Reaux Marquez and Daisha McBride Ride the Breeze at Exit/In

Wednesday's installment of Exit/In's early-summer pandemic-adjusted show series in the venue’s Out/Back outdoor space — which came on the eve of news that the sale of the property to AJ Capital Partners was finalized — went down smooth. Hip Hop on Elliston was organized by 2 L’s on a Cloud founder and Scene contributor D’Llisha Davis, and featured a double bill with Reaux Marquez and Daisha McBride, plus DJ Walt spinning between sets. His selections were heavy on turn-of-the-millennium cuts by Southern wordsmiths Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne, with some early Jay-Z in there for good measure. Hova’s legendary “Dead Presidents,” released circa his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt — which turned a quarter-century old last week — was playing as I made my way into the show space through Exit's sister bar Hurry Back. 

Around 8 p.m., there was a nice breeze coming through when McBride hit the stage. After 16 months of paused shows, the Knoxville-born MTSU grad and local hip-hop hustler is picking back up where she left off — right at the stage of her development where gigging with regularity to increase her fan base is paramount. She noted the significance of this performance being her first for a live audience in more than a year, but content-wise it didn't deviate too much from sets at the pre-pandemic Spewfest V in February 2020, or as part of May's Best of Nashville Hip-Hop livestream. Like the livestream, Hip Hop on Elliston was hosted by local hypewoman extraordinaire Averianna the Personality, this time paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant — who it's still hard to believe we've lost — with her No. 8 Lakers jersey. McBride led with more swaggering material but got increasingly nuanced as the set went on. The back end of the 25-year-old rapper's set featured multiple valiant guitar solos from her lead axman; not to be outdone, her drummer unleashed monstrous, prog-tastic fills during the anthemic finale “Ride Fr.” The song, which closes McBride’s 2019 full-length W.I.L.D., has become her signature tune.

During the set changeover, Scene colleague Lance Conzett schooled me on Bordeaux-raised Reaux Marquez's No Roads, a concept album released in February that’s centered on a bonfire hang on the North Side, during which systemic pressures and personal tensions reach a breaking point. Marquez was forced to perform from a stool due to a leg injury, but his crackerjack band helped his presence stand tall for the 45-minute performance. It was loose, jazzy, fluid and conversational in a soulful West Coast-type of way, reminiscent of very early Kendrick Lamar or Warren G. Several guests joined in, including singer Jamiah and rappers Brian Brown, The BlackSon and Ron Obasi; all except Obasi appear on No Roads, and they helped bring the story to life. The performance backed up a recurring thought of mine: While no one Nashville producer has distinguished him or herself as the key architect of a regional sound, the presence of live bands is one of the scene's defining traits. 

Though it wrapped at 10 on the dot, the concert was satisfying. At press time, there were only a few more outdoor shows on Exit/In’s schedule. Here’s hoping they’re able to work in a few every month that the weather cooperates.