In case you didn’t know, BILLY SUNDAY grinds for the Evil Empire.
Thank you white baby Jesus for giving me white people. Thank you for their pasty, melanin-challenged skin tone, their blue eyes and their blonde hair. Thank you for making them love Hip-Hop. Enough so to come out 50,000 deep in the pouring rain to listen to some of the greatest Hip-Hop music ever created. And in some cases, the pinnacle of obscure niche-related rap music. Whatever shit you are into, thank you white folks for saving Hip-Hop.
Sunday’s Rock The Bells concert went down in a massive downpour, but that didn’t stop the greatest music ever from being performed and it surely didn’t stop people from coming to the show. White people that is. But in all truthfulness, Black people weren’t coming to this concert anyhoo. It’s funny to me that this concert wasn’t even on Black people’s radars. Most live Hip-Hop concerts are never on Black people’s agendas. As a matter of fact, I can honestly say that nowadays the majority of Black folks experience with rap music out of doors is usually only from a car stereo system. I suppose that too many Blacks are trying to become rappers than remain fans. In all fairness, there were some Black folks at the concert that weren’t a part of the rapper entourages, but you kids already know that white folks have this outdoor concert shit OnSmash.
Shouts to eskay who engineered press passes for the iNternets Celebrites crew to attend the music festival. The people that put this shit together treated the press like shit too by not letting us fuck with the craft services or the free shit. I go to these joints and I expect to get some free grub and at the very least a fucking free t-shirt. Not at this event. I couldn’t even get a bottle of water from these promoters. I’m not thanking those white people in this drop. I’m thanking all the white people that came from miles away and mud wrestled, and also let me drink their beer and smoke their weed with no problem, and all the white people who recited the entire song of Wu-Tang’s opus ‘Triumph’ word for word. Without you, this Hip-Hop shit would be dead already. Black folks, y’all need to step up your Hip-Hop love. Have a park jam or something where the deejay pulls power from a streetlamp. Walk around with a big ass piece of cardboard and just put it down and breakdance. Go steal a can of Krylon and cop some tags somewhere, but just become Hip-Hop again. Black people, you’ve relied on your skintone for too long to automatically express your love of Hip-Hop and I no longer believe you. You need more people.
My favorite performer of the festival was MF Doom who wore a camoflage hooded sweatshirt that made him look like Godzilla with a mask on. Also the vintage Darryl Strawberry jersey was priceless. Mos Def and Talib were on point and Mos didn’t offend my sensibilities too much with his singing or his JaFaican chanting. Rakim the god emcee did his thing. It’s good to see dude getting some work in to pay off them broads suing his ass for child support. Cypress Hills is still getting me high after all these years, well actually, the white folks that came to see Cypress and brought their official white boy weed. White boy weed > anything you will smoke with a Black dude, including crack. I love Public Enemy and their set was solid as always even though Flav was allowed to veer off on some experimental Sun Ra shit. Rage Against The Machine closed the show. If you wonder why we love these dudes so much, but we never go out and try to put into action some of the revolutionary shit they talk about you can blame the White Boy weed. It’s that good.
The highlight of the day for me was the Wu, of course. Their catalog of hits along with Method Man’s unsurmountable energy will guarantee a great show from these dudes every time you see them. You know all the hits from ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ to ‘Liquid Swords’ to ‘Shame On A Nigga’ and so on. I can’t wait to be seventy years old and see these dudes performing in Las Vegas as a classic Hip-Hop revue act. The odds are that it will be me and ton of seventy year old white folks as well. Black folks might be into making rap music, but when it comes to supporting true Hip-Hop artistry, not so much.
First
White people definitely know real Hip Hop. It amazes me on how much attend some of the concerts I been to. Good shit.
Funniest shit I’ve read all day.
🙁
I wish I was in NY instead of taking summer classes in the hot ass South.
i sure as shit can’t wait when they pop up in cali next weekend.
You aint never lied
Thanks DP for the DVD watched it last night all by myself, no birds
Dang D, I was definitely just using my Blackness to express my love. Guess we need to do more.
I remember when I went to our Summer Festival a couple of years back to see Talib. My friend and I call ourselves getting there early. We were close but I can tell ya the Asians and Whites had the close rows on lock! We were there so early, we asked them if we could squeeze up there on the closer benches since a show had just ended and we ASSumed they were taking off. They said “Oh, we’re staying, we’re here to see Talib and we’re holding these spots for others”.
It’s funny cuz during the concert, he actually looked out to the crowd and said “where my people at?” All the Blacks were off squeezing in to the left corner of the stage, so he walked over to that side of the stage for a moment.
I went to see Lupe this summer. Got there late. I’ll be damned….we were
waaaaaaay in the back!!!
Funny that this amazing concert coincides with possibly the worst list MTV has ever put together, anointing Lil Whoopie as the hottest MC out right now.
And this with Ghostface and AZ putting out 4 dope albums in the past year
I really used to love H.E.R.
Have a park jam or something where the deejay pulls power from a streetlamp. Walk around with a big ass piece of cardboard and just put it down and breakdance. Go steal a can of Krylon and cop some tags somewhere, but just become Hip-Hop again.
^^^^^^^^LOL!..good post D..and its ironic, but man white people really are keeping hip-hop alive huh.
Oh son of a bitch that headline and image was just nice!!!
Awesome round up as well.
White people have a history of supporting,profiting,imitating & stealing black music/culture. Looking at the current state of hip hop I will no longer think that’s a negative thing. Whites & Asians rock rock on!
Sup family!
man oh man…..white people. kc’s scene would be anemic without them. all these rappers would be spitting to crickets without them. i wouldn’t hear about, be able to buy tickets to, or have no one to talk to at shows without them. as much as their itty bitty lips confuse and frustrate me……..i gotta thank them.
but not the ones who’re doing it to be cool or the girls who’re there for the dong. but all the rest. i send my regards and thank you.
i also gotta thank dpenn for calling out my n00bness. me a jiggaboo or a wannabee? (crossesfingersANDsqueezeeyes)
Historically, it happened with rock, blues, jazz and slowly but surely we are witnessing it happening to hip hop. Many people don’t think Public Enemy are still relevant or happening, yet Rolllingstones Magazine still recognizes them as one of the most important bands, ever. Note, the free concerts at Wingate park gets much love and so does Hot 97’s Summer Jams featuring the latest and the hottest. Yester-year’s artist are forgotten too quickly and no longer appreciated.
I always have to ask, can so-and-so rip a show like KRS1, Big Daddy Kane and Busta?!? Fabolous and Jeezy . . . I don’t think so.
If you put Buju, Beanie, Sizzla, Cappelton, etc. on a card, you better believe cats will travel to support them.
. . . and what largely passes for Rhythm and Blues, I call urban pop or whatever popular moniker they give to the music that black folks listen to. Because the rhythm and soul has been pro-tooled out a long minute ago.
Same thing at the Kweli show here on Friday.
that white boy weed almost made me faint during wu tang
>> and all the white people who recited the entire song of Wu-Tang’s opus ‘Triumph’ word for word. Without you, this Hip-Hop shit would be dead already.
that would be me
>> Black people, you’ve relied on your skintone for too long to automatically express your love of Hip-Hop and I no longer believe you. You need more people.
ether
Amazing isn’t it …
“I suppose that too many Blacks are trying to become rappers than remain fans.”
True indeed.
Lmao at “White boy weed > anything you will smoke with a Black dude, including crack.”
Umm re: outdoor concerts I was just talking to a friend about how awesome it would be to have a Black Coachella. Never been to Essence fest but I think that’s inside and all the tix priced separately. In the meantime we got Wingate Field. Shows are melaninted and dwarf Summerstage. And I’ll be camped out to see Lauryn Monday. Anyway, per Shadow, loosely: give the people what they want and they’ll come.
http://www.hurtmesoul.com
I posted my review of the SF RTB, and linked to this blog towards the end when I made a similar observation. Peace.
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