Talib Kweli @ The Arches, 23 March

Nasty P's support set is an exercise in multimedia turntablism, as Edinburgh's favourite hip-hop DJ and producer employs two decks, an iPad serving as a drum machine, a laptop and an array of classic hip-hop samples to perform tracks from his recent LP The Story So Far.

 

It hypes the crowd just right, and when a black-clad Talib Kweli enters from stage left, it's to rapturous applause. His set generously dishes out the hits, from his Reflection Eternal and Black Star projects, and solo albums stretching right up to last year's Gutter Rainbows. Anthemic highlights such as Just To Get By and Move Somethin are clearly just as well-appreciated by the older members of the crowd as the younger hip-hop heads.

 

Kweli's most salient, intelligent points and most impressive feats of verbal dexterity are underscored by DJ Spinna dropping the beat out completely, allowing the words to speak for themselves. The Eleanor Rigby-sampling Lonely People tears the roof off, with Kweli's super-tight doubletime flow causing outbreaks of frantic body-popping in the crowd. A triumphant showcase of hits from a socially conscious, technically superb hip-hop artist who shows no signs of slowing down.