The Wake

The Hip Hop Live show, in First Avenue’s Main room on the 11th, showcased three MCs; Brother Ali, Ghostface Killah, and Rakim. Though from drastically different backgrounds, the three artists share a bond through a common, continuing the fight for the survival of Hip Hop as vital music and a respected art form. It’s an uphill battle these days. Hip Hop over the last 8 years has slowly eroded into lack luster MCs with glossy images and major labeling backing. Fortunately, there are those who still believe. Acts like The Roots, Living Legends, Atmosphere and Del the Funky Homosapien, are carrying the genuine Hip Hop torch, and First Avenue is always the place to catch these fleeting opportunities in the flesh.

Openers, The Rhythm Roots Allstars begun the night with some of their original material. They also served as the backing band throughout the night. They handled each song perfectly, their blaring horns accenting each MCs larger than life persona. By the time opening act Brother Ali took the stage at 10:00pm, there were already bodies spilling back out into the entrance. It was a testament to both the Hip Hop fan base in Minneapolis, and Brother Ali’s growing popularity. He was all smiles when greeted by his enthusiastic crowd. His performance was worth the commotion. He’s never performed so confidently in the past, and you can see he has returned home from his extensive touring a seasoned MC. His newest album, The Undisputed Truth, has gotten him some serious national exposure and allotted him this prestigious opening slot. He was openly gracious for the opportunity. “Rakim is the reason a lot of us started rapping in the first place. He changed Hip Hop. He’s a legend.”

Ghostface Killah mirrored these sentiments. “I wouldn’t be rapping if it wasn’t for this man. Rakim is one of the all time greats.” Despite his humility,, Ghostface was the evening’s main event. He took the stage to thunderous applause after minutes of hype men and suspenseful build. The opening guitar licks of, “The Champ,” announced his arrival to the stage. It’s one of several classic cuts off of his most recent release, “Fishscale.” His presence was palpable. Several Wu-Tang chants were started throughout his set. He performed two Wu stand bys, “Ain’t Nothin’ Ta Fuck Wit” and “Triumph,” and challenged the crowd to rhyme along. He talked through the set: commending Minneapolis as, “The livest crowd yet,” inviting everyone to hold up their weed bags, and telling stories about chickenheads stealing Oreos off the tour bus. “The thing was, they didn’t even give my boys none afterwards. I wrote this song about that shit.” During, “Greedy Bitches,” he invited ladies on stage to grind with his entourage. It was a hilariously ironic situation. He’s lyrically on par with any MC in the game, and the man knows how to party. He had the crowd at his finger tips all night.

Headliner, Rakim, is Hip Hop royalty in the vein of Bob Dylan’s influence on Rock N’ Roll. He didn’t invent it, but he revolutionized the way it was approached. His fearless vocal acrobatics and wordplay opened doors and minds for generations of future MCs. He started his set with “Follow the Leader,” and moved in to “Dead Presidents,” a song familiar to many as the one performed by Snoop Dogg in Old School. He too vocalized his respect for Minneapolis as a noted music scene and supporter Hip Hop.

From the indie kids in their skin tight jeans, to the couples on the railings, to the weed smoking suburban types, to the drunk guy who was obliviously grinding with a transvestite by the bar. It was a show worth the price of admission. Few amongst the diverse group of attendees left unsatisfied.