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SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE

~ Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE

Tag Archives: real hip hop

My Bells Were ROCKED!

29 Tuesday Jul 2008

Posted by Vivrant Thang in Feeding The Music Jones, Let's Rock: Concert Reviews

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

9th wonder, a tribe called quest, hip hop tour, immortal technique, method man, mos def, murs, nas, pharcyde, rakim, rapper supernatural, real hip hop, redman, rock the bells baltimore, rock the bells concert review, rock the bells festival, rock the bells maryland, what did people think about rock the bells

by vivrant thang on rock the bells concert review

I already told you about the night I fell back in love with hip hop. Well the love affair got that much stronger this past Sunday at the all-day Rock The Bells Festival aka the “Hip Hop Woodstock.” Hands down, this was the best show hip hop concert I’ve been to and that’s saying a lot.

I’m not the only one that felt that way. I belong to a hip-hop meetup group and a lot of members who have been been to way more hip hop shows than I have felt the same way. It wasn’t just the line-up, which I will get to in a minute, but the overall good feelings that abound from being in the presence of real emcees who know how to move the crowd.

I was very impressed with how well the show was run. I have no idea how chaotic is was backstage but you couldn’t tell from where we sat. They kept to the posted schedule and we were never waiting very long between acts.

The crowd, which was extremely diverse (read: I see white people), was quite the feel-good bunch. They just wanted to spark up their L’s (subjecting me to a hell of a contact high but whatever…) and party on down to some real hip-hop. I didn’t see or hear of any situations – although I almost started one when these chicks spilled their margarita on my stuff. However, my murderous angry black woman glare was punishment enough. You know I got a history of almost having to throw dem bows with white folks.

As you’ll see in the videos, I had lawn seats which is what I prefer for a show of this length – over 10 hours. I was out there with my feet up feasting on fried chicken, tomato and mozarella salad, fruit and assorted snacks. When I saw the $3 price tag on a bottle of water, I knew I had made the right decision! They were flirting with a gallon of gas with those prices!

Some people had standing room only tickets right in front of the stage and stood for the whole time. While it would have been cool to be right in front of the stage, I am still exhausted from sitting/standing for the whole day so I would have never made it. Besides the humidity was overwhelming. There were times when all I could do was sit back with my spritzing fan and pray for a breeze.

By the time I arrived, I had missed Jay Electronica’s first set but MURS was rocking the mic. I’ve heard of him because I’m a 9th Wonder fan and they have done a couple of albums together. He was nice – from the few bars I caught.

Wale is hot right now here in DC. Unlike Anita, I felt that he wasn’t “giving us the best that he got.” Frankly, I was underwhelmed. He kept telling us that he would be back later as if that was an excuse for his lazy performance. I think he mentioned that they had him going on early. Doesn’t matter. You’re hot in the game. You got to be ready to get it in at any given moment. However, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt since some people swear by him. I was less than thrilled with Raheem Devaughn the first time I saw him and now he gets nothing but love over here. So we’ll see.

Dead Prez and Immortal Technique were up next. I can’t really comment on them because I’m not a huge fan. I had actually never heard of Immortal Technique before that day. He is nice with his – yelling talking about some real shit once you got past the harsh delivery. I’ve never been a Dead Prez fan and honestly, I don’t really remember their performance.  From what I could tell, folks may have been underwhelmed. The energy seemed kind of low up there close to the stage. Anyone know different, please feel free to comment.

Before I go any further, I have to mention the host, Supernatural. Evidentially, once again I am late to the party because he is well-known for his legendary freestyle battles. He ripped the mic to shreds. His flow was reminiscent of KRS-One and that’s saying a lot.  Don’t sleep on this dude. Hell, I’m probably the only one that wasn’t in the know. But he asked us to spread the word and I had to comply! Video evidence is coming soon. Meantime, check him out performing “3 MC’s.” 

A number of DJs were on the 1s and 2s throughout the day but I was most excited to see DJ Beverly Bond representing for the ladies. Some feminine energy was most needed up there. DJ Scratch, formerly of The Roots, was ridiculous with the beatboxing. Had me reminiscing for real.

Once Rakim took the stage about 3pm, there was no more rest for the weary. I don’t think I sat down for more than 15 minutes at a time for the rest of the day. The rain came down and I ignored it. A black woman voluntarily standing out in the rain?! I must have been high. But how can you sit down when one of the greatest to ever do it is on the mic? Not to mention Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, Meth & Redman (with his fly ass ‘hawk), Pharcyde, Mos Def, Nas, and A Tribe Called Quest are in the building?! I can rest when I die!

Here are some random thoughts I had through the rest of the day:

Rakim is still the lyrical assassin. Few can touch him. That’s over 20 years in the game right there.

The most beautifullest thing in this world was seeing thousands of people throwing up the WU sign.

Tribute to ODB got me a little misty.

Meth and Red stage diving was the coolest. When they hugged at the end of the set, I got misty again.

Redman joining Tribe on stage was hot.

Nas telling the “old niggas” to step aside for the “new niggas” is probably disrespectful but still humorous.

Wondering why the hell Afrika Bamabaataa was on the B stage. That was a crime. Apparently there were some great artists on that stage – like Spank Rock- but a sista was not moving!

Me losing my everloving mind when Q-Tip performed “Bonita Applebaum” and “Vivrant Thing.”

Thinking that I need to get Nas’ album ASAP. And I don’t buy hip hop albums like that. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and I was feeling the cuts he performed.

What is Bilal’s music director doing up there performing with Q-Tip?!

I liked Mos Def’s set although he was definitely on some other stuff.  “Miss Fat Booty” was not in the building. I didn’t mind because I was feeling a lot of his reggae-flavored joints. I was winding my body like I was in Jamaica mon.

I’m still downloading videos and probably will be for quite a while. I did get a few up for your viewing pleasure. They are far from my best work (i.e. you may be subject to sea sickness and random singing/rapping and commentary). If you want to see better videos closer to the stage, just search You Tube or check out the view from “Life In The Chocolate City.”

Nas, “One Mic”

Nas, “Sly Fox”

Tribe Called Quest, “Scenario” and “Award Tour”

Tribe Called Quest, “Relax Yourself” and “Check The Rhime”

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The Night I Fell Back In Love With Hip-Hop

29 Thursday May 2008

Posted by Vivrant Thang in Feeding The Music Jones, Let's Rock: Concert Reviews

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

emcees, krs one, krs one and chief rocka busy bee, krs one at the black cat, krs one concert reviews, legends of hip hop tour, real hip hop

by vivrant thang on feeding the music jones

Actually the title is a little deceiving because this love affair started up again last year with the Hip Hop Honors Tour. 

I’ve never been a hip hop head per se. Always been more of an R&B junkie. Mary, Total, Faith, Jodeci, Mint Condition, SWV, Dru Hill, and Zhane were a fewof the artists playing on the soundtrack to my life in my formative years. However, in between my obession with the New Jack Swing Era, emcees like Biggie, Big Daddy Kane, Salt & Pepa, MC Lyte, Snoop, and LL still got play on my pink boom box. To this day, I can still recite most of the lyrics to all their songs. And I’m proud of that.

Will these kids growing up today be able to do the same thing in 10-15 years?

Hell no because half these fools with songs in the rotation today ain’t saying shit. Who can even understand what they’re saying? And who is even listening? Doesn’t matter because it’s all about the beat and whether it can make asses bounce in da club and on the television screen.

I’ve been gone for a minute and didn’t mean to come back ranting. Besides, surely I’m preaching to the choir. It’s just that seeing KRS-One perform over the holiday weekend just took me back to the time when I was listening to the lyrics…taking them to heart, committing them to memory because they meant something. When battling was done on wax and not in the streets with heat.

When I’m in a jam, with my homegirl Jill
My cousin Trey across the room with a posse to kill
So I step in the middle, shake it just a little
Wait for some female to step up and pop junk
Give my cousin a cue, treat the girl like a punk
Now I’m not tryin to say that I’m into static
But yo if you cause it, yup, we gotta have it
Cause I ain’t goin out like a sucker no way
So I sit around the way for you to make my day
We can go for the hands, better yet for the words
Cause you’ll be ignored, and at the same time, I’ll be heard
throughout the city, the town and the country
The beat is funky, my rhyme is spunky
There is no delayin in the rhyme I’m sayin
Neither are the flaws of what my DJ is playin
So SIT BACK Jack, and listen to this
It’s 10% Dis..
cause I’m just about ready to fly this fist
against your lips!

You were rapping along weren’t you?

So with the exception of a few emcees in the game today that I like – ones that “don’t be getting no airplay,” I choose to live in the past. Seeing KRS-One perform reminded me of why I’m dropping $80 to be three rows from the stage for this show.

Needs some girl power though. Was Lyte too busy promoting Almost September?

KRS-One, backed up by Chief Rocka Busy Bee, came through and delivered the message. I saw him last year at the Congressional Black Caucus Black party but the experience wasn’t quite the same with what I affectionately like to call the “Martha’s Vineyard crowd.” True hip hop heads of all races were packed into the venue to see a true emcee take the stage. You could literally see the excitement on everyone’s faces. When he finally came on, I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold on to my camera!

Throughout the show, folx were passing wax, kicks off their feet, t-shirts off their backs, hats off their heads- anything they could get their hands on for him and Busy Bee to sign. The energy was high and the temperature was on hell, just like a real house party.

There were some young boys in the audience, as you’ll see on one of the videos. Had to be no more than ten years old which got the major side-eye from me. We were at a bar, after midnight, where folks were dranking. What were they doing there?! However, after KRS pulled them on the stage and showed them what real hip-hop was, I was glad they were there (sort of). One of them might even be on that stage ten years from now spitting the real hip-hop – which I hope was the idea.

They also threw autographed tennis balls into audience. I got mine signed by Busy too. Gotta put that up for safekeeping along with my wax. School Lil Vivrant one day. Who knows what she’ll have to listen to by then? *shudders at the thought*

Enjoy some videos from the show and fall back in love (or deeper in love) with REAL hip-hop. More on my You Tube channel.

Are you still in love with hip-hop? Which emcees keep that love affair going?

Medley of songs including one of my favorites, Black Coppppp!

Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Now tell me what the f*ck am I supposed to do?)

KRS-One breaking down hip-hop so it can forever and consistently be broken (how many of these songs can you name?!)

“You Must Learn” and “Criminal Minded”

 

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