Oscillating between absorbed, head-down humility and wide-eyed, costumed pageantry (picture a robot suit with voice-processing software) hip hop artist RJD2 played a sold-out show to adoring fans at the Paradise last night.
The set was tight and expertly produced. RJD2, born Ramble John Krohn, worked funky samples into beat-heavy mixes, pausing periodically to layer in melodic and ambient tones from a fleet of keyboards, drums, and guitars.
Other highlights from the show included a stream of surreal imagery that was projected behind the musicians—old footage from peanut commercials, swaying hips and sepia-toned conga lines, stills from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and a series of stop-motion traffic shots. There was also a stretch where RJD2 pounded out rhythms with a small Super Mario doll. And the robot costume for the hit Ghostwriter was terrific.
The artist's latest album, "The Colossus," was released in January on RJ Electrical Connections. It marks the fourth solo album in his ten-year career.
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