Wasting time with Jet

It was kinda stormy today, raining off and on.

After work I killed a couple of hours around Rockafeller Center then made my way towards Radio City Music Hall...

It was my second time inside, I'd forgottent how beautiful it is. High ceilling, fully stocked bar, downstairs basement with loads of exhibits. It's almost like a nightclub. You can mingle in the main hall before the show starts, then work your way to your seat. When I saw BJORK in 2001 I had a seat on the main floor in the middle, this time I wasn't as lucky...upper mezzanie, but at least I was on the end. The crowd was very diverse. A young crowd but still diverse...I didn't know so many white people liked The Roots (They could of been there to see Erykah Badu, thou...).

Now, I HAD seen a Roots show before, couple years ago at the Soundstage in Central Park. They really get the crowd moving. This however, wasn't a FULL Roots Concert.

The show was entitled "The Roots...WITH SPECIAL GUESTS" and boy were they GUESTS!

It started with a nice little perfomance by African folk singer Youssou N'Dour. Few knew him, but I did due to my vast taste in all kinds of music (That, and the "Bullworth" Soundtrack, heh, heh...). THEN the Roots made their entrance, coming throught the audience from the rear, the group playing live Marching Band instraments as Black Thought freestyled on a megaphone...it was so cool. Once they made their way to the stage they opened the first set with "Star", then "Step into the Realm", and then "The Next Movement". Right off the bat, the audence stood up and got into it, in order to see, I had to stand up too, and there weren't that many slow down moments to sit down to...

A few more songs after, they introduced their second "GUEST", another out-there artist that I knew, Angelique Kidjo. The tiny lil spitfire had the dance steps of James Brown as she sang a song about the motherland (I guess The Roots want to give props to their african...er, um, Roots, bad pun, I know...), the band then came back with more tracks like "What they Do" and "Hip Hop...Love of my Life", then they got to some headliners...the second guest EXPECTED to perform, fresh off his movie bit with Bruce Willis in "16 Blocks"...the mighty MOS DEF got introduced!

The crowd loved MOS, despite him looking like he took the train from Brooklyn in his ordinary look. He started off singing "Double Trouble" with the Roots and then did a set of songs on his own, "The Boogie Man Song" (Which I plan to play the next time I have sex...), his infamous spirital "Umi Says", and for the ladies, the classic "Ms. Fat-Booty".

Then, the roots tried a lil hard to put on some "up-and-comers"...an underground group called "Slum Vilage" took the stage next, I heard of them, but wasn't feeling their songs. Another female perfomer took the stage, she had this weird name with two J's (Janet Jane?, Jan Janet?, something...), the child had some short-shorts she must of stole from Mariah Carrey after her "Rainbow" Meltdown...and a Native American Headdress. She had a squeeky "Gwen Stefani"-Type voice trying sing and rap...if it wasn't for her outfit, the song she sang might have been worth giving a second listen (Maybe I can look her up somewhere...).

Now, you think after all that B-Materal, The Roots would come back...nope...they threw in a big unexpected surprise (The first of two of the night...), a visit by DAVE CHAPELLE!!! He did a couple of funny bits, trying to explain why he left the show and went to africa, it was cool. The Roots finally came back for more crowd favorites...the audience his back into the show again...and I start to smell an uncontrolable substance in the air...things slow down again when soul/R&B artist BILAL came on to do a song. Black Thought then takes a moment to introduce the band members for a couple of solos, including Will Smith's old buddy DJ JAZZY JEFF who can still work them turntables.

The show enters it's final stage with the introduction of Erykah Badu who is still sporting that big hair wig of hers. She starts the set with "Otherside of the Game" (Which wasn't one of my favorites...), the followed with "Next Lifetime". She still got it, she can really hit those high notes, almost like Mary J. Blige or Mariah. She then took it back with her first big hit "On and On", which the audience practally knew by heart. The intro to the colabo hit "You got Me", brought Badu and The Roots together for what appeared to be the finale, but there was more in store. Black Thought did a few freestyles over the latest and greatest beats, "Gold Digger", "Juicy", and "I get Around", THEN he brought out another mysterious guest...

Sporting a gray hoodie hiding his face, but wearing a lot of ice, the MC came out to the mic pulled his hood back and yelled "ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF...MY NAME IS HOV!" The crowd went ballistic! JAY-Z! The chairman of Def-Jam, MISTER BEYONCE himself rapping on stage with THE ROOTS. The place got so loud, you'd think the Knicks won the championship! Jigga did "Public Service Announcment" and ended the night with "Encore". Despite the hit and miss, the show had a great finish. It just wasn't enough Roots, thou, but I'm not mad...jus wish I went with someone, seeing all those couples enjoying the love songs, kinda felt like a kick to the kidneys.

A full 3 hour show, my feet were killing me from all standing. I got home at around 12:15 am, tired but still charged by the great show.