The Highline Ballroom has been the home for some of NYC’s best Hip-Hop shows over the past two years. In the last two months I’ve gone from watching Lil’ B to Das Racist and now to SlaughterHouse all tear up their stage. SlaughterHouse ended up taking that shit a little too literally by ending the night with a brawl, but then again, that is the rap music they embody to the masses. Black hoody, Timberlands, punch you in the face 1990s NYC rap music.
The wrinkle that I saw SlaughterHoiuse add to their show was when they invited several fans onto the stage to try and recite some of the lyrics from their songs. It provided a light moment which proves the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously. They are serious about their rapping tho’. And the guest performers that added to the bill were all proven lyricists – Bun B, Pharoahe Monch, and Lloyd Banks. The SlaughterHouse concert was more of a homecoming celebration than a victory lap.
This bodes well for all of Hip-Hop.
SlaughterHouse and collectives of rappers with strong pen games still has a wide open lane on the rap music highway. Lil’ B and the adamantly quirky Das Racist also have their respective lanes. While the latter two might seem to receive all of the ‘ink’ from new media outlets SlaughterHouse is demanding they stay in the spotlight. They could have gone away after the collective’s first album didn’t meet the commercial level of success that most people has already attached to it.
SlaughterHouse recouped their swagger while on the road performing before huge crowds and sold out venues. They all knew that they had something together and just needed to give it time. SlaughterHouse returned to the NYC stage last night a bit wiser, but still as cocky and confident as they have always been. Rap music needs SlaughterHouse. Rap music needs groups of performers that believe in their own greatness. If there has been one steady complaint about the current crop of high profile rap artists its that they don’t believe they should be winners.
SlaughterHouse KNOWS they should be winners and how strong is their movement now with the Hip-Hop Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis recording from the same studio? It almost isn’t fair to put this much power in Joe Budden’s grasp. I hope Royce can keep him contained long enough to get some of Dr.Dre’s advice, and more importantly his soundscape. I don’t think we’ve seen the best yet from SlaughterHouse. Rap music needed this adrenaline shot in the arm. So it could get back to punching people in the mouf.
