Nappy Roots made a modest but significant impact in the early 2000s with the release of Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz, a sharp and effective statement of purpose that established the group as simultaneous party-starters and fierce advocates of their native Kentucky. Their hit single, "Awnaw," was a ferocious slice of sensory-overload - a combination of heavy rock riffs and harried verses shared between the group's five members. "Po' Folks," on the other hand, was a relaxed and affecting ode to the ups and downs of living in poverty in the South. Since then, Nappy Roots have continued to make music that can be labeled Southern rap, but is always unexpected and tough to pin down, with a positive bent that helps to separate the group from the rabble.
[Hell's Kitchen, with Island Trybe ft. Po Boxx, Tom Hutch, Awall, Blue Nose Music, 9 p.m., $10 advance, $15 DOS, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]