In recent years, hip-hop has been much maligned for its growing stagnation. Many artists in the genre have shifted away from the intricate, lyric-driven style the genre was founded upon to a poppier, beat-oriented sound. Among claims that real hip-hop is gone forever, the Hip-Hop Live! Tour blasts into 9:30 Club Nov. 18 to prove the naysayers wrong. Featuring one legend (Rakim), one well-established star (Ghostface Killah), and one up-and-coming talent (Brother Ali), along with the famous Rhythm Roots All-Stars band, the upcoming concert has a lot of hype to live up to.
Rakim, often lauded as one of the best MC’s of all time, co-headlines the tour. A VH1 Hip-Hop Honoree, Rakim is undoubtedly one of hip-hop’s biggest names. He has released numerous albums, including (along with former partner Eric B) 1987’s “Paid In Full” (Island), which regularly makes critics’ “best of all time” lists. Also known as “the God MC,” Rakim is set to perform classic golden-age tracks as well as giving fans a glimpse of new material from his forthcoming album, “The Seventh Seal.”
Rakim’s co-headliner Ghostface Killah should be firing on all cylinders after touring all summer along with The Wu-Tang Clan. Best known for his high-pitched delivery and elaborate wordplay, Ghostface has released a platinum and two gold albums, as well as appearing on all four of The Wu-Tang’s group efforts. His most recent albums, “Fishscale” and “More Fish,” (Def Jam) received high praise from critics and were heralded as a return to form for one of hip-hop’s leading men. The buzz around his upcoming album, “The Big Dough Rehab,” has been steadily building after the success of his last two projects.
Brother Ali of Minneapolis is one of hip-hop’s rising stars. His most recent album, the critically acclaimed “The Undisputed Truth,” (Rhymesayers) features soulful narratives dealing with everything from Ali’s relationship with his ex-wife and son to his political views. The album reached 68 on the Billboard 200, quite a feat considering it was released on an independent label, although Ali did utilize Warner for distribution.
Backing all this star power is The Rhythm Roots All-Stars, who’ve previously worked with such artists as Outkast, Justin Timberlake, Redman and The Black Eyed Peas. Their up-tempo blend of dancehall, calypsoul, funk, latin and dub, among other things, makes for quite a show. Davey Chegwidden, a percussionist and one of the group’s founders mentioned his fondness for touring in a phone interview with The Hatchet. “I love going on the road,” Chegwidden said, “My favorite part is definitely the shows. This is the longest tour we’ve been on, and the shows themselves are long as well.we end up playing all night.” The Rhythm Roots All-Stars’ first studio album is due out January 2008.
Hip-Hop Live! tour, featuring Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Brother Ali and the Rhythm Roots All-Stars will hit 9:30 Club (915 V St. N.W.) on Sunday night, Nov. 18. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased from 9:30 Club’s website at www.930.com.
