Angry Citizen

Mos Def @ Highline Ballroom 5/26/07 | MP3s

When did Mos Def start hating hip-hop? Was it during the filming of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or his run in Broadway's, Topdog/Underdog? I know, it was his turn in the inspiring and highly underrated, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Either way, the guy hates hip-hop. Despises it! And why not? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to imply that his performance was lackluster. On the contrary, his performance was one of the livelier and inspiring performances I've seen this year. His stage presence is on par with that of a rock star. He's a true personality, one you can't avert your eyes away from. The ladies in the audience lost their shit when he winked or gave a slight shimmy. But all panty-wetting aside, have you listened to his latest mix-tape/album? It's not as bad as you've heard, but it's not close to representing what M.D. can do. He sounds like he's done with rapping, but something (record company?) is forcing the bars.

The feeling of hip-hop fatigue was hammered home when Def's special guest, Q-tip climbed on stage. Phife is practically beginning Tip to get the old gang back to together and Tip has refused (aside from their little reunion tour last year and some Rock the Bells rumors). Why? It's probably due to the fact that Tip's tired of A Tribe. Look at it from Tip's point of view. He's a legend who has influenced countless artists (Mos Def), placed two albums in the top 25 and he can't get his solo work released!! Everyone wants their favorite artist to take chances and grow. But when Tip records an album with a live band, consisting of five-to-seven minute jazz influenced songs, the label shuts it down based on a perception that it wont sell (a most definite perception). But fuck it. If I was Mos and Tip, and I'm not, I'd be bored out of my mind! Shit, If I saw Phife or Kweli running at me I'd run in the other direction, double time. Again, I’m not trying to imply that Tip was lackluster on stage. Far from it. He produced great energy but seemed unsure of where to channel it. Watching them interact on stage was a trip but at the same time a little depressing. It's as if their music can only get burn on a Saturday night in a little club in front of 600 people. Oh well. Save your money the next time Mos Def puts out a mix tape/album. Use it to buy a concert ticket and get your fix that way. Lord knows it's not coming in album form.

DOWNLOAD:
MP3 Mos Def - Undeniable

MP3 Q-Tip - Abstractionisms

More Photos: Mos Def @ Highline Ballroom 5/26/07

EL-P @ Fillmore 6/09/07 | MP3

Originally published at BrooklynVegan.com (read the comments to see the glowing praise about yours truly).

This is the El-Product summer...

The air was so thick Saturday night, that it’s going take weeks to clean off the thick film of hip-hop lathered on the walls of the Fillmore. Your run-of-the mill hip-hop concert consists of an agitated performer hyperaware of the impending doom of his genre; a performer who consciously takes the pulse of hip-hop every thirty seconds, only to lash out at any perceived threat like a cranky old man. Instead, El-P chose to take the pulse of America and lash out at the forces destroying us from within.

EL-P’s on another level like that…

The creative energy he supplied was forward moving even though the subject matter he covered was steeped in apocalyptic rage. Over the years, EL-P has crafted an aesthetic which wholly manifested itself into a perfected visual of doom and disease. He graced the stage covered in bloody scabs, donning a monkey suit. The atomic bomb landed and EL-P was the only survivor. He railed against strip malls and the homogeneous tendency of Middle America. He told tales of late night drug runs on the Lower East Side, which yielded the shittiest coke on earth. He delivered a scathing tract against the Bush administration and indicted them for the pile of bullshit they sold America. America is a dirty place. His anti-war screed lead into a blistering version of ‘Up All Night’ which produced a mushroom cloud of energy and vitriol. As the mosh pit reached its zenith, an exhausted El-P collapsed on stage and laid motionless representing the “thousands of soldiers that have died for lies.” His splayed corpse was soundtracked by Radiohead’s ‘The National Anthem’ and a Tribe Called Quest's, ‘Can I Kick It.’ When the crowd chanted “Yes you can”, El-P rose from the dead and finished off his vision of 21st century America in all its fucked up glory.

DOWNLOAD:
MP3 EL-P - Tuned Mass Damper

More Photos: EL-P @ Fillmore 6/09/07
 

Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live

As of last week, I'm officially covering hip-hop concerts for BrooklynVegan.com. You can check out my first review, Mos Def @ Highline Ballroom, published today at BrooklynVegan.com. I'll have a more in-depth take on the Mos Def show in a few days (week?). For now, here's a photo...

More Photos: Mos Def @ Highline Ballroom 5/26/07

Ghostface Killah @ Highline Ballroom 5/15/07 | MP3

It was obvious from my ticket stub, which had Ghost's name in fine print, that he was not headlining last week's concert at Highline. My expectations were minimal at best and inside I dreamed of a solo performance, minus the T-Unit. Something along the lines of Ghost sitting on a stool performing songs like Holla to a hushed audience. That didn’t happen. His performance was a straight up pay check performance with the T-Unit and all the accoutrements. If you think about it, Ghost made out like a bandit. He pocketed a nice chunk of change for a short set in exchange for filling up the venue.

The down side to a limited performance is obvious. But in actuality, the short set list fostered an atmosphere of spontaneity. Ghost performed without preplanned skits so there was no Cherchez LaGhost groping girls with breast implants bit. This freed Ghost up, creating a performance that was loose, fun and without a whiff of going through the motions, which generated more energy in the crowd. Funny how that works. Ghost performed around six or seven songs, two of which, Triumph and Shimmy Shimmy Ya, the audience carried. 

Since the vibe was loose and the show was short, interjections from the T-Unit were made all the more tolerable, if not enjoyable. I even found myself liking Wiggs. Maybe I’m beginning to understand the subtleties of the Teddy-Unit and I've reached a level of maturity where I can fully appreciate their quest to redefine our understanding of the posse?

The only note worthy part of the show was provided by the RZA, who popped in for a cameo. I do believe the Rza was accompanied by Shavo from System of a Down. I swear these two are dating because they go everywhere together, much to the chagrin of the Inspectah. Word on the street is that Shavo’s ruining the Wu dynamic Yoko style. Some have commented that Ghost was surprised to see RZA. I didn’t catch Ghost's reaction because I was fixated on RZA’s Wu-Wear velour jumpsuit. Assuming that Ghost was surprised, and RZA showed up unannounced, something must be in the air. It's my contention that RZA hopped in his Wu-Tang pickup truck, picked up Shavo, and high-tailed it over to the Highline ballroom to convince Ghost that his presence is sorely needed on 8 Diagrams. Recently, Ghost made comments that would lead one to conclude his interest in 8 Diagrams is not as high as say, U-God.* Why should he be excited? His status has grown while the rest of the clan has slowly faded. Ghost is the only member with any modicum of mainstream success. It’s funny how he’s gone from supporting actor to the one guy reping the clan. A new Wu album needs Ghost and Ghost knows it. Here's to Ghost and RZA getting their shit together and making a good Wu-Tang album.

*I’m basing this on an “article” I read a while ago where Ghostface expressed some reservations about the new Wu-Tang album. Of course I can’t find the article so its contents might exist only as a figment of my imagination. Based on the evidence in my possession, which I will not share with you my readers, I’ll venture to guess that the article does exist. But, its contents have been rendered irrelevant based on an interesting comment Ghost uttered during the concert. He said “Yo, watch out for 8 Diagrams” which implies that his participation is a given. Carry on.

DOWNLOAD:
MP3 Ghostface Killah f/ RZA - Who's the Champion?
MP3 Ghostface Killah - Paychecks

More Photos:
Ghostface Killah @ Highline Ballroom 5/15/07
Ghostface Killah @ Nokia Theatre 4/22/06
Wu-Tang Clan @ Webster Hall 8/17/06
Wu-Tang Clan @ Webster Hall 8/18/06

Breaking @ 42nd Street-Times Square Subway Station 5/18/07 | MP3

On Friday night I hopped on the 7 train to Shea Stadium to watch the Yankees slide further into mediocrity. I walked out of Shea and back on the 7 train dejected over the realization that this could be the year in which the 200 million dollar hegemonic dynasty kicks the bucket. I stepped off the 7 train and into the bowels of the Times Square train station. As I weaved and side-stepped my way through the train station on my way to the N line and home, I came upon an enclosed circle. I figured it was a performance by one of the many musical acts that populate the subway system and make New York City’s underground a place where the music never stops. But I noticed something different about the crowd. I didn't hear the normal complimentary claps, and the circle was too big for your run-of-the-mill subway act. I circled around and walked back and forth in an attempt to locate a sight line around the many heads, which would offer me a glimpse inside the circle. Finally, I gently elbowed my way up to the front and spotted a group of kids carrying on a tradition and filling the 42nd Street-Times Square Subway Station with enough good vibes to last a life time. I can't put into words the kind of excitement and joy that was generated inside and around the circle. It’s a feeling that can only be experienced by standing or sitting on the outskirts of a breaking circle as a rush of air generated by a leg or torso flies by. On one end, an elderly woman clapped loudly in excitement at what had to be her first encounter with such moves. On the other side, a child no older than five tried to mimic a downrock move to no avail. A b-boy in training.

DOWNLOAD
MP3 Afrika Bambaataa - Looking For The Perfect Beat

Check out these power moves...

Spin moves...

Spank Rock @ Highline Ballroom 5/15/07

You need to make Spank Rock one of your favorite MCs. I'm not talking about nominating him the greatest of all time or granting YoYoYoYoYo top 25 status. That would be too much praise. But I'm talking about putting Spank Rock on your short list of artists to see live. Forget your preconceived notions concerning Spank Rock’s image, which genre they comfortably belong in and whether their sound fits in the overall hip-hop landscape. Live and direct all that nonsense falls by the wayside. The electronic bleeps, burps and stutters kept the crowd moving but didn't overpower the sound system, which gave everyone enough time to ponder the eternal question, one that should be asked more often, which is, can he rhyme? Not only can Spank Rock rhyme but he can dance too. That’s the total package. But more than rhyming and busting a move, Spank Rock can move a crowd, which according to Rakim is essential.

Spank Rock came out and performed four or five songs, including Rick Rubin, for an eager crowd. After Spank Rock got the crowd hyped and cemented a nice foundation, they handed the stage over to Ghostface and his cronies for twenty-five minutes of pure energy. More on that later (check my Ghost and Rza photo over at BV). Right before Spank Rock came back on stage for his second set, Ghostface applauded his effort and led the crowd in a Spank Rock chant, prompting Spank Rock to comment that the last year has been crazy but opening and closing for Ghost is the craziest thing to ever happen to them. Their second set, propelled by Ghost's energy, built off of their first set and was accompanied by more dancing, something rare for a New York City show let alone a hip-hop show. Good times all around, Ghost and the crowd would agree.

Download:
MP3 Spank Rock - Bump
MP3 Spank Rock - Rick Rubin

More Photos: Spank Rock @ Highline Ballroom 5/15/07

Through the Cracks - Just Ice @ B.B. Kings | MP3

Just Ice @ B.B. Kings

    This particular performance by Just Ice, which occurred last November, almost slipped through the cracks here at Angry Citizen. It would have permanently slipped through the cracks if not for Prodigy’s Return of the Mac mix-tape.  Return of the Mac, which is one of the better albums of ’07, managed to remind me of the photo lurking below. Here's how...

    You see, on the same night and on the very same stage that Just Ice performed on, Prodigy made an appearance, accompanied by his G-Unit/Queensbridge clowns. These were weed carriers to the nth degree. No flow, no rhymes, just a bunch of whack rappers yelling over each other as if grunting and making nasty facial expressions can make up for a lack of skill. The performance didn’t start out bad. When Prodigy hit the stage I was excited along with everyone else around me. I thought we’d get at least one song, or at the very least, one verse. Preferably his fourth verse on Cradle To The Grave. But no, Prodigy just stood in the background and allowed his boys to pollute our eardrums. Not only did Prodigy not touch a mic, he didn’t even move. He just stood there, eyes rolled in the back of his head, drink in hand taking that New York sip. He looked like the ghost of hip-hop past. It saddened me and quite frankly threw me in a funk.

    But let’s not get too sad or shed a tear. I used my Prodigy sighting to introduce the main point of the post: Just Ice and his flash like performance. I’m not going to front and act like I’m a big Just Ice fan. I know of him and have a few of his more popular songs. I’m more interested in the historical position he occupies. In the mid-eighties Just Ice was as influential as any rapper on the scene. He was also someone who rapped about things he actually did as opposed to being a studio gangsta. Just Ice used to run around New York wielding Mac-10’s and Prodigy writes stories about running around New York wielding Mac-10’s. I’m not justifying the use of Mac-10’s, no matter how proficient they may be, or so I hear. I’m also not knocking Prodigy; A.C. has no beef with Queensbridge. Nor am I requesting swift appointment to head the Just Ice fan club. I’m just here to discuss Just Ice. I would love to give a more detailed description of his performance, but he only performed one song. Basically, he ran on stage star-search style for a one song engagement. He was halfway through his one and only song before I realized who was standing two feet in front of me. Quick thanks to the guy behind me who pointed and said "that's Just Ice." When he finished he bounced quicker than he came. Without photographic evidence I would have thought it a dream.

DOWNLOAD
MP3 - Just Ice - Cold Gettin' Dumb
MP3 - Prodigy - Return of the Mac

    If you clicked on the link above it took you over to an amazing website. Basically, it's a website run by someone obsessed with pre Run-D.M.C. hip-hop. Click this link to read all of his interviews with the pioneers of hip-hop. Here are some excerpts from his Just Ice interview.

When did you become Just Ice?

When I first got locked up I was twelve. I think I was 13 when I first became a 5 percenter. I was first locked up at a place called Holy Cross, Pius Twelve. It was way upstate New York in Ryan Beck, New York. I was really sent there because I was too much for my parents to handle. It wasn’t a reform school and it wasn’t a lock up, lock up. I stayed there until I was sixteen. On my visits I was still coming back to Castle Hill. I would go home to Fort Green to put my bags down, but I would be on the train right back to the Exactly.

How did you get on with Mantronik?

I met Mantronik at a club called Danceteria.

I remember the place.

One night Africa Islam was up there playing, I was rolling with him. Islam is Islam, he is playing records nobody else was playing. So I grabbed the mic and tore it up. Who was standing right there? Mantronik! I didn’t know who the hell this little nerdy looking guy was. He asked me my name and I tell him Justice. He said what was my m.c. name? I tell him Just Ice. He was like you want to make some records? He gave me his number blah, blah, blah. One thing led to another with me and Ben. I took my last twenty two dollars, went to the studio right on Myrtle avenue and Saint Lawrence, (In Brooklyn, and recorded “Put that record back on.” That was the first joint I ever did. I took it to Sleeping bag records. Sleeping Bag was cool, but they said they need something else to go on the other side. They said they didn’t want to put the vocals on one side and the instrumental on the other side. So me and Ben went back. I took them $17, they said they would give me 2 hours for $17.

Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums

Straight Bangin' and P.O.W. put out a call and I answered...

1) Nas - Illmatic
Whenever some hippie music rag puts together a Top 100 albums of all time list it always includes Kind Of Blue at the expense of every other Jazz album ever released. When hip-hop reaches that level of recognition, Illmatic will be the album to make the list. And by the way, Nas won.

2) Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
This album didn't leave my portable cd player for a year. To this day I get goosebumps every time I hear "Shaolin shadowboxing, and the Wu-Tang sword style...If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous. Do you think your Wu-Tang sward can defeat me? En garde, I'll let you try my Wu-Tang Style."

3) Eric B. and Rakim - Let The Rhythm Hit Em
What Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em lacks in historical significance it makes up for by serving as the duos most concise and thorough album. I'll argue till I'm blue in the face that Side B of Let The Rhythm Hit Em is the best collection of golden age hip-hop ever. And Run For Cover is one of the best "I'm still the greatest, now get the fuck out of my way" songs.

4) Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road to the Riches
My first real concrete hip-hop memory was in '88 when Kool G Rap swaggered through the saloon in the Symphony video.  To this day I'm still trying to chop through G Raps dense and complex rhymes. Oh, and did I mention the dude wrote rhymes in the shower!

5) Mobb Deep - The Infamous

While listening to Return of the Mac I was reminded that nobody is as good as Prodigy in creating dark, dirty, fucked up imagery. Mix that in with Havoc's dark, dirty, fucked up beats and you have a dark, dirty fucked up classic.

6) Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
If this was the NBA draft, this pick would start the run on Wu-Tang solo albums. I remember buying this album at the Kings Plaza Mall with my boy Joe. The cover alone mesmerized us for hours. This is the only Wu-Tang solo album worthy enough to sit next to 36 Chambers.

7) Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Forget about the beats, which have not aged well. The main focus should be placed on KRS-One, more specifically, the knowledge he dropped. It's fun to sit and listen to Criminal Minded and pick out the lines (most of them) that others have quoted over the years.

8) Ghostface - Supreme Clientele
Ironman might seem like the logical choice but Ghost still had on the training wheels (Rae, Rza etc). Supreme Clientele is where Ghost shed the training wheels and established himself as the clans best soloist.

9) A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Electric Relaxation and We Can Get Down are on my short list of all time favorite songs. Am I the only that stared at the album cover for hours pointing out all the faces?

10) Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
I can't begin to describe how much this album fucked with me after its release. The How Many MC's video forced me to drop everything for 3:40 every time it came on. My Tim's and Carhartt jacket are sitting in the closet waiting for the revolution.

11) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Who Killed It? Biggie.
This album marked a sea change in hip-hop that was never to be undone or outdone. Many copied the blueprint laid out on Ready to Die to varying results, most poor. The truth is, none of the shark biters could reproduce Biggie's honesty, vulnerability, authenticity and original voice.

 

12) Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Before golden age hip-hop lost the battle to the jiggy/bling era. And before O.C. told emcee's their time was up. Jeru was running around New York forcing rappers to Come Clean. Jeru spit truth on a lyrical and intellectual level. Mix Jeru's verbal gymnastics  with career defining beats from Premo and this album is a no-brainer.

13) Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show
I know what you're thinking. Why Bum Rush? This album is nowhere near as influential and earth shattering as P.E.'s latter work. But it's one of the most slept on debuts in hip-hop history. If P.E. stopped making records after Bum Rush their status would be solidified. If Road to the Riches is the best "Here I am, get the fuck out of my way" song, Public Enemy No. 1 is second.

14) Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
This is the Outkast album that had the greatest impact on me. In 1994, while I basked in the bonanza known as East Coast rap, soaking up what seemed to be a classic album every two weeks, I bumped into Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Outkast served a dish I wasn't used to hearing but it somehow fit in perfectly with every other classic album released in '94.

15) GZA - Liquid Swords
Back in the mid-nineties, the release of a Wu- Tang solo album was like a holiday. Sleepless Monday nights and sweaty palms accompanied a nervous twitch. Nothing compares to putting on Liquid Swords and getting lost in Rza's weird world and  mesmerized by GZA's confident, rock of Gibraltar flow.

16) Gang Starr - Hard To Earn
Premo and Guru move like a well oiled machine through this album of unskippable tracks. Not only does Hard to Earn possess an unskippable flow, it contains one of the slickest collabos ever. Peace out Premier, take me out wit da fader

17) Redman - Dare Iz A Darkside
It appears that everyone is on the Muddy Waters band wagon. Dare gets written off as being too weird or unfocused. On the contrary, it’s Redman's best album, lyrically and creatively. Dare makes you uneasy and forces a few what the fucks, which is what a Redman album should do.  Plus, Green Island is so schizophrenic and mesmerizing,  Eminem based his career on it.

18) Dr. Dre -Chronic
I played this album so much I'm still sick of looking at that lame ass cover.

19) Jay Z - The Blueprint
A lot of people will argue that Reasonable Doubt is Jay's best. Reasonable Doubt was too derivative for my taste. But on The Blueprint Jay was at his most obnoxious, playful and Machiavellian i.e. his best. It's the sound of a man consciously putting the genre on his back and bum rushing the mountain top.

20) Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggy Style
This album spawned a bunch of hits, catch phrases and words that took over popular culture and still haunt us today. That alone would warrant inclusion, but when you add Doggy Dogg World to the mix it's another no-brainer.

21) Madvillain - Madvillainy
In a sense, Madvillain, like a super-hero saved hip-hop for me. At the time I was in and out of the genre. I was another 50 cent song away from giving up completely. Madvillian swooped in and smacked the sense back in me. Thanks DOOM.

 

22) Common - Resurrection
I must admit my interest in Common has wained a great deal over the years. But Resurrection was an instant classic in my mind. The rhymes and beats coalesced at a perfect pitch. Common dropped knowledge, had fun and provided enough word play to make you hit the rewind button numerous times.

 

23) Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
This is one of those hip-hop DNA albums that even the non hardcore hip-hop head can agree on. Everyone from thugs to grandmothers can  get down to Mona Lisa and Treat Her Like a Prostitute.

 

24) Artifacts - Between A Rock And A Hard Place
I know what you’re thinking. How the hell did this album make the list? You need to go back and listen to Tame One, one of the most underrated emcee’s of the last twenty years. "I'm out to bomb like Vietnam under the same name Tame One...."

25) Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient
Aside from CL Smooth's failed attempt to introduce the word "Lucci" into the American lexicon, his performance on Main Ingredient was freaksihly flawless. And Pete Rock did his best job laying down the foundtaion for the next genreation of beat makers. Taken as a whole, Main Ingredient is one of those timeless, true and flawless hip-hop albums.

Through the Cracks - Kidz in The Hall @ Bowery Ballroom | MP3

A Tribe Called Quest > Souls of Mischief > Skyzoo > Kidz in The Hall >>>> Remo Da Rapstar

    If you asked If I've seen Kidz in The Hall live, I’d say yes and I wouldn’t be lying. If you asked me to describe their performance I’d be at a loss for words. Before I explain, let me tell you about something else I witnessed that very night. I’ve been to a lot of concerts. More than I can count. I’m one of those concert nerds that show up when the doors open to ensure a spot up front. Showing up early works well for indie rock shows but not so well for hip-hop shows (the wait). The down side to this move is endless hours of standing on your feet. Not to mention the scorn aimed in you direction from the person you dragged to the show. I’d like to take this moment to apologize to my girlfriend for making her stand hours to see Dungen, a band she truly hates. The good side, which some might view as a down side, are all the opening bands you see. Some are surprising, others are horrid, and for the most part the majority are decent. On the very night I’m writing about I stood through three opening bands. The first opener Skyzoo was amazing. Next up was Kidz in the Hall who I’ll discuss in greater detail below. The Kidz fell in the decent category. The other opener was the worse opening band I’ve ever seen. He goes by the name of Remo da Rapstar. My confidence was shaken based on his name alone. Remo da Rapstar was so bad I nearly shed a tear for hip-hop and called it dead on the spot. For a second I thought I was transported to another universe where awful cRap was encouraged. No, not the South. I don't normally put down an act but this performance was cringe inducing and soul raping (Emcees should know their limitations).Who knows, maybe Remo will become the future of hip-hop or at the very least a rap star. I’ll be the loser blogger who crapped on him. I doubt that.

    After the noise pollution subsided the Kidz in the Hall took the stage. Like I said earlier, their performance was good but missing a key ingredient. At first I liked their presentation and asthetic and I was getting my grove on because I do that from time to time. Kidz sound like, now brace yourself, that backpack rap which I have a taste for. They played one song, the name of which I can’t recall because I went in totally blind to their catalog. The song was catchy and Naledge delivered his lyrics in a smooth buttery flow which made me think of A Tribe Called Quest. I often daydream and stare into space when a band’s live show can’t keep my attention. Remo da Rapstar kept my attention but for all the wrong reasons. When asked why I didn’t enjoy a performance I can’t furnish specific reasons because I spent the show thinking of something other than the performance in front of me. In particular, I started thinking about Phife Dawg's line “here’s a funky introduction of how nice I am.” I though about artists I want to see live, including Tribe. I chastised myself for missing Tribes show last year. I read somewhere they won’t consider touring in the near future, which makes no sense from a monetary standpoint. Anyway, I thought of another line; “I like em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian, name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu nation.” Phife was always trying to bring world peace. This in turn forced me to think about the Electric Relaxation video, which feels so New York circa 1993. I was snapped out of my haze when the Kidz performed a new song, Wheelz Fall Off. Wheelz jacks the beat from 93 'til Infinity. I instantly thought about ’93 Till Infinity which reminds me of spring and summertime in Brooklyn, circa 1994. Speaking of Souls of Mischief, I'll be checking them out next Wednesday at Southpaw. Get your tickets here. By the time a cleansed my mind of all excess thoughts the Kidz in Da Hall were trudging off the stage.

DOWNLOAD
MP3 Kidz in The Hall - Wheelz Fall Of

Kidz in The Hall

Remo Da Rapstar setting the genre back twenty years.

Kidz in the Hall - Wheelz Fall Off

Souls of Mischief - 93 Till Infinity

Slick Rick @ Knitting Factory

Here we go....

    Walters entered the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in April 1976. In 1991 he was convicted for several firearm offenses and attempted murder. Subsequently, he was charged by the INS with deportability. Walters argued before an Immigration Judge that his deportability should be waived under the five-year bar. The five-year bar states that any individual who serves less than five years in jail is eligible to have their deportability waived. But, if an aggravated felon serves more than five years in prison he cannot have his deportability waived. An Immigration Judge granted Rick's relief application and adjusted his status to that of a lawful permanent resident.
    One month later the New York corrections authority alerted the INS that Rick actually served more than five years in prison and thus was barred from utilizing the five-year exception. On March 26, 1997 the Board of Immigration Appeals, based on Rick's statutory ineligibility ordered him deported. Rick remained in the country for several years even though there existed an order of deportation. In May of '02, Rick departed the U.S., which had the legal effect of executing his 1997 deportation order. Rick attempted to reenter the U.S. at the port of Miami (no Rick Ross) and the INS denied him admission and instituted a removal proceeding against him. A judge in Florida ordered him removed based on his criminal conviction as well as his prior departure which acted as a deportation. This is where the case gets tricky and involves jurisdictional issues. I'll spare you the mundane details. Basically, Rick appealed the Florida decision to the District Court and the District Court granted his appeal. The U.S. appealed and argued that the REAL ID Act of 2005 eliminates District Court habeus review and Rick must seek review in an appropriate Circuit Court. I can continue but the story remains the same. Rick keeps bouncing from court to court due to legislation continually being passed in the wake of 9/11. Unfortunately, under tightened immigration laws passed under the watchful eye of Premier Bush, the odds of Rick remaining in the U.S. are slim and none. But you never know.

    The Village Voice recently published an interesting article detailing Rick’s legal woes, current life and his overall resignation with the state of his immigration case. But in between court dates and appeals Rick's been sneaking a concert or two in for his devoted fans. Last February at the Knitting Factory Rick held one of those pre-deportation affairs that brought out all the well-wishers and nostalgia seekers. Last time I caught Rick he opened for Ghostface. He appeared extremely hesitant and disconnected with the large and younger crowd assembled for Starks. In a recent interview Rick discussed having a hard time performing for people under 25 saying “let the kids entertain the kids. Let adults entertain adults. And the kids who are ahead of their time will come to a mature audience.”

    The Knitting Factory provided a perfectly sized venue and enough post twenty-five year-olds and kids ahead of their time to properly receive Rick's intelligent and charismatic party music. When introducing Lick the Balls, Rick said with a smirk “no disrespect ladies, it’s just a song.” Of course Rick delivered it with charm and a smile, turning the song’s mischievous nature into a party anthem. Halfway through the set Rick, for the first and only time, briefly talked about the status of his immigration case and prompted the crowd to “pray for me, motherfuckers!”

    Along the way Rick engaged the audience in something of a Pepsi challenge. The premise of the bit was to compare today’s songs with hip-hop songs of old. I’m assuming Rick’s main goal was to lead everyone to the conclusion that today’s hits are not up to snuff with the songs produced during the golden age of hip-hop. The first song played was ‘We Fly High’ by Jim Jones. As the song rolled along the crowd shouted Ballin’ with glee and Rick pantomimed the infamous jump shot. As the song came to an end Rick looked at the crowd with a giant smirk on his face and exclaimed, “that was good, I like it!” I’m not sure if he actually liked the song or was making fun of the crowd for getting so amped. Rick combated ‘Ballin’ with ‘Jump Around’ by House of Pain. As expected Rick and the crowd jumped around like a bunch of crazed fools. Next up was Chicken Noodle Soup v. Time 4 Sum Askhun. The bout ended before it began with "The Moby Dick of Dopeness" winning in a landslide. Rick played another set of songs before he concluded his empirical study with a laugh. After pondering his selections I’m not sure if Rick was trying to point out that today's hit songs aren't that different from hit songs of old? Maybe Rick was fucking with the crowd and busting on our taste in music? In the end I'm going to chalk it up to a little of both.

    This time around Rick was backed by a live band, the Adam Deitch Project. It’s safe to say that Rick sounded ten-times better backed by a live band as opposed to rolling with only a DJ. More hip-hop artists need to bite the bullet and embrace the live band concept.  All you have to do is call up some hired guns like the Adam Deitch project. Hand the band a sheet with all the songs you plan on performing and they'll show up ready to roll. Hell, I'll hire the band. I’ll use my bloging profits to offset any extra costs incurred. The ease of this process was evidenced by Rick as he introduced the band--he couldn’t remember some of their names. It was obvious he barely rehearsed with the band if he rehearsed at all. This is why I was all the more surprised when the band sounded so cohesive in reproducing every classic beat. At one point Rick looked back at the band and flashed a big grin in amazement. This time his smile was one hundred percent genuine. Even Rick’s DJ got in the act instructing both drummers like a (beat) conductor. Slick Rick live is a redundant proposition. You're presented with the same songs in relatively the same order wrapped up in a nice forty-minute package. No matter how bland and unimaginative that sounds, Rick's charisma keeps the house packed.

More Photos: Slick Rick @ Knitting Factory

Slick Rick @ Knitting Factory - Mona Lisa