BeatNonStop A Weblog by Chris Macias Bee pop music critic Music geek (n. myü-zik 'gEk) 1: A person who proudly wore KISS commemorative pajamas in third grade. 2: A person who owns multiple copies of the same album, still buys vinyl and has a room dedicated to 2,000 or so CDs and records. 3. A person who wrote a five-part series about traveling with a local band in their stinky van - and loved every minute of it. 4: Chris Macias, the Bee's pop music critic, serving Sacramento's music scene since 1999.

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April 8, 2005

And ya don't stop

As the hip-hop saying goes, Doug E. Fresh ripped it last night at Harlow’s. Mr. Fresh remains hip-hop’s “great entertainer” and ultimate party-time MC. His set was short, maybe 45 minutes, but had the sold-out crowd going absolutely nuts with his call-and-response routines and classic tunes (“The Show, “La Di Da Di”).
Getting into the show was hectic. Two separate lines snaked outside, and Harlow’s reached capacity around 11 p.m. There were some tense moments at the door from folks who couldn’t get in, and trying to stroll through the packed club was tough. Thankfully, drama was kept to a minimum, except for a guy who nearly got smacked for groping a girl near the bar.
But this crowd pretty much wanted to party, and when the DJ played LL Cool J’s “Rock the Bells,” the show really settled into its good-time vibe. The DJ – sorry, didn’t catch his name – played a bunch of old-school hip-hop and the crowd really opened up to these choice jams (De La Soul’s “Buddy,” “The Choice is Yours” by Black Sheep, Run-D.M.C.’s “Peter Piper”). If this was a classic-rock gig, it was the equivalent of hearing Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Who all in a row.
All of this reminded me of how much hip-hop nostalgia is growing. Most of the folks who grew up on Doug E. Fresh, Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J are well in their 30s now, and hearing these old songs is a welcome blast from the past. Doug E. Fresh told the crowd to call what he does “classic hip-hop,” but it was simply all good.
Speaking of hip-hop nostalgia, here’s a story I wrote in October surrounding hip-hop’s 30th birthday. It has some thoughts and reflections from Doug E. Fresh himself, and such hip-hop pioneers as Chuck D. of Public Enemy and D.M.C. (a.k.a. Darryl McDaniels of Run-D.M.C.).

Posted by cmacias at 3:17 PM | Comments |