Pink Siifu and Turich Benjy Take Over London’s Jazz Cafe [Show Review]

Cincinnati hip-hop royalty Pink Siifu and Turich Benjy took to the Iconic Jazz Cafe for the London leg of their tour. A show that I’ve been counting down the days for.

For those unfamiliar, Pink Siifu is a rapper, producer, and modern-day genius who refuses to be categorized by ‘genres.’ His catalogue includes the lofi-hip-hop debut Ensley, a hardcore punk and noise album titled Negro and the neo-soul and jazz project Leather Blvd, to name a few. Despite such drastic sonic shifts, Siifu’s hand in the work is still incredibly recognisable.

Just over a year ago now, the duo shook up the scene with It’s too quiet..’!!, an album birthed out of the Gumbo’! era; the album that got me hooked on Pink Siifu. Released back in 2021, this album came into the life of a sixteen-year-old trying to shape his music taste. To this day, I hold Gumbo’! accountable for where I am now.

Gumbo’! And It’s too quiet..’!! alike, pull from so many iconic genres, movements, cities and styles to create something so inspired and meaningful while simultaneously sounding brand new. Gumbo’! pays homage to hip-hop in the south, namely Atlanta and, more specifically, The Dungeon Family. Big Rube takes the role of narrator on this album, for god’s sake.

It’s too quiet..’!! takes cuts like “Bussin’(cold)”, “Bravo’!” And “BACK’!” From Gumbo’! To create a fully fleshed-out project. I’ve witnessed the lifecycle of this project, from the album launch party in Jah Jah Studio Paris, South London’s Ormside Projects in February and now the legendary Jazz Cafe.

On the night, South East London-born rapper and singer Elheist was tasked with warming up the crowd. A strong opener, foreshadowing what was to come. Her performance was somewhat hindered by the slightly excitable lighting technician.

Enter Turich Benjy, bedazzled in rhinestones and jewels head to toe, more precisely, head to cowboy boots. A pretty typical outfit for the founder of Cincinnati Fashion Week. Last time Benjy was in the city, I had the pleasure of chatting with him about his latest album, ULTRASOUND, which you can in the interview below.

The set consisted mainly of ITQ and Gumbo’! cuts with some tracks from ULTRASOUND. Throughout the set, one phrase kept entering my mind “Rap Rave” a term coined by the infamous Detroit Ghetto Tech trio HiTech, who feature pretty heavily on ITQ. Despite only being featured on two tracks, their energy is felt throughout. At the surface level, the tone of the project is incredibly energetic and straight-up fun, yet it holds such vulnerability and sensitivity from all the artists involved.

The It’s too quiet..’!! Experience is essentially an absurdist take on trap music from the minds of Siifu and Benjy. Relentless bangers packed with hilarious bars and an acrobatic frontman, what more do you want?

Pink Siifu x Turich Benjy, photo by Charles Mensah