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Scarface: Tiny Desk Concert

Scarface's Tiny Desk concert radiates with his decadeslong passion as an MC and producer. 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 already high, but that final addition set the stage for something special.

Mike Dean provided unmatched authenticity, and their shared stories added sentimental value to this performance. After all, his signature keys and synths can be heard on most of Scarface's classics and countless Rap-A-Lot records. Here, we get a rare glimpse of Scarface the conductor, bouncing through multiple eras of his catalog including "On My Block," "Mary Jane" and the bone-chilling "I Seen a Man Die."

Scarface, along with Rakim, was recently awarded the inaugural Hip-Hop Grandmaster Award from the newly launched Paid in Full Foundation, which includes a sizable financial prize and health care. No matter how the never-ending hip-hop greats debate is sliced, the rapper's place is cemented as one of the most influential storytellers in the culture and his Tiny Desk is proof.

SET LIST

  • "On My Block"
  • "Mary Jane"
  • "Smile"
  • "I Seen a Man Die"
  • "F**k Faces"
  • "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"

MUSICIANS

  • Scarface: lead vocals, guitar
  • Mike Dean: keys
  • Steven "Spud" Howard: vocals
  • Takai "Cookie" Hicks: vocals 
  • Peigh Jones: vocals, guitar 
  • Corey "FunkaFingers" Stoot: guitar 
  • Josh Henderson: keys
  • Jason "The Bishop" Allen: keys
  • Savar Martin: drums 
  • Anthony "Antboogie" Nicholson: bass, musical direction 

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Director: Maia Stern
  • Editor: Joshua Bryant
  • Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
  • Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene, Michael Zamora
  • Audio Assistant: Ted Mebane
  • Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
  • Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
  • Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Kara Frame, Hazel Cills
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
  • Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Bobby Carter
Bobby Carter is a leader on the Tiny Desk Concerts team for NPR Music. He's brought an ever growing roster of big names and emerging artists through NPR's HQ to squeeze behind the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen and record standout performances, including Usher, Mac Miller, Noname, Anderson.Paak and H.E.R.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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