High energy, colorful decorations, and humor follow Rhyme Time wherever he goes. After knowing Rhyme Time personally, and witnessing performances dating back to 2013, I truly see him as a Salt Lake City hip-hop OG. With that said, he is also a very unusual rapper. He’s a middle-aged man with a large afro, extra pounds around the waist, and a most notable appreciation of the unorthodox. This is evident from his 80’s jumpsuit that he wears from time to time, his songs dedicated to a space penguin, and his everlasting love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

If you aren’t familiar with Rhyme Time, you may remember him from his previous moniker, “Atheist.” Which, if you know anything about Utah, is clearly a bold move. Before you judge his views on religion, I want it known that he has collaborated with fellow rapper, JamesTheMormon, so there is proof that he’s not exclusionary in his music, regardless of his difference in religious opinion. I attended this show to witness Rhyme Time’s latest music, but I enjoyed the two other acts, DJ SkratchMo and Show Me Island, as complementary acts.

Show Me Island is a groovy reggae/ska band with trumpets, drums, guitars, and a powerful female vocalist. I was pleasantly surprised by the funkiness of their sound, as I went into this show with no prior knowledge of their music. Watching them perform alongside Rhyme Time and his House of Lewis crew was a much appreciated 180 from the predictable and expected boom–bap beats and electronic synthesizers that dominate hip hop. They were an enjoyable band that I would listen to again, but my music tastes don’t align with adding them to my playlists. However, if you are really into ska, I would highly suggest checking them out!

DJ SkratchMo started the show with cutting and spinning records of various genres. In hindsight, I don’t remember any noteworthy jams making me excited for him to be on the decks, but he didn’t make me want to leave, so there’s that. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay as much attention to his time on stage, but I have seen him multiple times and his broad taste in music is extremely valuable for a DJ.

Overall, these SLUG Localized shows are excellent events for music discovery and provide a great way to network within the Salt Lake City music scene. I came for Rhyme Time, and was very happy with the additional performances, even if I wasn’t able to pay the most attention to them. I would highly recommend anyone over 21 to check these shows out for a good time, while still supporting your local music scene!

If you’d like to check out Show Me Island you can find them at: showmeisland.com
Both DJ SkratchMo & Rhyme TIme can be found at their collective’s website: http://www.thehouseoflewis.com/the-music/