So last week MAY 3RD I had the opportunity to see MR. ILLMATIC HIMSELF...NASIR JONES. He has been one of my favorite mc's for awhile. I still feel to this day, he is a living legend and despite many negative reviews about his "Hip Hop is Dead " album, I thought it was FABOLOUS! It really made its point. I really dont think today's "mc's" are up to par. Music today has lost its touch. Alot of the songs out right now are just club bangers and the beats usually override the lyrical content. Not that its anything new, but now the GOOD MUSIC to GARBAGE MUSIC ratio is really slim. What ever happen to the real head nod sounds, the real lyrics (that MEAN something), and the well thought out beats? Seeing Nas live was very refreshing. He still looks the same, still swags the same, and he has never sounded better.
Do you really think the likes of Pretty Ricky and this newcat MIMS will come through and perform a decade from now and still be the shit? I think not. Simply, Nas' Hip Hop is Dead brought back the sounds and vibes reminiscent of 90s Hip Hop. Straight GULLY. I have been to many shows in the past, including Rakim and Ghostface (two of the dopest mc's ever I might add), but this show was beyond average. His stage presence and delivery was DOPE! He really knew how to keep the crowd up.
His set was a few songs from his older albums, but alot was from his new album. He had a backdrop of a coffin and RIP gravestones to put the emphasis on the HIPHOP IS DEAD plot. The bass was bumpin and everyone was having a good time. He had his whole entourage there including my idol, MR. SPIKE LEE! Later on during the show he brought out yes...MR. SNOOP D O double G. Which was very surprising! It was a pleasant surprise though, since none of us knew it was coming. We later found out Snoop was in town to shoot Conan O'Brien's last show and came straight from the Warriors' game, which the Warriors' were victors of.
Snoop did some classics from the G Funk/Deathrow era and ended his set with, "DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT". Everyone busted out their camera phones and shot flicks like it was no tomorrow. Its not everyday that you see Snoop Dogg right in your face. You see people like Snoop, Spike, and Nas on TV all the time, but to see all these heavy hitters literally within arms length from you was amazing! The only song I really had qualms about was that "I wanna fuck you fuck you, you already know....." I stepped out for a cigarette on that one. Alot of the females were singing along to that song like it was alright. Snoop then proceeded to bring up these females to gyrate and grind on stage like a bunch of groupie minions who just loved to freak! I'm sorry, but i cant jive to that. LOL. For all you frisco heads, yes JT THE BIGGA FIGGA was in full effect as well.
All in all, it was a great night. Thanks to my goodfriends Nic and Christine for taking Chris and I to that show. The next one I'm looking forward to is Rock the Bells! YES! RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That will be D.O.P.E
check some pictures i took:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/alteredground3
NAS THE MILLIONAIRE THE MANSION!! He definately lived up to his stature and his name...long live Mr. Jones!!! Till the the next show...
you can peep out this blog and as well as other Hip Hop info going on in the Bay area at WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ALTEREDGROUND
paz
ALTEREDGROUND
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