Yes, this is the concert of the year. ‘Graduation’ was a certified instant classic album. It’s anthemic from the first song to the last. It’s the kind of album that was meant to be performed in an arena in front of tens of thousands of people holding their cellphones, lighters and glowsticks in the air. The fact that KanYe’s mother passed away during his ascent to the position of the ultimate rap performer is just some drama that even Hollywood could not have crafted.
Despite KanYe’s perceived arrogance or bitchassness or whatever attitude that we imagine he has the truth is that if there were ever someone that covered the majority of cultural pathos in music it would be KanYe West. This dude is the everyman. He wants it so badly and he works so hard to achieve it. My favorite aspect of KanYe West is that he is motivated by people that say he can’t do something. There is no better feeling than throwing shit at your haters. I need to be more like KanYe. I’m going to get those pills.
The Glow In The Dark concert might also be called the hipster rap douchebag festival somewhere on the internets. The truth is that there weren’t too many hipsters in my sightline. The concert was all Hip-Hop too. I have never seen a Hip-Hop concert in an arena with this level of production and energy. This includes my experiences going to see Eminem perform. Now that nigga should be considered a hipster rap douchebag. All the acts that took the stage were surpisingly seasoned and polished. The show was like witnessing a rap music revival sponsored by the church of Hip-Hop. The performers were energetic, earnest, decadent and relevant.
Get yourself a ticket to the Glow In The Dark show if you got your money right. After that I won’t be able to tell you nothing.
CONSEQUENCE
Cons opened the show on time. I loved his album ‘Don’t Quit Your Day Job’. Cons is one of those rappers who require you to press the rewind button. The best thing that Cons did though was his collaboration with KanYe. Cons is the dude that helped ‘Ye Tudda take his flow to that next level. PETER ROSENBERG manned the deejay set for Cons performance. This was a good way to get the show started. The spaceship was taking off.
LUPE FIASCO
Lupe surprised the fuck out of me with his performance. First off, he came out on stage as the embodiment of cool in an all black ensemble complete with tie and vest. ‘Kick Push’ was his first song and I almost thought he was on a skateboard while he was on stage. Lupe’s energy and his attitude were incredible. This dude really likes to rap and he has no problem remembering his own lyrics. His breath control on ‘Go Go Gadget Flow’ was remarkable. If I ever said anything bad about Lupe before I take it back. His set made me a fan of his music. I love people that love to perform with no reservation. This is why Lupe is always falling off stages. He runs and jumps around with reckless abandon. We should all like our jobs that much.
N.E.R.D.
I’ve seen N.E.R.D. perform live before so I knew what I was going to get from them. N.E.R.D. brought out a band to back them up. The guitars let PHARRELL get his rockstar right. What I liked about N.E.R.D. the most is that they didn’t waste our time or slow down the pace. Star Track Records lived up their name by putting our spaceship in orbit. ‘She Wants To Move’ is when they let some of the prettiest women in the audience get on stage and shake their moneymakers. That was the perfect finale for them.
KanYe West.
I have never seen ‘Ye Tudda in concert before. Actually, I saw him about six years ago at the Supper Club during a taping of Def Poetry. Mos Def brought him out and called him the “future of Hip-Hop”. I certainly didn’t appreciate Mos’ clairvoyance at the time. KanYe West is really Hip-Hop’s Luke Skywalker. He saved Hip-Hop with his passion for making G.O.O.D. music (no pandering intended, okay maybe some pandering intended). The audience sang along with KanYe through every song. It was like we were taking a trip with him through his life. Through the ups and downs, the triumph, the tragedy and finally the victory. Shit was wildly emotional. Don’t be confused buy the elaborate set designed to be a spaceship. This performance, like all his performances, was personal.
I love to tease KanYe West like the rest of the internets does. His hubris makes him a perfect target at times. Then there are times that KanYe flips the script, literally. There is no one in the entertainment industry, not even NaS, who would have made the statements that KanYe made on broadcast television post-Hurricane Katrina. For all of his vanity he shows us his vulnerability. This is what makes him invincible. Go see this show tonight if you are in NYC. You’ll be a better person for it.
Okay, so I don’t totally feel a kind of way about missing the ‘Rock The Bells’ show this past weekend. That was my fault anyhoo for not securing my tickets months ago.
I wasn’t really pressed though because I knew I was going to see ‘Ye Tudda at Madison Square Garden for the NYC leg of his ‘Glow In The Dark’ tour. I’m sure that ‘RTB’ was definitely some historic shit too, but after seeing Cons 2 The Quence, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D. and Mr.West all put it down I am ready to buy a ticket to the encore performance tonight. It was that good. KanYe was that good. [ll].
Before I recap the impressions I got from the show I wanted to do a drop with some of my favorite pics from the night. I can’t remember the last time I was at the Garden and the energy was this sky high. It was like a Knicks playoff game, except there were hell’a more sexy women, including the lovely C.S. I usually take her out on Tuesday nights to the free movie that her Optimum Rewards card gets us. We sneak some Chipotle into the theater and watch some shit like ‘Step Brothers’ or whatever. Last night I took my lady to a first class show. Complete with front row tickets courtesy of Universal Island Def Jam Roc-A-Fella. Did I say Interscope too?
Really real front row sonn!
A whole lot of folks were in the building to catch this concert which has been buzzed about as one of the greatest Hip-Hop shows of all time. Whenever I hear someone give something that extra hyperbole I always get skeptical. I’ve seen a whole lot of Hip-Hop shows and for a show to be the greatest it has to bring that shit from the beginning to the end.
This show brought it. And then some.
Okay, okay, let me show you some pics first…
The original Retro Kids. Yeah, that’s an oxymoron, but you get my point I hope. Props to the high top fades a/k/a the Negro Mullet.
Mr. Bentley gets slowed down a bit at the Will Call window. If only Fonsworth had fucked with the iNternets Celebrities concert etiquette video he would have known Concert Rule #1: Make sure your shit is on the list.
Hipster rap douchebag phenomenon Double-O a/k/a “I ain’t dead motherfuckers!” a/k/a Ferrrrrrnando. Dub-O is a funny dude who loves Hip-Hop and doesn’t take his stardom too seriously. His group, Kidz In The Hall, is poised to be the next thing blowing up from the Chi.
Oh Shit Alert! Maxwell cut off his damn hair.
Wale is my nigga. He just returned from a quick tour overseas. I asked him how he liked it and he said, “over-rated”. I have to ask him more about that since he is Nigerian and there is a shiiteload of folks from Lagos living in London. I wonder if his countrymen didn’t have no love for the kid. No matter, I fucks with Wale [ll].
Guess who got himself a new sippie cup for those long hours of blogging in his mom’s basement? It’s me bitches!
The Air Max Griffey in the Blu Cheez colorway. Still only my second favorite sneaker at the concert. ‘Ye Tudda sported two different colorways of the Air Yeezy. After I copp those I will officially retire from the sneaker game.
My second favorite picture from the concert is of Skateboard P’s earring. That shit cost more money than the car I drive.
My favorite moment of the night… During the N.E.R.D. set I tried to get in a pic with Bussa Bus. Dude gave me the “SHHHH” sound and told me to “pay attention to the show”. Busta is truly out of his mind so I took the pic anyhoo. Then Busta realized that it only takes a second to make a new fan.
Come back here in the afternoon for my concert recap.
Shout out to the ‘Nova Cats and my main man ROLLIE MASSIMINO. Illadelph flavor from 1985.
Speaking of Philly, the BADU show at Wingate was kind of meh.
I don’t blame ERYKAH totally although she did hit the stage nearly two hours after the posted showtime. By the time she came out most of the peoples were baked. It’s hard to get excited after working eight hours, waiting in line for two hours and then waiting two more hours for that bitch to sing. I say bitch in only the most loving, endearing manner. I fucks with BADU. I paid good money to see her sweet brown booty at Radio City Music Hall.
I splashed off with a pair of navy Dunk Highs in the classic Villanova colorway. ‘Nova actually won the NCAA’s wearing these in 1985. Word to ED PINCKNEY.
The flash pink laces were courtesy of NIKE iD @ 255 Elizabeth.
Heads ain’t ready, but that is the story of my existence.
Editor’s note: Terrence Elenteny is an up and coming filmmaker and a large part of the success of the iNTERNETS CELEBRITIES and DP dot com film projects. During my desperation to get into the ‘Rock The Bells’ concert I put out an all points bulletin to everyone I thought would be in attendance. Terrence didn’t have an extra ticket for me, but he blesses us with the best recap of the show I have read so far…
Yo D!
Whatsup man,
Sorry I didn’t get back to you this weekend – I was involved in the tail-end of a week long bender on Long Island culminating in one of the greatest fucking shows I have been to in quite some time. I did not have an extra ticket unfortunately – If I did, you would have gotten the call, believe me. Man, if we could’ve gotten access to work at that Rock the Bells shit – we would have KILLED it. But I was damn happy to relax and be a fan.
Have you been to shows at Jones Beach? Totally different experience than a Randalls Island or typical festival. Call me an old man but I was damn happy to sit in the upper deck of the amphitheatre in my seat all day, smoking blunt after blunt with a picturesque view of the water, boats, and stage, not having to walk around at all. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful show. I’m sure you’ve heard all about it from other people already but the performances were off the hook in my opinion. I wish De La had a longer, and later set. Seems crazy to me that they aren’t headlining their own shows like this but I guess that goes to show you what a Long Island loving De La Soul stan I am.
Pharcyde was sick. Never got too deep into them but their performance and energy will def make me go back and check out their classic joints. Rae and Ghost did their thing, you know Wu always shows up with about 60 people on stage to show a presence and have their backs. Ghost might be my favorite rapper still putting out consistent albums in my opinion so I almost wish they would let him go in on more of his new stuff, but hearing all the Cuban Link and classic Wu joints is always special.
As the sun starts setting at Jones Beach, you start to feel that something special is happening and just as the light started changing we get a Mos Def set. Mos Def might be the most entertaining person I have ever seen in my life. Not sure what it is about that dude that just gets me wrapped up – but I will always buy, watch, love anything he creates or appears in. And as far as entertainment value–the man puts on an original, never stale/rehearsed show and feels spontaneous and reactive to the crowd’s energy. He has the DJ playing sick Jamaican/island tunes and his set weaves from solo classics to Black Jack fire to him singing at the top of his lungs. That dude is gifted like no other . And then out comes Talib to kill some Black Star shit — my high was in full effect at this point and I was bumping that album to the death when I was in high school so I was transplanted instantly in space and time. They fucking killed it. To the last minute—the production crew came out and told Mos to start wrapping it up and he owned that dude – “Nah man– Im bigger than that” and he finished up his set. I love Mos – definitely.
So now its nighttime – Red and Meth – who I had seen before years ago on their How High tour – and and Ive seen Wu a few times as well. Knew this shit was going to be high energy. The perfect act to have up now that the light is gone and a full stage production with lights and stage monitors can be truly effective. These dudes really do put on a show their energy can’t be contained. Not to mention they are some funny motherfuckers who can make my side split simply by doing that walk frrom Da Rockwilder video. These cats own an audience. Not sure if Method Man killed a bunch of dudes and swallowed their souls or something – but every time I see him perform I’m floored by his boundless energy. Honestly, I think if this dude was a nobody and you put him up on stage in front of a crowd without a microphone — just let him run around, dance and yell at the crowd — after 5 minutes he’d have everyone singing M-E-T-H-O-D mannn. He demands crowd participation like no other. And you gotta respect these dudes for just being the same motherfuckers as always — this is Jones Beach we are talking about on Long Island–there’s underage teenage girls with their moms waiting to pick them up in the parking lots after the show at every turn. And to hear Redman encouraging the ladies in the crowd to make noise if they’ve got that “good pussy” – there’ s just something great about that and I don’t even know why. So all this in itself makes for a great set. Add to that these motherfuckers brought out DJ KOOL (Let me clear my throat, and big up Wale, then leave), Slick Rick (I think he came out with them, but maybe with Rae and Ghost– I was higghhh) and EPMD!!! Let me tell you something man– I have been caught sleeping because I have not made progress on this Long Island Hip Hop documentary that I have had in my head for years, seeing EPMD and De La rip shit up at a classic show in Long Island mind you, I have been woken up and I need to get going on that shit, we should talk about it.
Anyway, EPMD is on stage – I have officially lost my mind. How sick is Eric Sermon’s voice – is it a lisp, some sort of speech impediment? — I dont fuckin know but it just sounds like he’s the one dude who should have probably not tried his hand and public speaking – and ends up being a rap star like no other. I just remembered — someone brought out Biz Markie at one point – Long Island representative yet again. And De La brought Dres out from Black Sheep who is always a fan favorite. So we’ll say thats it for the Red and Meth set -although Im probably forgetting something crazy. Long break in between sets for the crew to set up and assemble the full band that will accompany Nas. Assholes in the crowd were growing impatient and booing the long break but I was cooling out and getting to know my high.
Nas came out hard – the live back worked with him well- often the DJ would throw on a classic joint on wax- the band would start playing along, reinterpreting the samples from the original track as the record faded out and now Nas is rocking his verse with the newly created backing track. It was pretty dope. He performed at least half of Illmatic– not sure if he gets tired or forgetful but it isn’t uncommon for him to miss chunks of his verses at a time. It didn’t even bother me though. Nas is a passionate dude and that shit comes through no matter what. Not sure how you feel about Nas lately- but I’m feeling his maturity and attempts to be more socially relevant.
He came hard telling the crowd that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were out – as are the rest of the old leaders. He sounds like a man who wants to run for office – or at least be a representative of the people. He aligns himself with the young generation and asks the people to believe in him because they are one in the same. Nas is a genuine, real artist in my book and I was happy to see him put all of himself into a performance. I won’t say that I knew Jay-Z was coming but I knew that motherfucker was coming. I heard just the smell of that Breathe beat and was out of my seat yelling “Here come Hov motherfuckers” It took a minute for the rest of the crowd to join me but next thing you know, there he is. Jay-Z has created really a new level of rap icon. Seeing him step on stage unannounced, whether you love the dude or not, is the equivalent of Elvis stepping on the stage, or whoever it is that rock n’ roll people shit their pants about these days. This reminds me of another larger point that I have been missing as well–it’s no surprise obviously – but it’s just good to see all these guys give these amazing performances and rep so strong for NYC. It’s Hov’s civic duty as reigning hip-hop impresario to show up at this classic show and do his bit. Him and Nas killed that Black Republican joint and Hov officially left the bulding.
Nas wrapped up his set with One Mic– performing most of the song on bended knee–the two huge stage monitors in tight on his face as he performs his poetry with a look in his eye that makes me think that this dude was actually pretty good in Belly. Last set: Q-Tip gets top billing over tribe– or at least gets a quick solo set before they all come out together. I’m not mad at that I guess– think he has a solo project coming out and I’m just happy to see Tip. He came out with DJ Scratch who got some a minute or two to show off some serious DJ skills–something rap shows could use wayyy more of in my opinion. Tip did some solo stuff, including his new single,- the song that uses the same sample as a track off Madlib’s Music for Movies album–I wonder if he produced the track or if Tip just heard the sample or whatever. Either way, I like the song– but I really wished he hadn’t performed Vivrant Thing – I always hated that shit. Mos Def was out there chilling for the whole Q-Tip solo set and I was just waiting for them to start announcing the Neo-Native Tongues movement, album, tour, and world dominance.
It didn’t happen exactly like that but when the lights went down and a familiar voice rang out declaring, “A Tribe Called Quest consists of four members….” over an eerie soundscape, I realized what I had somehow forgotten for the day. I was about to see A Tribe Called Quest perform together live in New York for the first time in 10 years. Was I excited to see Q-Tip? Absolutely –always loved that dude. But it paled in comparison to the excitement that had been building inside me to see Phife. I was nervous about how the Tribe performance would be. I know Phife has serious health issues and hoped he would be in classic form. He was. Love his voice, love his delivery, attitude, underdog confidence—he was rocking a Jamal Crawford jersey and white towel strapped by a headband the whole show–had you asked me what I thought he might be wearing before the show, I would have told you exactly that. Seriously, I knew it before even he put it on yesterday morning. They did a bunch of classics–also accompanied with live instrumentation — breaking into bass solos and performances of the original songs that they had sampled – they sang, Mos and Tip do some dancing that the kids will enjoy. They just put on a SHOW. The shit is continuous, it is a performance, it is entertaining. It’s not someone pressing the play button while the rappers talk over their instrumentals. It’s inspired, it’s planned, it’s original – it’s MUSIC. Consequence was out on stage. And then of course–Busta. We were there at the VH1 tribute to Tribe when Busta came out and killed Scenario. That shit was amazing and I think everyone left happy and saying, well the only thing that could have made it better was if he was performing it with Tribe. That’s what we got last night and it was of course unbelievable.
Where’s Dinco D?
Where’s Charlie Brown?
Questions left unanswered I suppose, but the shit was off the hook regardless. I was definitely worn out by the end of the show – it was without question one of the best hip-hop shows I’ve ever attended. Strong Island won.
