by Lundberg - March 2, 2010 - - Comment Now »
Rap concerts are notorious (see what I did there?) for sucking. It is a big (did it again) part of what has kept most rappers from having careers that last longer than a few years. However, things may no longer be the same for gangstas.
I say this after seeing one of my main boyfriends, Jay-Z, perform live several times recently (pause). The jump in quality Hov’s show has taken from earlier this decade is astounding. The experience has been upgraded Beyonce-style. His show went from a fairly good time to some of the best concerts I have ever seen. And as a result, rap has its first Rolling Stones level live act.
This occurred because he took a cue from the Roots (always sick live) and a few other hip hop groups and began using organic music at his shows. Now he’s got his own band (they are nasty) and it just makes everything sound crisper and more unique. Some of his songs are even better live than they are on the record and that makes for a serious experience considering the vastness of his catalogue.
I’ve since seen other acts follow suit. That is a very good thing for the rap genre. If I wanted to hear playback, I’d turn my stereo up loud and mouth the lyrics to myself in the mirror. Yet, that is what most hip hop shows were. A bunch of dudes jumping around shouting muffled stuff to loud playback. The only way that is interesting is if the lead MC is totally compelling and energetic. Fortunately, that is no longer the scenario (another one).
Hip hop has always sounded awesome on record. Now it can sound awesome in concert too. “Can I get a encore/Do you want more”…
