Josh Rizeberg and producer Xaviant are about to answer a lot of prayers. The native poet and beatsmith have alchemically distilled something really special. It's not hip-hop. It's not spoken word. Don't call it fusion, please. The duo's first collaboration, dubbed "Spoken Worlds," features tight, grimy euro-bangers by Tacoma-born, Cuba-raised, Miami-forged Xaviant, and silky, smart, multi-rhythmic flows from Rizeberg. The full-length album evolves too much to fit into any pop-culture box, so I'll call it what it is. It's plain ill.

You can catch him performing a commissioned work for the MLKBallet's MOVE! series this Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Tacoma School of the Arts Auditorium. â€" Paul Schrag

[Tacoma School of the Arts, with NorthWest Dance Syndrome, Joel Myers and Lisa Fruichantie, Metro Parks Dance and MLKBallet’s Student Company, Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m., $14, 118 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.906.2190]