You have a lot of options for your Halloween weekend. I know. But there’s this little show going on at Shakespeare’s. It’s a hip-hop show. With rappers like…

Matt Black and MC Friendly. Many Kalamazoo music fans should recognize Matt Black as one of our former hometown heroes, and he’s coming back down from Grand Rapids with the talent and skills that have historically paid the bills. The years since his move have been nothing but kind, and the craftsmanship he brought to his unparalleled production and intellectually stimulating lyrics have aged like fine wine since the too-rare-to-die era. MC Friendly is a like minded spirit, and their collaboration is the local hip-hop equivalent to when peanut butter and chocolate slammed together to make those Reese’s Cups.

Nunca Duerma is a DJ from Chicago who will be repping with Grandoise. Nunca is one of those rare DJs who can combine a modern electronic sensibility with beats that are distinctly within the echelon of hip-hop. He has the ability to craft catchy backing tracks that taste somewhat like British Electro-Hop while maintaining percussion that borrows more traditionally from an early 90’s west coast palette. The combination is nothing less than delicious.

Dezert Eez are a local hip-hop trio whose talent was not at all unnoticed. Former WMU students, they are no strangers to sharing the stage with hip-hop legends, opening for such icons as KRS-One, Slum Village, and Inspectah Deck. They combine a didactic lyrical delivery evocative of Mos Def with recognizable sampling techniques that utilize classic R&B.

Oh, there’s also this guy named Del the Funky Homosapien. You may have heard of him.

The show is tonight at 9 at Shakespeare’s Lower Level (the venue formerly known as The Globe). Tickets are $15 at the door, $10 in advance, but be forewarned that they are selling out like flapjacks at a lumberjack convention.