the Wooly Mammoth theater. Seemingly tucked away, the type of place you expect an up and coming 1 person stage play to be performed or a local play that would probably never seem the light of day beyond the borders of Northwest Washinton. A very comfortable setting that was perfect for the cultural experience me and my friend and the rest of those in attendance were about to have. I will be 100% honest, I have heard of timeless but only on the blogs and I just skimmed through while seeing what new music was making it’s way to the okayplayer’s, fusicology, nahright etc. The suite for Ma Dukes received a lot of exposure and I was well aware but again, I saw and didn’t see. Although when I heard about this screening I had to go, just off the strength of paying tribute to J Dilla.
The crowd slowly made there way into the lobby of the theater, stood in line to get their complimentary beverages provided by Ciroc. Everyone mingling, the event being the type of event that brought out a diverse crowd but still a lot of people in the know and as friends and people who ‘you’ve seen around’ linked up the doors of the theater suddenly opened after let’s just say a short wait(ok not really) Walking into the theater, it felt more like a classroom for theater majors than an actual ‘Theater there was the screen for the documentary and DJ Jrocc standing behind his turntables, me and my friend took our seats with the other curious patrons. I was curious why DJ Jrocc was there, according to the flyer I thought he would provide the mood music to the mingling in the lobby, the event coordinator came out to greet the crowd and explained the timeless series, which is three documentaries and that we would be seeing a mixture of all 3. The lights dimmed and the documentary started. I saw DJ Jrocc, moving and grooving as if he was djing but I couldn’t understand why, we were watching a documentary…until the screen flickered and another documentary from the timeless series was mixed in. Then it hit me, He was mixing the documentaries. For real!? Stop Playing!! From then on it only got better and better. DJ Jrocc weaved select pieces from the three documentaries like we were at a lounge, I could have had a glass of wine in my hand at a art show. Once I truly wrapped my head around the fact he was actually mixing the video, while not new definitely was a welcome surprise it took my experience to another level because it was watching a performance in a performance. There was Jrocc mixing and the documentary, so as he was vibing so was I as he spun back certain pieces, slowed them down and blended with the ease of a true professional DJ. The audience started to really get into the documentary as Jrocc selected some very well known and nostalgic J Dilla cuts performed by the orchestra such as “Fall in Love” “Reminsce ft. Bilal” and the most memorable track of the night “Stakes is high” where in the documentary Posudonus of De La Soul was assited by Talib Kweli on his CLASSIC, CLASSIC track .
The documentary ended, the lights came back up and the crowd applauded. Following the screening was a Q/A session with the guys from Mochilla(who produced the DVD) and the event coordinator. The audience was elated! The questions were fluid in succession “How did this come about?” “How did Jrocc do that?” “Can I buy this?…now!” “Are you showing this again?” “Can I help in bringing this to others? More people need to see this!”
I don’t know if my words do this night justice but I will say get the DVD, have your own screenings, whether in your homes or in a larger setting. It is awe inspiring, it has it’s roots in hip hop but this is just good music, a cultural experience. Thanks to Mochilla for producing the series and all involved in the D.C. screening. Truly magic!
-DeVon
