The summer of 2008 was full of quality, high-profile concerts to choose from — unless you’re a hip-hop fan, that is. Sadly, the minimal presence of live rap music on our city’s cultural landscape is nothing new.
Given the gig-starved nature of Buffalo hip-hop fans, UB Fall Fest’s brilliantly conceived lineup felt like a karmic gift. The six artists who performed Saturday night in Alumni Arena included legends from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s, all of whom have shaped and propelled the genre in unforgettable ways.
“Tonight, you are experiencing the original hip-hop cultures,” proclaimed KRS-One during his criminally short set. The final act of four that represented rap’s “Golden Age” of the late ’80s and early ’90s, KRS lived up to his moniker “The Teacher” with an explosive performance.
Mostly forgoing selections from his legendary back catalog — including his earth-shaking work as the leader of Boogie Down Productions — the MC spent most of his set pasting together impressive freestyles, covering everything from ancient Greece to student loans. Throughout the set, his infectious energy, commanding skills and passion for the roots of his art form were as visible as his white knit cap.
KRS was preceded by three other important performances. First came the one and only Biz Markie, whose gifts as a DJ and rapper were on full display, flying in the face of the novelty act image he’s had to endure for almost 20 years.
Biz stayed on stage for the first song of the next artist, Slick Rick. After Markie broke into some trademark beatboxing, one of rap’s original storytellers delivered his classic “Lodi Dodi.” Except for some unfortunate mic feedback, this was the kind of moment that makes an audience member feel privileged.
Big Daddy Kane was next up, doing what he does best — rhyming with confidence and poise over smooth-as-buttermilk cuts like “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’ ” and “Smooth Operator,” and looking just as smooth while doing it.
After KRS-One completed the history lesson, it was time for the night’s two headliners— Ludacris and Nas. The former grabbed the stage first, cramming practically all of his hits into a tight, hourlong set. An originator of the sparse, synthesized Dirty South sound, the Atlanta native’s performance was bombastic and bold, full of booming “Ays” and “Ohs,” and lyrics about sex, money and power.
While most of his beats favor drones over melodies, Ludacris’ unique drawl and significant mic chops still make them interesting. So when he did have a chance Saturday to lay into a beat with impeccable production — like the swaggering “Money Maker” and the “Austin Powers”-inspired “Number One Spot” — the result was powerful.
After the Fall Fest crowd had gorged itself on five top-of-the-line hip-hop performances, the best was yet to come. Fresh off scoring his latest No. 1 album, “Untitled,” Nas delivered an emotional, nuanced set, heavy on tracks from “Untitled” and his undisputed masterpiece, 1994’s “Illmatic.”
Continuously announcing to the crowd how happy he was to be there, and looking it, the man who skyrocketed to acclaim and stardom from the obscurity of New York’s Queensbridge projects gave a performance full of truth and vitriol. The latter feeling shone most memorably on “Sly Fox,” a withering critique of Fox News that’s one of his new album’s most effective cuts. Nas followed that song with a breathtaking medley of “Illmatic” tracks, spinning tales of darkness, paranoia, pride and defiance with the kind of dexterity few rappers possess.
That album has been a strange albatross for the artist; critics have become obsessed with Nas’ inability to release an album as brilliant as his first. But as he tore through post-“Illmatic” songs like “Street Dreams,” “Get Ur Self A,” “Black President” and the spine-tingling closer, “One Mic,” Nas seemed less like an artist chasing former glories and more like a street-wise Captain Ahab — like that character’s desperate quest, the rapper’s performance Saturday was flawed, ambitious and completely absorbing.
Appeared in the September 29, 2008, issue of The Buffalo News.