The Chronic Spot
GENERAL By Beware on August 20, 2007 at 12:08 pm
I was a sophomore in high school when I saw the first, and best, rap concert of my life.
The show was at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and since my friends and I weren’t old enough to drive yet, my pops played chauffeur. As we pulled up in the parking lot, there was commotion going on outside the players’ entrance on the side of the building. After we got dropped off, and we headed over to see what was up, I saw something I’ll never forget.
On a makeshift basketball court, about five feet in front of me and fifteen other fans, Snoop and Warren G were just casually hoopin’ it up. They weren’t taking it seriously, just joking around and trying to block one another, while we casually stood in the presence of some of the biggest rap stars in the world. Xzibit, who was looking quite short and real blunted, was just kickin’ right there, too. I couldn’t believe it.
The show, of course, was Up In Smoke.
The mega-powers of West Coast rap, with Detroit’s Caucasian sensation, all on one bill. The Doggfather, Westside Connection, Warren G, Kurupt, MC Ren, The Eastsidaz, Nate Dogg, Slim Shady and D-12, and of course, Dr. D.R.E. himself.
At the time, it was monumental. Looking back, seeing everything that’s gone on since, it’s even more so.
How many people can say they’ve seen Westside Connection perform together live? Seen Snoop and Dre perform “Ain’t Nothin But A G Thang?” Warren G and Nate perform “Regulate?” Proof backin’ up Em? The Eastsidaz perform anything? A live version of “Ain’t No Fun,” with everyone there to spit their classic verses? A NWA reunion, with Snoop filling the role of the late Eazy E?
How many people can say they’ve seen Devin the Dude stumble onto the stage, drink in hand, and sing his beloved melody, “Hey, hey, what do ya say? Tell me, have you ever been fucked this way,” to lead into “I Just Wanna Fuuuuck U,” with Snoop and Dre?
How many people can say they’ve seen all those things, in one show?
Only those who copped tix to this timeless event.
The overall atmosphere was also something it’d never seen. As a newcomer to hip-hop concerts, I wasn’t really sure what to anticipate, especially since my friends and I were all white. What I did end up seeing was a melting pot of hip-hop heads, coming together for something greater than everyday life.
Just like the performers, people from all walks of life were united, belting out seriously every word to every song. It didn’t matter who you were, how old you were, or what your overall status was; if you liked the music, you fit in. The group of older brothers behind me actually knew more of the words to Eminem’s material than I did. It was awesome.
All in all, it was an extremely rare tour de force, and one that simply won’t be topped as far as rap concerts. I’ve seen at least twenty hip-hop shows since, some good ones too, and they don’t even come close. With all the talent that was present, no concert I could ever see will compare. Specifically because, with all the changes that have happened since (most of them being negative), the grouping of all those artists is something that probably won’t ever happen again.
Thanks to their cohesion, it was a rare look at how unity can bring together people from all walks of life. Whether you were a world-renown rapper, a grimy street hustler, or a suburban white boy like myself, you were accepted. No questions asked.
It was a night I’ll cherish forever, and one I will have a hard time topping in the many years I’ve hopefully got ahead of me.
Posted in GENERAL, REVIEWS, VIDEO
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16 Comments
yessir, that was a hot ass show i went to another show that year it was the hardknock life tour( i think it was the same year) that was hot too
First- you know who it is
it’s me bitches
last!
that show was incredible…but 4 me, Hard Knock Life was my favorite large show- seeing Jay in his prime, DMX b4 he fell off…Red & Meth killin it…its hard 2 choose- but i would def give the Hard Knock Life concert the slight edge, although Up In Smoke had the craziest stage set up ive ever seen.
I wish i could have caught that show…But the best show ive seen is between Common right after BE came out or Kanye right after College Drop Out Droped. Common was woopin niggas ass and rockin the show. Kanye had Flowetry wit him and he did like a 4hr show and flowetry who was just the opening act did 2…even got 2 meet them…very cool…
Co-sign 1000000% My right hand was stuck in the W for 2 weeks. Still gives me goosebumps when I watch the DVD
My favorite show was “MTV Smoking Grooves”. Truth Hurts (yeah I know), Cee-Lo, Lauryn Hill(post Fugees… Yeah, I know again), Jurassic 5, The Roots, Killah Mike, and Outkast.
A close second would be the “Spitkicker Tour”. De La Soul, Talib Kweli, and Common. That was one helluva Sunday night.
R.I.P. Michael Vick
(Rest In Prison)
Thanks to their cohesion, it was a rare look at how unity can bring together people from all walks of life. Whether you were a world-renown rapper, a grimy street hustler, or a suburban white boy like myself, you were accepted. No questions asked.
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That like every Bay concert mayne. Every city comes out, the ‘burbs come out, all races, everybody just go stupid n’ hopefully no one fucks off the night. Some of those one’s in Marin get a lil’ too burbish, but the girls love City kids so it’s nothin’. If y’all go to the Pound or the Fillmoe in the Sco, shit finna be a little more cutthoat but it still go.
The Up In Smoke Tour looked sick. I watched the DVD but obviously that ain’t fuckin’ with live. The best concerts I been too, was a Super Hyphy couple years back w/ E-40. The crowd was nuts the whole night which ended up in a telly. I saw a Messy Marv/Turf Talk one that was tight too n’ got backstage where B-Legit n’ Cellski were just posted. Tech N9ne was definitely the weirdest performance I ever saw live n’ if I could’ve seen anyone live it woulda been Mac Dre or Cougnut, off top.
Smoking’ Grooves was a dope show. So was Rock the bells tour.
No lie, seeing 50 perform @ the height of GRODT was some shit. He had all of G-Unit w/him & this was before they were gettin their shine & the boy Buck was @ home…it was electric.
The Roots. Nuff said. Anybody who’s a fan of music should see them live @ least once.
I remember seeing Wu in like 97 maybe & it was some energetic shit.
KRS solo, playing his whole catalog damn near in 95 maybe.
Scarface in 97. 3-6, Ball & MJG around that same time too.
PE in roughly ‘90.
Seeing JLegend open for ‘Ye after I’d been tellin folks all winter & spring that he was the nicest out & going to be next.
I think just about every show I’ve ever attended had someone or some group nearing their peak & still crazy hungry.
Wu-Tang did a good job this year at Rock The Bells in Frisco…i agree with Dookie, EVERY city comes out to the show in Frisco. All races, all ages, and all genders treating everyone else as equals. That’s some impressive shit. I wish that was the way it was in the real world.
“All races, all ages, and all genders treating everyone else as equals. That’s some impressive shit. I wish that was the way it was in the real world”
Co-sign. 110%.
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yup the bay just tryna go pistachio nuts n’ dig off in guts mayne. concerts/clubs/parties/erriething out here get redonkulous mayne, everyone circling up n giggin’, off of something, stompin’ out cars, shuttin’ down four lane streets & tryna leave witta bad one. that’s the hype, erriebody allowed to go stupid we give a fuck. rich, poor, burbs, hoods, bums, whoever. rappers also chill as fuck out here, they hella kick it with fans after shows in the parking lot n’ shit. you could run into one anywhere in the city, just lampin’. the fillmoe got the back where everybody get blunted too, trealest place in america mayne. act like a popsicle n’ you will get licked though, so don’t get it twisted. ‘07 been moatin hot, tis nothing though. speaking of the YAY….
KING OF THE YAY: THE TYCOONIN’ DIRTY-TWO ROUND [second round] just started, so go over get ya votes in now. N’ help me plug this on the intrawebs on any site you know of. That’d be righteous brozeff. The more the merrier.
Seeing The Roots live here in Berlin, Germany was a dream comin true, nearly 3 hours, 2 drumsets, just nuttin but live music!
Jay-Z was here 3 or 4 years ago but it was superbowl nite and he just did a show of an hour, but the crowd went crazy, never seen a better rapper live! DMX was very disappointing when he did a half-playback show for just an hour here, I think some of the US artist just see Europe as a good money making machine, they do not take us fans serious, that´s why the last concert of an US MC I went to was NAS, he was rockin shit as hell but also left stage after exact 60 minutes…and that for a ticket price of nearly 50 US$, neva eva!