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| Meechy Darko |
Rappers Meechy Darko,
Zombie Juice and Erick "The Architect" Elliott,
all of Jamaican descent, have been friends since they bonded over the Japanese
anime Dragon Ball Z in grade school
in the largely West Indian Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. They formed
the rap trio Flatbush Zombies in 2010, releasing two popular mixtapes and
several music videos, rapidly building a following for the Brooklyn-based hip
hop movement known as "Beast Coast." A debut album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, was released on
March 11, 2016.
Flatbush Zombies' two sold out tour-closing nights at Webster Hall's Grand Ballroom were a
study in what makes the Brooklyn trio unique in a world cluttered with would-be
rappers. What attracted a packed hall full of white youth to see three Black
Jamaicans perform? Why did the venue reek of marijuana from the first rap to
the last? What was this message from the rappers to "open your mind"
all about? There might not be any clear answers to these questions, but this
might have been a warm-up to Flatbush Zombies leading its followers into a
zombie apocalypse. A booming prerecorded voice introduced Flatbush Zombies,
saying "in a world full of haters stands a single group who clearly
separate themselves from the rest. Appearing on stage without a live band,
rapping to pre-recorded tracks, Flatbush Zombies traded vocals in front of a
screen that showed anime and psychedelic kaleidoscopic images as audience
members chanted along and bounced their raised hands to the rhythms. The show
veered away from the typical gangsta culture, although the trio did acknowledge
several fallen fellow emcees early in the show. Otherwise, the raps dealt with
topical issues, with numerous references to marijuana and other mind-bending
experiences. Suburban parents, beware, your children may become disciples of
Flatbush Zombies.
Visit the Flatbush Zombies at www.thegloriousdead.com.
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