Hip-Hop Live Tour: Rakim, Ghostface, Brother Ali

Hip-Hop is dead is a catchphrase with too much of a shelf life, but one mid-west rhyme sayer and two rap legends came to LA and proved that slogan wrong. Ghostface Killah, Rakim, and Brother Ali, put on a Hip-Hop show with a live band. All three artists touched the crowd with performances alongside The […]

Hip-Hop is dead is a catchphrase with too much of a shelf life, but one mid-west rhyme sayer and two rap legends came to LA and proved that slogan wrong. Ghostface Killah, Rakim, and Brother Ali, put on a Hip-Hop show with a live band. All three artists touched the crowd with performances alongside The Rhythm Roots Allstars kicking off their19 city tour at House of Blues in Hollywood Monday night  (Oct. 29) and in Long Beach, CA on Halloween night (Oct. 31) at The Vault.  Both spots were packed to full capacity, representing true Hip-Hop as the crowd spit bars over the music played by the 10-piece ensemble.Minneapolis bred Brother Ali opened the tour with his set of thought provoking tracks but gave all respect to the legend that he says influenced his lyrics, Rakim.   “He’s one of the greatest MC’s that ever did this,” Brother Ali said.  While Ali garnered his share of love, the crowd went bananas over the tours headliners.The following performance by Ghostface Killah, whose new album Big Dough Rehab is forthcoming, gave the crowd that ill NY flavor with hits both throwback and new.  After a heartfelt tribute to O.D.B., Ghost brought a bevy of beauties onstage with him to complete his set with hits like “Back Like That” and “Nutmeg” performing the last two songs like a live music video.Rakim brought the most heartfelt performance.  You could see that the crowd definitely missed what he brings to the mic.  His forthcoming effort Seventh Seal due early next year was not mentioned during this show.  Not having an album since 1999 and onstage without a crew, he gave concertgoers a nostalgic excursion through the lyrical dimensions in Hip-Hop.  Ra spit throwback classics like, “I Aint’ No Joke,” “Microphone Fiend,” and “Follow The Leader” showing that the truth in music never dies.    The show was complete and lacked nothing.  Coming to a city near you true Hip-Hop heads can witness further evidence that Hip-Hop lives.You can check out concert footage online at www.flow.tv