Lyrics Born has never recorded a solo album. Latryx, his self-titled release with collaborator Lateef, came out five years ago, and Spectrum, an album featuring his five-man Quannum crew, was released in 1999. But the vivacious rapper is still a top draw, thanks to his reputation as a magnetic live performer. By the time he took the stage on a recent Friday night, Slim's was filled with an ethnically diverse audience, most of which seemed well-versed in his decade-long career. Accordingly, the atmosphere was healthy and relaxed, and everyone was eager to welcome an old friend.

DJ D-Sharp opened the evening by spinning tracks by Blackalicious ("Make You Feel That Way") and Los Angeles group Dilated Peoples ("Worst Comes to Worst" remix). Though the music began well after its advertised 9 p.m. start time, people were still filing into the room when Oakland duo Zion-I, along with an unnamed hype man, greeted everyone by chanting, "Can you hear the beat / It's all clear," to the audience. "Are you with this?" they called out to the then half-full room. Most responded with a passionate "Yeah," rapping along with MC Zion, bouncing along to Amp Live's sampler keyboard-generated beats, and happily throwing their hands in the air.

Zion masterfully controlled the tempo, shouting into the microphone on "Critical" and calmly rhyming "Venus" 's tale of a woman on the make. Expertly shifting gears, Zion rapped the third verse of "Trippin' " a cappella, and the audience accompanied him word for word; the love affair continued when Zion called out, "The boom," and everyone responded, "Bip, the boom bip," for what seemed like an eternity, the two camps locked in conversation. Perhaps a bit undone by all the attention given them, Zion-I awkwardly ended their set by asking, "Is our time up yet?" before exiting the stage to a round of rapturous applause.

If Zion-I's set inspired a communal romance, Lyrics Born's sparked an uninhibited dance party. Backup singers Joyo Velarde and Constance Lopez set things up for him by singing, "People are you ready?" in vibrant harmony. The three then joined forces to flow into a startling rendition of "I Changed My Mind." "Spin it back!" Lyrics Born commanded, and D-Sharp began scratching and cutting before completely changing up the song's beat. Heads formed ciphers in the audience, freestyle rapping to the music; everyone danced with a ferocity that didn't abate until the hour-long set had ended.

Lyrics Born ran through underground hits like "Hott People" and "Say That," then paused momentarily, giving up the spotlight to D-Sharp, Lopez, and Velarde, the latter of whom performed her new single, "Sweet Angels." When he resumed, Lyrics Born launched a freestyle rhyme filled with punch lines like "I will crack you up like a box full of Styrofoam" and surreptitiously dissing Evidence of Dilated Peoples. "New shit!" he suddenly called out, launching into a new, untitled track. Meanwhile, Lateef gleefully made his way to the side of the stage, eventually emerging to perform Latyrx's "Lady Don't Tek No" and an encore, "Storm Warning," to raucous acclaim.