Let me start from the beginning at the top of the list/Na mean have, situation like this/Another war story from a thirsty young hustler/ - Prodigy 'Eye For An Eye'As time goes by and has gone by, things have most certainly changed. The climate and music of Hip-Hop in general, as of lately hasn’t been exactly conducive to what most Hip Hop heads would even consider to be real Hip-Hop anymore. In my personal opinion, there’s been a new genre of music that has slowly infiltrated the roots and origin that embody the “culture”, not the music itself. It’s a beautiful thing that Hip Hop has grown to new heights and levels never before seen, and corporations have been embracing some artists to market their products as well. It’s more like Hip-Pop, rather than Hip-Hop, which is perfect segue for this amazing concert that I had the honor to be in attendance at. Some things change and some things stay the same. Evolution is a beautiful thing, but y’all know how the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it”.
It’s obvious that the 3 year bid that Prodigy just came home from doing didn’t break his spirit and passion, as was evident on the Best Buy Theater stage on Thursday, May 11th. But before we even get into the Mobb Deep set, I gotta pay homage and MUCH respect to another set of legendary pioneers that haven’t compromised their integrity throughout all the years and changes that have occurred during their tenure in the game. Shouts to the Wu-Tang Clan. I found out last minute that this concert was even going down, so I hopped off the B train and basically ran to the Best Buy Theater at mach speed to catch whatever acts were going to be performing before it all ended. The show started at 8, however I didn’t arrive til’ 9. As soon as I walked in, I was magnetically pulled toward the energy that filled the arena and walked in to none other than the performance of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Although the full Wu was not in attendance, the members that were there did more than enough justice to that stage and left the audience more than satisfied. Raekwon, Ghostface, Cappadonna graced the stage in rare form as they performed a few of the many classic joints off the endless catalogue that they have collectively put together over a span of 18 years (Enter the Wu-Tang dropped in 1993). The energy was crazy and the fans were on their feet, rapping along the lyrics in almost perfect synchronized harmony. I can’t front, I respect the game for what it’s worth nowadays, but I can truly say I’m a fan of the Wu and most of the music today just don’t have that same effect that has the ability to move me and get my spirit uplifted (that’s just my opinion). They performed too many joints for me to go through, however, I will say that they even paid homage to the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard, with DJ Stretch Armstrong spinning 'I Like It Raw' (the crowd went bananas). To say the least, they couldn’t have done it better.
The lyrics from the Infamous Album have truly manifested themselves, ('Survival of The Fittest' comes to mind) as Prodigy braced the stage with a presence that is noteworthy of a newly resurrected “P”. Looking healthy after serving a 3 year bid, Prodigy captivated the audience with an iron fist while gripping that iron mic. Matter fact, I would say that he was like “Iron Mike” (Tyson) in his prime. Joined on stage by his loyal partner from the beginning, Havoc, the two donned the classic number 11 Hennessy jersey’s, circa 1996. Ladies and gentlemen, the Mobb was definitely Deep and Prodigy’s performance came off as if he never did a day in the pen. They performed severalc lassics from their lengthy catalogue of classic Hip-Hop music and for not one minute did the crowd focus their attention elsewhere, but the stage.
To sum it all up, all I have to say is if you missed this one, please try to search the web to find out when this concert collaboration will be in a city or town near you. It was a memorable night that I will never forget, but before I leave, I must acknowledge that there was also a performance by Black Thought, someone who I truly have a deep respect for in the Hip Hop arena. Unfortunately, I arrived a hour after the show began, so to summarize it all, y’all might just catch me at the next show that goes down...That’s just how good it was.
CHECK OUT EXCLUSIVE PICTURES FROM THE CONCERT BELOW:
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