At sunset on Friday, the place to be was at Kanawha Plaza for the “Fridays at Sunset” concert series.
I looked forward to this show all day as I tediously toiled at my 9-to-5 getting by on pure zeal to see Nas –one of the most prolific emcees in hip-hop.
It almost was “Fridays in Showers” as afternoon rain threatened the outdoor event. But by 7 p.m. the skies were clear and the weather was hot and humid –thanks rain. Without a folding chair of some sort, your only choices are to stand or sit in the damp grass. So I did the obvious.
Female emcee, Aynjul, opened the show with a fast flow over hard beats. Her thoughtful lyrics failed to move the crowd as people were finding places to set their folding chairs. She brought out fellow Round Table Entertainment artists Conflict and Wild Fire, which helped her get a few heads nodding and hands waving by the time she finished her half-hour-long set.
Being new to the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) area, I wasn’t familiar with the sound of go-go music. The first time I heard it I wasn’t really able to catch the beat. The melody was slow but the percussion is upbeat. So do I dance fast or slow? So confusing!
It wasn’t until I heard a band called Mambo Sauce a few months ago that I actually appreciated the sound. At first listen you may confuse it with rock until you hear the distinct percussion via drums and bongos. With my new found appreciation of the sound I was eager to hear it live as Mambo Sauce took the stage next.
Named after a sauce found in Chinese take-out spots in D.C., Mambo Sauce’s music forces you to move. Not just nod your head or tap your feet, it takes over your body.
The seven-member ensemble gave and electric performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” in go-go fashion as an ode to “our next president, Barack Obama.” Performing local hits such as “Miracles” and “Keep Moving,” Mambo Sauce was able to get a good amount of the crowd into go-go.
Most impressive was guitarist Andrew White, who strummed the strings with his tongue during a solo. This got a certain reaction from the females in attendance. It’s surprising that he wasn’t bleeding from the speed he flailed his tongue.
As the crowd grew bigger, lead vocalist Alfred Duncan brought a young boy named Jacari on the stage as he crumped, –a style of dance where the body moves seemingly out of control— and received a reaction greater than the band did.
Mambo Sauce closed out their set around 8:40 p.m. performing their biggest song yet, “Welcome to D.C.” –which the video, directed by Tabi Bonney, drops next week on VH1 Soul. It’s good to see urban music incorporating bands into their sound, because it allows more diversity.
Once Mambo Sauce left the stage, I took a look behind me and noticed a pretty girl. Five minutes went by and I looked again and saw nothing but bodies. The pretty girl was lost in the sea of people that seemed to fill the venue in a blink on an eye by 8:40 p.m.
By that point, people were shoulder-to-shoulder. The body heat of the more than 2,000-person audience only made the 90-degree-weather more intolerable. I ended up talking to the members of Mambo Sauce and by the time we were done, there was a countdown from 10 that yielded Nas at zero.
Nas smoothly strolled to the stage dressed in a white shirt and black pants and greeted the screaming audience. He surprisingly started out with new material form the album formerly known as “N*****” –now untitled—and, even more surprisingly, the majority of the audience knew the songs.
“They say we N-I, double-G, E-R, we are, much more. Still we choose to ignore the obvious,” he rapped. The hard-hitting beat to “N***** (Slave and the Master)” matched with Nas’ raspy, yet clear delivery of such thought-provoking lyrics literally gave me chills.
He held no punches on “Be a N***** Too” rapping every controversial lyric as the crowd ate it up. That song is one that would be hard to play on the radio as it contains every racial slur you can think of. But his artistic integrity softens the blow of vulgarity.
“Though it seems heaven sent, we ain’t ready to have a black president. Yes we can,” blared through the speakers only for Nas not to perform the Obama-inspired song, “Black President.” He said he didn’t know the lyrics as it’s a very new song. What kind of cop-out is that? A bad one, if you ask me.
That was the one time I actually felt disappointed during his performance. Empowerment seemed to be a clear theme of his performance, yet he didn’t perform this powerful song. Nas did perform “Hero,” which is the first single off the upcoming untitled album. The up-tempo track really got the crowd going.
For most of the night, the crown moved in unison like a school of fish. Hands waved, heads nodded, and lighters illuminated the night as if it were choreographed.
“Hip-Hop is Dead” is not only a song, but a statement that Nas pretty much coined –even making it the title of his last album. It’s funny how you can’t mention hip-hop being dead without mentioning Soulja Boy.
Soulja has been under fire for profiting off of music that has no substance. Recently, cop-killa-turned-tv-cop Ice-T said that Soulja Boy “single-handedly killed hip-hop.” Soulja Boy got support from artists who disagree with Ice, such as Kanye West, and now Nas. “I love Soulja Boy,” Nas said before going into the first verse of “Hip-Hop is Dead.”
The rest of the show was nostalgic as Nas performed song after song from his 14-year career. It was apparent where the New Yorkers in the crowd were as they, or should I say we, took a mental trip home during “New York State of Mind” from his first album, “Illmatic.”
The great thing about an artist like Nas is that his lyrics and delivery are the music. It’s like listening to poetry over a beat that amplifies the emotion of the song. I was really amazed to see that an artist focused on lyricism can move a crowd the way he did.
But, regardless of how much Nas loves Soulja Boy, they are apples and oranges. I would rather the genius of Nas over the way-too-loud, prepubescent stage humping –yes, humping— and screams of Soulja Boy any day.
I especially loved the statement of “I Know I Can,” which Soulja Boy might want to listen to. With pistol-shaped fingers in the air, Nas explained their use as “Not to hurt each other, but to protect your brother,” he said.
The climax came during “One Mic,” which he dedicated to all aspiring emcees. He jumped up and rapped as if his life depended on it during climactic parts of the song, further accentuating his lyrical content. He became entranced during the last verse and just held his hand over his face and shook his head. It was OK because the crowd filled in for him.
“Made You Look” turned out to be the last song of the night. That’s not a song I would have chosen, but it was great because it was one of few songs he performed in its entirety.
You’ve got to respect an artist like Nas. He rightfully has the creativity to support his statements, no matter how controversial. Since his first album you’ve always known what to expect from him. His return with a new album is definitely absorbs some of the current oversaturation of Lil’ Wayne.
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