Notorious MSG

Notorious MSG is ready to wok the party. The hip-hop trio plays on Asian stereotypes with their rhymes (hence, Notorious MSG). The threesome fronts as a group of Chinese immigrants who met working in a restaurant in Chinatown (of course, it’s rumored the guys actually grew up in a New York suburb). But MSG keeps the tall tale alive with songs such as “Straight out of Canton,” “Egg Rollin’” and “Chinatown Hustler,” in which the members flow about their “hard life” on the streets and in the kitchen. They also stay in character before and after performances, dressing up in straight black wigs and costumes that mix urban and Chinese restaurant fashions. Those who have seen the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s “Red Hot” exhibition might recognize MSG from artist Cao Fei’s video, Hip Hop New York. You can catch MSG’s “Yello Fever” today as they close this round of the Starbucks Mixed Media Series after resident DJ Ceeplus Bad Knives.
Sat., Sept. 22, 8 p.m., 2007