marketing
ABC claimed that LOST was new tonight, but really, their "new" episode was a recap of recent events in the LOST-universe. As an avid geek, I was well aware of what was going on, that being another week without my regular fix. And I was pissed. But not too pissed because I had tickets to see Ice Cube.
I'm not the biggest fan of hip-hop, but I do admire it for a variety of reasons. Since moshing has become passe, most rock shows have become rather static affairs. Dudes (and a few chicks) nod their heads and do their best to look cool and have a good time without looking like they're having a good time. This is fine by me, because I've never been a doer, really. I'm more of a watcher, but I love the energy given off by people who are unabashedly and rapturously enjoying a concert. It's one of the main reasons why I go to so many. I have seen a lot of really shitty bands, but a hyped crowd has won me over many a time.
Hip-hop shows, on the other hand, is all about crowd participation, and that's thanks in big part to the performers. I guess since they're not busy tuning instruments or fidgeting with amps and effects, they have nothing better to do than work the crowd. I went to an Eminem show once--he was on this package tour with a lot of other rap acts like Xzibit (who rocks)--and there was one dude who was always on stage between bands and his whole purpose seemed to be to grab the mic and shout "MAKE SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' NOISE!!!" Which led me and my friend to call the whole affair the "make some muthafuckin' noise" tour. The thing is, if you shout something at a group of people enough, they will eventually shout back at you. It's all about conditioning, marketing.
As I approached the venue tonight--a sweltering hot evening compared to the long, long string of raw, windy, rainy days we've had here in the usually affably climed state of California--I was enveloped by the diverse group of people filing into the show. The bass was already vibrating the pavement outside. I was also confronted with a horde of hopeful rappers plying their CDs. I bought one for five bucks, because I like to help out. Not a bad move selling your CDs outside a place where you're likely to meet every hip-hop fan in a 150 mile radius.
The show was packed and the interior of the building was unbearably hot. The base throbbing from the story-tall speakers rattled my bones and caused my empty gut (I'd forgone dinner this evening) to shutter and groan. I'd gotten there just in time for The Clipse, who I was really more interested in seeing than the headliner. Lord Willin' is one of the few hip-hop albums in my collection, and I remember running otu to buy it after hearing just one single. I wasn't disappointed. Unfortunately, I got there too late to hear one of the rawest party jams of all time, which I've posted the video of here for my own enjoyment.
The Clipse was good, for sure, but Cube was unreal. I was worried he'd come out and do one verse and a chorus from each of his big songs and call it a night after half-hour. But as soon as he came out, he attacked the mic, played full songs, and didn't even rap over his CD--a live DJ stood behind and cut records. He played old shit and new shit, and the new shit was really dope. He broke twice from his hour-and-a-half set to tell us that he had a new album coming out called Laugh Now Cry Later on June 6th, 2006 (yeah 06/06/06...there are a lot of albums planned for that date, simply so they can plug the whole 666 thing). Cube would say, "Y'all may not know, but I have a new album coming out." And his hypeman/back-up rapper WC (who held it down in his own right) would ask, "When?" And Cube would say "June. Sixth." "When?" "June. Sixth."
The first time around, they went back and forth a few times. The second time, Cube said "Y'all may not know I have a new album coming out." I laughed and shouted--drowned out, obviously, by all the noise--"I knew! You just told us." "It's called Laugh Now Cry Later and it's coming out June. Sixth." "When?" asked Dub-C. And the crowd bellowed along with Cube "June. Sixth." Cube smiled and said, "Looks like we got us a bunch of smart muthafuckas up in here." I tipped my proverbial cap to Cube. That may or may not have been the case, but I knew for sure we had at least one.
I'm not the biggest fan of hip-hop, but I do admire it for a variety of reasons. Since moshing has become passe, most rock shows have become rather static affairs. Dudes (and a few chicks) nod their heads and do their best to look cool and have a good time without looking like they're having a good time. This is fine by me, because I've never been a doer, really. I'm more of a watcher, but I love the energy given off by people who are unabashedly and rapturously enjoying a concert. It's one of the main reasons why I go to so many. I have seen a lot of really shitty bands, but a hyped crowd has won me over many a time.
Hip-hop shows, on the other hand, is all about crowd participation, and that's thanks in big part to the performers. I guess since they're not busy tuning instruments or fidgeting with amps and effects, they have nothing better to do than work the crowd. I went to an Eminem show once--he was on this package tour with a lot of other rap acts like Xzibit (who rocks)--and there was one dude who was always on stage between bands and his whole purpose seemed to be to grab the mic and shout "MAKE SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' NOISE!!!" Which led me and my friend to call the whole affair the "make some muthafuckin' noise" tour. The thing is, if you shout something at a group of people enough, they will eventually shout back at you. It's all about conditioning, marketing.
As I approached the venue tonight--a sweltering hot evening compared to the long, long string of raw, windy, rainy days we've had here in the usually affably climed state of California--I was enveloped by the diverse group of people filing into the show. The bass was already vibrating the pavement outside. I was also confronted with a horde of hopeful rappers plying their CDs. I bought one for five bucks, because I like to help out. Not a bad move selling your CDs outside a place where you're likely to meet every hip-hop fan in a 150 mile radius.
The show was packed and the interior of the building was unbearably hot. The base throbbing from the story-tall speakers rattled my bones and caused my empty gut (I'd forgone dinner this evening) to shutter and groan. I'd gotten there just in time for The Clipse, who I was really more interested in seeing than the headliner. Lord Willin' is one of the few hip-hop albums in my collection, and I remember running otu to buy it after hearing just one single. I wasn't disappointed. Unfortunately, I got there too late to hear one of the rawest party jams of all time, which I've posted the video of here for my own enjoyment.
The Clipse was good, for sure, but Cube was unreal. I was worried he'd come out and do one verse and a chorus from each of his big songs and call it a night after half-hour. But as soon as he came out, he attacked the mic, played full songs, and didn't even rap over his CD--a live DJ stood behind and cut records. He played old shit and new shit, and the new shit was really dope. He broke twice from his hour-and-a-half set to tell us that he had a new album coming out called Laugh Now Cry Later on June 6th, 2006 (yeah 06/06/06...there are a lot of albums planned for that date, simply so they can plug the whole 666 thing). Cube would say, "Y'all may not know, but I have a new album coming out." And his hypeman/back-up rapper WC (who held it down in his own right) would ask, "When?" And Cube would say "June. Sixth." "When?" "June. Sixth."
The first time around, they went back and forth a few times. The second time, Cube said "Y'all may not know I have a new album coming out." I laughed and shouted--drowned out, obviously, by all the noise--"I knew! You just told us." "It's called Laugh Now Cry Later and it's coming out June. Sixth." "When?" asked Dub-C. And the crowd bellowed along with Cube "June. Sixth." Cube smiled and said, "Looks like we got us a bunch of smart muthafuckas up in here." I tipped my proverbial cap to Cube. That may or may not have been the case, but I knew for sure we had at least one.
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