- Main Event: Rakim in Concert
- Hosted By: Scion Events & The Bench
- Date: September 2nd, 2006
- Venue: Warehouse Live, 813 Emanuel Street, Houston, TX
- Performers: Rakim, Ras Kass, DJ Kid Capri, V-Zilla
On paper, this looks like a one-man show. In reality, it's a three-peat spectacle.
Ras Kass Warms Up the Crowd
Following H-Town wordsmith V-Zilla's scintillating performance, California's own Ras Kass propels the show with a thunderous set that began at 10:25 pm. Tonight, Kass--recently extricated from the confines of prison--is the epitome of freedom. His blue jeans sag so low that the threat of an embarrassment looms throughout his set; a white do-rag hangs loosely atop his dome. The only cohesive force here is the rhymes. Never swaying off beat, Ras rocks the crowd to the sounds of past and recent hits, from 1996's "Nature of the Threat" to his most recent mixtape track, "K.O.T.W. (King of the West)" Despite Ras' lyrical onslaught, the crowd isn't completely explosive. Desperate to woo the unimpressed, he tears into an a capella rendition of "Caution" and forgets his lyrics midway. Laughing at his own mishap, Ras continues, and is eventually rewarded with a standing ovation.
DJ Kid Capri Brings Rakim on Stage
One person who has absolutely no problem winning fans over is New York DJ, Kid Capri, a certified crowd-pleaser himself. While Rakim prepares for his set backstage, Kapri digs deep into his bottomless pile of records for a speedy tour of ol' skool classics that ranged from soul and funk to pop and hip-hop. Twenty minutes into Kid Capri's set, still no sign of Rakim Allah. It seems as if we've been waiting forever. Then, Kid Capri stops to make an announcement: "I don't even think my man can hear me saying this. (I think he's in the back doing his thing.) But, I want y'all to know that I think Rakim is one of the greatest rappers that ever touched the mic!" his DJ voice has now taken over. Ecstatic teens barely old enough to remember Eric B & Rakim's 1987 debut and been-there-done-that industry types (like Rakim's manager Matthew Kemp) all roar back in agreement.
Rakim Moves the Crowd
In this windowless box, packed with throngs of "real hip-hop" enthusiasts, desperate for godly spectacle, Rakim is the Michael Jordan of rap. Clad in a flatline patterned white tee and a head towel stanchioned by his NY-fitted hat, William Griffin finally takes the stage to the tune of "Don't Sweat the Technique" drowned out by the ensuing screamfest. In his trademark monotone and flavorful flow, the Mic Messiah takes us through an exciting tour of his back catalog from "Don't Sweat the Technique" to "I Know You Got Soul" and "Microphone Fiend." Shortly, Capri--still handling DJ duties for Ra--informs his friend that there are "some hip-hop loving women in the house." Ra agrees and decides to kick something "for the ladies." "What's on Your Mind" suddenly booms through the speakers and fills the Warehouse Live arena with joy. A teaser moment arrives when Rakim reveals that his 7th album, The Seventh Seal, will be out in the first quarter of 2007, with a single slated to drop this fall. Stepping to avert the disaster that's about to happen, Kid Capri quickly alerts Ra that he "ain't got the instrumental for that new song." Shaking off his disappointment, Ra tears into his cult classic, "Paid in Full," and the crowd is content again.
The "R" is Back
So far away from home and without any notable dance track in his catalog, the task before Rakim seemed improbable. But, the god emcee's performance at Houston's Warehouse Live is a reminder that lyrics of fury sometimes reign supreme over ditty romps.
