The Hip Hop Legends concert threw down last night at the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill last night (3/24) in Manhattan. Hosted by Funkmaster Flex, the evening started with Diamond D and ended with Slick Rick, with a little Boot Camp Clik in between in the form of Black Moon and Smif N Wessun & Rock from Heltah Skeltah, but no Sean Price.
Unbilled guests included A.G. who dropped some verses during Diamond D’s set, and Parrish Smith, of EPMD who also surprised the crowd and did some rhymes from the EPMD archives. Sadat X brought the house down with his verses from Brand Nubian, while Inspectah Deck came through with some Wu-Tang Clan verses, shouting out the Shaolin collective, promising that the Wu will “never break up”.
The packed house seemed to revel in these Golden Era tunes and DJ sets in between acts. The crowd was rocking with the energy like it was the early nineties all over again. Buckshot, the hardest working CEO in the rap game, is amazing live, truly an artist you must see to believe. 5FT came out, which was a surprise as this was the fourth time I’ve seen Black Moon live, but only the first time I ever saw him on stage.
Finally, it was made a show to remember as the Ruler, Slick Rick finished off with Lodi Dadi and a multitude of his classic hits from The Great Adventures of Slick Rick LP.
Funkmaster Flex hinted at more Hip Hop Legends shows to come., and judging by the vibe of the crowd, the Golden Era lives on. These people are hungry for these shows and the veteran artists know how to deliver and provide a live hip hop performance fix. With a crowd that was completely into the evening, it just shows that the Hip Hop Legends series can deliver on its promise to give fans a quality rap show from some of the genre’s most talented and legendary artists.
Highlights of the night included:
Diamond D: “Fuck What You Heard”. Sadat X came out for the hook.
A.G.: “Next Level”
Sadat X: Verse from “Slow Down”
Smif N Wessun: “BuckTown”
Black Moon: “Who Got The Props”
Rock: Verse from “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka”
Parrish Smith: Verse from “Crossover”
Slick Rick: “Children’s Story”
Photos: Steven Ortiz












MTV 25 Hottest MC List Is Not MTV 25 Hottest MC List. People Are Just Stupid.
A Rap Show That Rap Show Haters, Wouldn’t Hate: Tah Phrum Duh Bush and Coole High – Tag Team Delux Recap
New York Hip Hop: Names to Know in 2012
3rd Annual ‘Is Hip-Hop History?’ Conference to be Held Feb. 24, 25 at CCNY
David Guetta, Nicki Minaj – Turn Me On [Video Teaser]
10 Must-See Videos by New York-area Hip Hop Artists [January 2012]
The Art of ‘The Art of Lyrics’
Hired Gun ft. Qwazaar of Typical Cats – ‘The Life’
Freestyle Mondays 10 Year Anniversary, Jan. 9, 2011 [UPDATE WITH PHOTO RECAP]
Jay-Z ft. B.I.C. (Blue Ivy Carter) – Glory
Guru, Solar Saga Continues: Ex-Bandmate Brownman Full Interview, Reveals More Disturbing Accounts
Fabolous "You Be Killin' Em" Video ft. Amber Rose
Fat Joe - The Darkside Vol. 2 [MIXTAPE]
SXSW Hip Hop Preview: Immortal Technique at SXSW Music 2011
2011 Rap Up x 2011 Year In Review: Skillz & Bekay Recap 2011 in Rhyme
Win Tickets to Power Live: The Dream & Omarion at the Highline Ballroom