Monday, March 10, 1997
MUSIC:
Def Jam Music Group showcases legacy of recording rap with show
at House of BluesBy Nelson Saldua
Daily Bruin Contributor
In the genre of rap music, where attention spans are short and
careers are often shorter, longevity is difficult. The Def Jam
Music Group, Inc. is one of the few recording labels that has been
putting out hip-hop classics since way back in the day, as
evidenced by the banner that proclaimed "Def Jam: 10 Years in the
Game and You Still Know the Name."
At a sold-out, packed-to-over-capacity show at the House of
Blues Thursday, the powerhouse rap music label proudly showed off
four of their artists: Warren G, Redman, Foxy Brown and Richie
Rich. This exhibition of four of the record label’s major artists
gave the audience a mix of contrasting styles of rap music.
The show was billed as an album release party for the night’s
headliner, Warren G, whose "Take a Look Over Your Shoulder" will be
released on March 25. But opener Redman ended up stealing the show
with a lively performance that enchanted the crowd. Warren G just
couldn’t follow his act.
Warren G’s unpretentious rap style is perfect for bumping his
album while cruising in the car, but it is not well-suited for a
live stage show. Although his music is an excellent blend of beats
and rapping, his laid-back delivery and demeanor seemed almost
lackadaisical in comparison to the evening’s other acts. Since the
crowd always feeds off the performer’s energy, Warren G’s melodic
songs did little to move the crowd.
During his 45-minute set, Warren G performed cuts from "Take a
Look Over Your Shoulder" and his first album, "Regulate: The G Funk
Era." Warren G was joined on stage by Mr. Grimm to perform their
classic ode to weed. Other on-stage guests included the Twinz and
the 5 Footaz.
In a surprise appearance Ron Isley graced the stage to sing
backup on the song "Smokin’ Me Out." Easily the classiest portion
of the entire evening, Isley looked positively regal as he sang
from a throne. Nate Dogg closed the show by joining Warren G for
the hit "Regulate" and a song off the new album, entitled "Annie
May."
But even with this musical assistance, Warren G was unable to
get the crowd going. It is possible that the capacity crowd was
just exhausted, which would be understandable considering they had
just witnessed Redman’s amazing performance.
Redman, a.k.a. Reggie Noble or the Funk Dr. Spock, took the
stage like a man possessed. He sprayed the crowd with water as he
tore through driving renditions of songs from his three albums.
Songs from his first album, "Whut? Thee Album," like "Time 4 Sum
Akson," "Blow Your Mind" and "Tonight’s Da Night" were definite
crowd favorites. Equally moving were the cuts "Smoke Buddah" and
"Whateva Man" from his new album, "Muddy Waters."
Redman’s rugged rap style was reflected in the crowd, which
erupted into a crowd of beer-spraying fans. It’s not often that you
see a mosh pit at a rap show, but it was impossible to stand still
with Redman rocking the stage.
The energy level of the show was elevated even further when
Redman was joined on stage by his Def Squad comrades Erick Sermon
and Keith Murray during "Funkorama." The hyperactive Murray
performed his latest single, "The Rhyme," while producer
extraordinaire Sermon rhymed over the beats he had concocted. With
the rappers and the crowd pumped up, Redman performed the energetic
song "Creepin." It’s a shame that K-Solo was not on hand to deliver
his half of the song’s lyrics but soon the crowd was worked into a
frenzy, and Redman and Murray culminated the song by stage-diving
into the crowd.
Just when it seemed as if the energy level of the show had
reached its maximum, Redman and surprise guest Method Man turned it
up a notch by performing "How High." The audience’s response to the
presence of Method Man, the charismatic rapper from the popular
Wu-Tang Clan, was incredible. It’s amazing that the House of Blues
could contain all of that energy.
Though Redman needed no introductory act to warm up the crowd,
female rapper Foxy Brown was on hand to do just that. All the years
of male rappers grabbing their crotches on stage have finally come
full circle, as Brown frequently grabbed her own crotch while
delivering rhymes that often referred to her infamous "ill na
na."
Brown established her rap career by guest appearances on several
remixes and sang many of them. Clad in skin-tight leather shorts
and a bikini top, Brown opened her set with her verse from Jay-Z’s
"Ain’t No Nigga" and followed it with her verse from "Touch Me,
Tease Me" by Case. Brown may be the queen of remixes, but she also
has her own original material. From her solo album, she performed
"I’ll Be Good," "Foxy’s Bells" and "Get You Home."
The show’s first opening act was East Oakland native Richie
Rich, who opened his set with a truly improvised freestyle verse,
rapping to and about specific people in the crowd. In addition to
selected cuts of his album, "Seasoned Veteran," Richie Rich
performed his verse to "I Got 5 On It" by the Luniz.
But like Warren G, most of his material failed to get much of a
crowd response, a fact that the rapper duly noted. To end his set,
Richie Rich asked for the lights to be dimmed as he performed the
somber "Do G’s Get to Go to Heaven?" Since the song is a melancholy
tribute to the late Tupac Shakur, Richie Rich implored the crowd to
put two fingers in the air in memory of the fallen rapper.
Appearances by actress Vivaca Fox, Def Comedy Jam comedian
Melody Camacho and various on-air personalities from 92.3 the Beat
kept the show going in-between the rappers’ performances.
Taken as a whole, the entire evening was a little uneven but
nonetheless extremely entertaining. The show displayed Def Jam’s
current roster of diverse recording artists, a roster which will
undoubtedly ensure that the label that has spent 10 years in the
game will enjoy many more years of success.
Def Jam Records
The charismatic Redman upstaged headliner Warren G at the House
of Blues on Thursday during an event that showed off four of Def
Jam Music Group’s artists.