Washington Post Gives nod To Rock The Bells Tour
Sarah Godfrey Got it right, she must be a member of the golden era of hip hop club. All Ive heard and seen of this tour has been phenomenal and I only wish that a tour of this caliber would happen more often. Heres what the Post had to say:
Props to Sarah Godfrey.
By Sarah Godfrey
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, July 29, 2008; Page C01
Ever wish that Soulja Boy had never appeared on the rap scene with his little song and dance? Long to shut Plies's mouth with a pair of pliers? Fantasize that Flo Rida would pack up his mike and his muscles and ride off into the sunset?
All of those dreams came true, if only for a day, at Sunday's Rock the Bells festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Although it appears that "ring-tone rap" will be around for the foreseeable future, this year's installment of the annual multi-artist hip-hop concert almost managed to ignore current big commercial rap stars, instead transporting attendees back to hip-hop's golden era.
If not for a DJ briefly spinning Shawty Lo's "Dey Know" between sets, attendees could've pretended they were at a hip-hop show circa 1999 -- one with exceptionally good sound and no delays, that is.
That a tour of hip-hop artists who started so long ago can pack a 16,500-capacity venue is a testament to how that music is beloved by the 30-somethings who came of age listening to it -- and reverentially studied by 20-somethings who wish they had.
The day was a successful celebration of the past but didn't really explore the future of the genre, despite the festival's relentless "quality hip-hop still exists" message. Although acts such as the Cool Kids and Kidz in the Hall were on the bill representing the next generation of true school hip-hoppers, they performed on a second stage that didn't attract huge numbers.
Ghostface Killah, perhaps the sole '90s-era rapper on the bill whose newer material is even more acclaimed that his old, was the only performer who dared acknowledge that the brilliant moment in hip-hop where art and commerce were equally balanced seems to have passed: "A lot of [people] support that corny [expletive]," Ghost said. "It's all good, though -- I guess [things] gotta evolve."
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Perhaps out of respect for the nostalgic vibe of the day -- or for his colleagues whose 21st-century recordings haven't met with much success -- Ghost, along with fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, gave a set in which tracks from 2000's "Supreme Clientele" and assorted Wu material predominated.
If the day was one big hip-hop reunion, Rakim, who emerged after short sets from MURS, Wale, Dead Prez and Immortal Technique, easily nabbed the "most popular" superlative. The crowd -- a good mix of men and women; all races and combinations thereof; old heads and youngsters who wouldn't know that the festival takes its name from an LL Cool J song if it weren't for Wikipedia -- went insane for "Paid in Full" and "Microphone Fiend." Previews of Rakim's long-awaited new album "The Seventh Seal," which may finally land this fall, were met with less enthusiasm.
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