The
Hard Knock Life Tour
Memorial Coliseum Thursday, April 22
Eternal Golden Void
Tiger Bar Monday, April 19
Digital Underground, Cool Nutz and Hungry
Mob
LaLuna Sunday, April 25
"Send niggas back to go try again..."
--rapper Johnnie Blaze
In March, I appeared at Tigard High School as a guest speaker
in Mr. Gilsdorf's senior English classes to discuss both
the craft of writing and hip-hop culture. After three separate
question-and-answer sessions, it was quite clear that the
suburban students were feeling the urban-flavored rhymes
of current hot MCs, especially Def Jam-affiliated artists
Redman, Method Man, Jay-Z and DMX.
A few years ago, the Tigard students probably wouldn't
have recognized any of these artists, let alone owned one
of their albums. But times have changed. Folks all over
the country are feenin' for a hit of America's new "pop"
music. The Rose City has a new hip-hop station, Jammin'
95.5. FM, and a greater number of rap shows, giving Portlanders
better access to the culture. Between April 19 and 25, three
shows--Eternal Golden Void, the Hard Knock Life tour and
Digital Underground--gave concert-goers a taste of who's
really doing this hip-hop thing and who's not.
Jay-Z, Method Man, Redman and DMX brought the heft of their
accomplishments--over 12 million albums sold, two albums
resting in Billboard's top 10 simultaneously and two Grammys
among them--to the Hard Knock Life tour. The concert hit
Memorial Coliseum on April 22, and those in attendance experienced
the soulful essence of hip-hop culture. Coolio established
the peace that reigned over the event with his words of
positivity and a moment of silence in acknowledgment of
the Columbine High School tragedy.
There was mad, wild jiggying going on during the performances,
intensified by fireworks and sudden explosions (coming from
the stage, of course). Redman and Method Man brought the
ruckus, the former spazzing out to the beats and the latter
bobbing in the audience as he ran through classic material.
The duo provided the evening's highlight, spitting a dope
rendition of "How High" as they flew on suspension wires
through the weed smoke above the audience.
The world famous DJ Clue? mixed the blazing joints on the
turntables during intermission, maintaining the energy until
DMX took the stage. The X did his thing without the aid
of a hype man, and everybody percolated to his barking delivery.
The audience screamed the lyrics to the provoking "Get at
Me Dog," the ghetto tale "How's It Goin' Down" and the bouncing
"Ruff Ryders Anthem." The set closed with DMX's stirring
and lengthy lament about his struggle with good and evil,
which surprisingly held folks' attention.
DJ Clue? ran through classic Notorious B.I.G. party cuts
and doused the house with new, new shit before Jay-Z rose
up from underneath the stage. His performance was mundane
in comparison to the preceding acts, though "Who You Wit,"
"Hard Knock Life" and "Can I Get a..." brought people to
their feet for the sing-along. Luckily, four things salvaged
Jay-Z's hour: a tribute to Tupac and Biggie; the ill a cappella
piece by special guest Beanie Siegal; DMX's return for the
duet "Money, Cash, Hoes"; and Scratch's deft handiwork.
A year ago, the Hard Knock Life tour wouldn't have stopped
in Portland. But due to the nation's fascination with hip-hop,
the music has elbowed its way onto the scene, and no one
is going to benefit more than local artists. It will soon
become obvious which cats are making worthy contributions
to the culture and which ones are faking the funk.
All the kids fronting to be hip-hop DJs or turntablists
are going to be exposed and flipped like pancakes. Eternal
Golden Void's April 19 date at the Tiger Bar was comical.
Paul, my old-school head from Philly, was amused by EGV's
incredibly slow hand speed, peculiar choice of records and
lack of mixing skills. Bottom line, the show was wack. Anyone
can stand behind the turntables, play records and do basic
scratching, but that doesn't mean a person's a bona fide
hip-hop DJ. The art of DJing is so much more; it's keeping
the party alive with hands moving from the crate to the
needle to the board in about six eye blinks. A good example
of nasty DJing came during Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life set,
when Scratch "ate the pussy," whipping his tongue back and
forth across the fader faster than EGV could move his hand.
Since EGV can't apprentice under NYC's Scratch, hanging
out with local DJs Mello-C, KD and Chill would do him some
good.
On the real tip, Portland's Direct Productions is just
one of the local crews putting it down, providing professional,
entertaining shows like the loaded lineup, headed by Digital
Underground at LaLuna on April 25. DU is known for giving
a wild show, and frontman Shock G, is one of the illest
out there, but I didn't come to see the group. The only
acts of interest to me were Portland's own Cool Nutz and
Hungry Mob.
Unfortunately, poor sound hampered the crazy, energetic
show of G-Ism, Maniac and Cool Nutz. Hungry Mob's set was
the shit though, jumping to the next level with the
addition of Toni Hill's sultry vocals. The provocative way
she sang definitely had me open, and, judging from the expressions
on the faces around me, I wasn't the only one. I went home
excited, knowing that the continued growth of local hip-hop
artists keeps inching Portland toward national props. I
hope the Tigard High students I rapped with will get out
and help push this movement along by purchasing CDs, attending
shows and demanding that artists give sweat-inducing performances.
Hip-hop is about bringing everybody together, and it is
definitely going to take all of us to blow up the spot.
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Willamette Week | originally
published May 5, 1999
|
