Artist: Special Event ReviewTitle: Nike Air Force 1: 25th Anniversary PartyRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Boudreaux
No one would have figured a basketball shoe designed for elite players a quarter century ago would be co-opted so fiercely and enthusiastically by the Hip-Hop generation. Such is the case with the Nike Air Force 1, which celebrated its 25th Year Anniversary on Sunday, December 10, 2006 with an exclusive party at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. DJ Clark Kent handled the musical direction with choice Hip-Hop cuts, over 1000 different flavors of AF1’s were on display around the venue. Libations were flowing while music and fashion industry tastemakers, pro athletes and celebs were in the spot getting their hob nob on.
The New York Knicks’ Eddie Curry, who is tall, was in the building, as well as NBA legend Patrick Ewing, who is taller. Other cats in the spot included Bobbito Garcia, Shady Records A&R Riggs Morales, Spike Lee, actor Chi McBride, Styles P, King Magazine’s Datwon Thomas and Jermaine Hall, Paul Pierce, and, okay that’s enough name dropping for now.
The night was capped off by a special performance from KRS-1, Rakim, Nas and Kanye West. [Peep the exclusive footage right here] The MC’s performed a number of hits, taking turns rocking the venue. With Grand Wizard Theodore backing him, KRS-1 took the stage first, urging the stand off’ish industry crowd to get motivated as he performed “South Bronx” and “I’m Still #1”. Rakim was next, with Kid Capri helming the turntables, and he breezed through “My Melody” and “Microphone Fiend”. Nas then took the stage rocking a dookie gold rope chain with a large gold pharaoh around his neck and performed his current single “Hip Hop Is Dead”. The three then performed another circuit of songs (KRS-1 “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know”, Rakim “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” “Juice”, Nas “Made You Look”) before an energized, backpack sporting Kanye West hit the stage to perform “Touch The Sky”. West then took time to stress that he was on stage with legends, drawing cheers from the crowd as all the artists came on stage to perform a song produced by Rick Rubin. The vocal sound quality wasn’t the greatest but the line up made the song a winner off of G.P. alone.
After the performance the show was far from over with an impromptu freestyle session giving way to Nas passing the mic to the Boot Camp Clik’s Buckshot who was then followed by Raheim of the Furious Five and Grandmaster Caz. KRS-1 kicked a freestyle, dropping a few choice quotables including something about “Taking it back to Kool G. Rap” then quickly and animatedly adding that new jacks would be like, “Who that?!” Just Ice of “Cold Getting Dumb” fame took the mic for an, ahem, extended verse, but hey, respect is due! Soon after KRS gave thanks and instructed the crowd to go ahead and enjoy themselves. True that.
