Two of New Orleans’ most unfiltered rap acts crossed Lake Pontchartrain on Friday, March 28 for a 9 p.m. show at the Alabama Music Box in downtown Mobile.
SexParty, the punk-rap duo of DJ Tuna Fist and #FFFFFF, had been building a Gulf Coast following since Mardi Gras 2012 with synth-driven beats and deliberately outrageous stage antics. The pair had released three EPs, a run of controversial videos, and earned a spot in the official 2014 SXSW selection, sharing bills along the way with acts from Pharcyde and Dead Prez to Slick Rick, Big Freedia and Juvenile. A full-length album was slated for release that spring.
Boyfriend brought the night’s other headline draw. The New Orleans-based artist calls her style “rap cabaret” — bold, theatrical hip hop that name-checks everything from Kurt Vonnegut to old Hollywood, delivered with a hyper-sexual, shamelessly nerdy edge. Her writing had picked up praise from NOLA Defender, Where Y’At and Playboy Radio ahead of the Mobile date.