After a couple episodes of international feasting, Live At The Loft is back with more of the home-cooking you may have missed, compliments of Brooklyn’s own Melo-X. The emcee/producer/DJ arrived fashionably early to soundcheck, flanked by his band members, who quickly get into the swing of things. This episode is a double dip, as we’ve invited beat collective The Stuyvesants (Darien Victor Birks & Allan Cole) to play some of their BK inspired soundscapes after the set. Before the actual show is even underway, it already feels like a win. It must be something in the air.

Melo-X has traversed borough blocks and downtown lots, plating up a series of acclaimed mixtapes and playing selector at some of the city’s most infamous parties. Tales of the Rice’n’Peas and Electric Punany monthlies at Sway still ring bells throughout the scene. On stage with mic in hand, he serves up a blend of chakra music, mixed with badman ragga toasting and wrinkle-up-ya-face raps. It’s a formula that has tonight’s attendees highly engaged, including a couple of assists from fellow LATL alum Jesse Boykins III and a heaping of crowd participation. If memory serves me correctly, we were treated to a double encore, at the urging of the night’s faithful.

After the crowd has had their fill, we throw it to The Stuyvesants to play a selection of tracks from their debut offering, spiked with a punch of new material. While they keep things lively, it’s time for that usual escape route to the sidewalk to build with the god. Melo waxed nostalgic about some of his sound and style references, recalled some of his early days as a downtown influencer, and offered some foresight about the direction of things to come. The party’s nowhere near being over, so we’re going to take it back inside to catch a toe-tap while the sounds are still playing. Besides, the boys in blue are circling the block, and we’re not trying to play the curb for that sauce. Y’all be safe! This is Live At The Loft…