Scarface enlisted Mike Dean for a moving Tiny Desk performance. On Monday (Dec. 18), NPR released the intimate footage with Face backed by an eight-piece band. Dean can be seen next to Face playing the keyboards and reimagining songs he helped create. The 30-minute set was a musical exploration of Face’s decades-spanning career.
The emcee performed six tracks spread across his discography, from the Geto Boys on 1991’s We Can’t Be Stopped to his solo work in 2002’s The Fix. These songs included “On My Block,” “Mary Jane,” “Smile,” “I Seen a Man Die,” F**k Faces,” and “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” The tracks carried Face’s hard-hitting confessional style and delivery. However, they also featured a gospel-like quality due to the background singers’ stirring performance.
The Hip-Hop great began the show by introducing his collaborators and himself. “I guess I’d call myself a curator; I don’t know if you would call me a DJ or the conductor of the railroad,” he said. “We came here to jam for you all tonight, or this morning, or whenever the f**k. We’re going to talk about some songs and how they came about.”
NPR Tiny Desk‘s producer, Bobby Carter, released an official statement regarding the riveting performance. The outlet detailed Scarface’s expert ability to bend words, produce and recalled how they put the show together.
“Scarface’s Tiny Desk concert radiates with his decades-long passion as an emcee and producer,” Carter explained. “There’s calculated intent behind every word and note of this 30-minute set and I learned that his love for golf also runs deep during our initial meeting. He was playing a round and had difficulty dividing his attention between the plan and the course. Three days before the show, amid rehearsals, I got a call from Facemob asking, ‘What if I brought Mike Dean?’ My expectations were high, but that final addition set the stage for something special.”
Along with Face and Dean’s contributions, the timeless songs were elevated with the help of a veteran ensemble. These musicians included Anthony “Antboogie” Nicholson on bass and musical direction; Peigh Jones on vocals and guitar; Steven “Spud” Howard and Takai “Cookie” Hicks on vocals; Josh Henderson and Jason “The Bishop” Allen on keys; Corey “FunkaFingers” Stoot on guitar; and Savar Martin on drums.
Watch the performance above.
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