Nomadic Massive at Artisphere Friday, Jan. 11

Nomadic Massive, a collection of touring MCs that first came together in Montreal, includes two white dudes with sunglasses, films grainy videos on public transit, and it recites the line “word to my mother” with straight-faced self-seriousness. But in spite of their earnestness, the group’s members should be forgiven for being a decade late to Slum Village’s corpus because, hey, they’re Canadian. Their bag is celebrating their clique of varied tongues and diverse backgrounds. There are Caribbean accents and Spanish flows. And really, the band’s style—“You go, then I go, and a nondescript vocalist will fill space”—makes me feel better about the world in healthy, narrow, playlist-spicing doses. It’s the kind of rap music that makes you want to go play hopscotch in a public park. At this show, you’ll probably be asked to throw your hands in the air, but you’ll feel positive enough to follow the gesture by chanting “hooooooo” unpretentiously.

Nomadic Massive performs with Kokayi at 8 p.m. at Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. $20. (703) 875-1100. artisphere.com.