Slick Rick @ Nokia Theatre 4/22/06

End of Year Cleanup Part 2: This post has been collecting dust in my draft box since April. So I tidied it up a little and now It's time I unleashed it.

    On April 22nd, In between deportations, Slick Rick managed to sneak in a show at Nokia Theatre. While his performance wasn’t earth shattering it was still entertaining to see the Ruler do his thing. Over the last few months I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a few classic hip-hop acts. Unlike Rakim who gave the audience a sense that he had something left in the tank, Slick Rick’s performance was a straight up nostalgia show. When he's 83-years-old The Ruler will be grabbing the mic rapping “once upon a time not long ago.” Don’t get me wrong, his performance wasn't embarrassing or sad. On the contrary, he put on a fun show when playing the classics. Every few songs he tried to slip in a new one but nobody wanted to hear it. The universal law of classic musicians performing live applies just as much to hip-hop as any other genre. Case in point. Slick Rick performs Children’s Story: “Oh shit!!!” – Random guy behind me. Slick Rick performs a new song: “Yo, you guys wanna get a drink?” – Random guy to the left of me. Slick Rick performs La Di Da Di: “Slick Rick is the illest son.” - Guy in front of me. Slick Rick performs a new song: “Yo, I gotta make this call.” – Guy next to me who smoked up all night. Aside from audience indifference for his new songs, Slick Rick was just as vocally dexterous and playful live as his is on record. He’s also hilariously bitchy. At one point he yelled at his DJ for playing the wrong track. Rick told him he was out if he screwed up again. Everyone laughed. His DJ screwed up again and Rick was like "I’m replacing you." But he was serious. Everyone was like damn! And the most absurd moment came when he laid down and inexplicably started humping the stage Bobby Brown style. Straight up humping the stage. Imagine a sea of people with a quizzical look on their face. He then got up, laughed, and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “I’m Slick Rick and I can hump this stage.” And check out the pendant hanging off his chain. It almost reaches his knee. I was waiting for him to fall into the first row. There's not much else to say about his performance. He played a relatively short set which included all the classics. He hit all his lines and for a brief minute reminded the crowd of his status as one of the most influential artists in music.

Speaking of influence, Snoop Dogg owes Slick Rick a royalty check for every time he's used the phrase Deeez Nuuuts. While he's at it he should pay him for stealing his flow. Contrary to what you've heard Lick the Balls was the first song played on W Balls, not Tha Shiznit.

MP3 Snoop Dogg - W Balls
MP3 Slick Rick - Lick the Balls
More Photos - Slick Rick @ Nokia Theatre 4/22/06

(Sorry for the grainy photos.)

Comments

[floodwatch]

Humping the stage? Bizarre. Still, I would have loved to see this show.

[Angrycitizen]

Yeah, humping the stage was one of a few odd moments during his set. But It was really cool seeing him do his thing. Who knows if he'll ever perform again in the U.S.

[MBT]

Give The world full of loves! The Great Loves will be giving back to Human!

[Cosplay Wigs]

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