< Thank you Jon Caramanica! >
It was a show full of surprises.
The opening act was DJ Eclipse
of Non-Phixion and Fat Beats Record Store.
There was a special appearance by
Big Daddy Kane,
and many many many others.
First off, DJ Eclipse spun for about two hours
before "Mozambique" rocked the stage.
It was a bit, um, long.
I was getting very antsy towards 11 pm.
Deep thanks and big kiss to
a very extra-nice BTS
(an oxymoron?)
Donnelly
who let a friend and I
chill in the VIP Guest area.
That was very kewl.
Considering that the music hall was packed,
and kids were sweating up a storm.
Eclipse played some tunes
from such like Guru and De La Soul.
I was ragging on him becuz
he wasn't actually spinning
any of the stuff his-self.
But he was warming up towards the end.
Mozambique was the first live act.
Comprised of multiple MCs, 2 DJs,
one who may be named "Sinister B? D? V?"
They were very ennervating.
Starting out with "Arabian Nights"
(Make some noise, Some jungle shit),
3 MCs rocked with Jersey in the house
in "Mental Earthquake"
(I believe there was a "Grand B").
DJ Spinnin' (Spizum?) was present
along with Carl Plex (sp?)
and a babe with a boater hat,
red tank top and long, black shiny cargo skirt.
The stage got crowded numerous times
throughout the night.
They continued with the acapella shit with
"Addictive, Multiple Sensation Y2K
Taking Over the Nation,"
amidst massive feedback coming from the mics.
At one point, the MC whipped out a huge,
evil-looking, neon Nerf squirt blaster
and shot it into the audience.
"Y'all wanna get wet?
Yo! Chill! Chill! Chill!"
A strobe light flashed on stage
as all other lights dimmed
and an MC leap-frogged into the crowd.
"New Sound, Sound Crowd, Bust Out!"
The stage at one point became
a revolving door for different ppl,
there were 5 at most once.
"Running ppl down like O.J."
"Bring me along, Like an atom bomb."
They were performing sets off
their new album, "Current Soul."
A moment of silence was observed
for Sincere (?), a dude with dreds & contacts,
and for all ppl who had passed away.
Next up, after a looong soundcheck
and more spinning from DJ Eclipse,
was BIG DADDY KANE !
(Woo Woo Woo)
He was accompanied by a big black DJ
with a "36" Wu Wear sport shirt,
Mr. C.
Big Daddy Kane, formerly of the Juice Crew,
was attired in a white flowing shirt and pants set,
and soft-sole, black cotton kungfu shoes.
He demonstrated his tongue gymnastics,
rapping to "Here I Am"
(say "Do That Shit, Man! Do That Shit!"),
"Very Nice Day" and "Get the Job Done"
from his new album, Uncut Pure.
The single will be out in August.
The video is out now.
Junior Jones was on keyboards.
Kane lead us back through memory lane.
"Let's take it back to the old skool,
Bring it back to Union Square"
introducing (to wild Bronx cheers)
Greg Nice from Nice n' Smooth.
A pudgy man in a plaid tee, khakis,
with gray in his nappy short hair,
Greg Nice proceeded with the
Chubby Checker Oreo Twist.
Bopping around the stage,
bouncing in front of the photographers
that lined the pit in front.
He was *the* human boombox.
Showing off mic spitting techniques
to the crowd's chants and delight.
"Takin' it back before '79!"
"I luv you all, muthafuckahs!"
Exeunt from the stage.
Big Daddy teased the crowd
with samples of his oldies but goodies.
Holding the mic up to the audience
to finish the groove.
"Ain't No Hot Steppin'!
Freddy Krueger walkin' on Kane Street."
He paid homage and much respect
to all the new skool generation kidz
who are out there keepin' the flame goin'.
Name-dropping J.C. One Love, the Refugees,
De La Soul, Run DMC, Brand Nubians, Audio 2,
The Far Side, A Tribe Called Quest,
Hieroglyphics, Roots, etcetera.
"When I say Hip
You say Hop
Hip
Hop
Hip
Hop
Now Stop
And let the beat Drop..."
Afterwards, I eavesdropped a
smeared-up brother smiling:
"Awww...now that nigga fucked me up, she-eet."
It was past midnight and
the soundcheck was building into
a 1/2 hour affair.
Finally, Mace of De La Soul materialised,
along with a keyboardist, drummer,
a DJ (from Long Island) and two guitarists.
Mace was another big black dude
with a Peter-Fonda hat, glasses,
and a "Post No Bills" tee.
"Hey ladies and bitches...
I really like fuckin' trips,
no radio promo, and it's packed!
De La Soul is in the house!"
COMMON eventually showed up,
in a white b-ball cap, V-neck sweater,
Dockers and brown nubuck Birkenstocks.
Mace sucked on a big pitcher of Cola
while COMMON revved it up with the
analogy for the night:
"Welcome to Hotel Comm,
It don't matter if you're black, white,
Hispanic, Asian...
We gonna accomodate your black ass!"
Started with "Black Star Suite,"
a paen to Noo Yawk,
"Last train leavin'."
Mos Def joined in to perform from
the new Black Star album,
the single "Definition"
in stores August 4th
and the full-length in stores September 29th.
"Word, Too Many Niggaz!
One too many niggaz can't find their niche."
"Where the MCs,
My rhyme is better than your's,
Get your peas in,
Gotta rock on!"
The hits kept on coming,
"Be Yourself," "Mighty Mo,"
and a comment aside about
"White Niggaz"
which cracked me up.
(I have a co-worker who pokes fun
at the way white brothers curse.
Instead of muthafuckahs, it's "motherrr-fuckerrrs"
with emphasis on the "errrs."
Or "bitch" instead of "beeyatch."
Got the point?)
He spiritualized with the mellow serenade
"God" about *the* Supreme Being.
"You gotta believe in something.
Put your lighter in the air
To represent the light you've got to shine.
Stop saying: God is black, the Devil is white.
Or God is wrong, the Devil is right.
Believe in Jesus..."
He continued with the analogy of Hotel Comm,
taking us to a higher level,
into a different room.
A portable stage was brought out
for Olmar Elvis (sp?)
a member of the danse corps
from "Bring in 'Da Noise! Bring in 'Da Funk!"
He was an antsy, edgier Savion Glover.
In a red oversized XL tee, ragged jeans
and shiny shiny shiny black tapping shoes
he matched his beats to the drummer.
I was awed.
COMMON continued to pump it till 1:30 am,
saying his adieus with "All Night Long."
Finally, at 1:40 am, he ended:
"Thank you for staying at Hotel Comm!"
the end of an hour and 10 set.
The encore was just exhausting.
There were too many ppl on stage.
Mace of De La Soul, the Brand Nubians,
Max with a big ol' bottle of spirits in hand
and a Hawaiian palm tree shirt on his back.
"Black on Black
Black on Crack
We lost our Unity
Like Dat..."
The new De La Soul album will be out in Jan. 99,
the Brand Nubian's Foundation,
"Do the Knowledge" on Arista in Fall 98.
I'm pooped.
and the writing of this review.
Hope you all enjoyed reading...
__ Yvonne __
==
" A naked lunch is natural to us,
we eat reality sandwiches.
But allegories are so much lettuce.
Don't hide the madness. "
-- Allen Ginsburg (1954)
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