In the world of live hip-hop, there is a severe lack of professionalism. Often, audiences wait from 10 minutes to over an hour between sets for the next group to go onstage. Likewise, once many groups get on, they have a hard time pumping up the crowd or they play only fragments of songs and then leave early. De La Soul, however, is not one of these lame acts. De La Soul has been in the game long enough that they know how to run a show and please a crowd.
In front of hundreds at Chapin Hall last Friday night, the rap triad from Long Island kept the party going as they promoted their new album, Art Official Intelligence Volume II: Bionix, as well as brought back some old school by performing tracks off their much earlier albums Three Feet High and Rising and De La Soul is Dead.
The show started out by showcasing amateur local acts Reks and U B Illin. These smaller acts may not have the name recognition of the headliners, but they definitely had serious talent that will no doubt bring them fame. Reks, also a threesome of rappers, warmed up the crowd while promoting their own debut release. Their high-energy and impressive lyrical craft charmed the audience into a sea of head-nodding. Within the first minutes of their show, a circle surrounded a group of break-dancers, symbolizing the audience’s acceptance and appreciation for the hometown group. The positive sentiment continued to flow when the duet of U B Illin came on stage.
U B Illin, though slightly older than Reks, had the same effect on the crowd. Smooth Caribbean-influenced songs and Rastafarian lyrics kept the crowd swaying to their unique sound. But it was the amazing Biz Markie that got the girls screaming.
When Biz took the stage, the lights went down and the scratches started up. Not only did he succeed in mixing old school Nice n’Smooth with disco beats straight from Studio 54, he also performed a few Biz classics. Even though he didn’t remember most of the words to “Just a Friend,” Biz didn’t mind and let the crowd take over. Toward the end of his set, he performed his rendition of “Benny and the Jets” as a request from the audience. However, the most impressive feat performed by the hip-hop giant was his beat-boxing. He used his mouth to make beats, scratches, samples and even put the mic up to his head and neck to make the hall vibrate with his personal version of drum-and-bass. Biz’s humor and casual style kept the spirit of the show light and the crowd hyped.
But the tempo climaxed when Maseo got on the wheels of steel and started teasing the audience with a little “OOOH” from their 2000 release, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. Posdnuos and Trugoy then strolled on stage to add rhymes to the hypnotic beat. In between songs the two interacted with the crowd asking, ‘which side is real hip-hop?’ and, ‘where’s the party at, on this side?’ The crowd took the bait and screamed in response. Later, during a classic from Three Feet High and Rising, “Me, Myself and I,” they passed the mics to people in the front row to sing along with the chorus.
Throughout the night, the triumvirate performed such old favorites as “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’,” “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey),” “Buddy,” and “Plug Tunin’.” They also touched on their recent stuff from Mosaic Thump with “All Good,” “I.C. Y’all,” “Delcaration” and finished up the show with “You Don’t Wanna B.D.S.” that got Maseo out from behind the turntables and up to the front of the stage, proving that all three of them have superior rhyme skills.
Since their debut album back in 1989, Three Feet High and Rising, De La have been pioneers in the realm of hip-hop. Since then, they’ve put out five more albums; De La Soul is Dead, Bahloone Mindstate, Stakes is High, Mosaic Thump, and their upcoming, Bionix. Though not all of them have had the popular attention of their 2000-2001 releases, every one of their albums has been innovative and creative and has been supported by their loyal fan base. In the Art Official Intelligence combo albums, they have expanded their horizons and included featured guests on certain songs. Mike D from the Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, Chaka Khan, and Redman all added their unique sounds to 2000’s Mosaic Thump. As stated in their show, Bionix will be featuring such artists as Slick Rick and Greg Nice, along with several unknown or new artists.
Plug One, Two and Three are true veterans of the hip-hop scene and it is obvious in their attention to detail, their ease and interaction with the crowd, and their confidence on stage. They are not arrogant; they do not profess to participate in the ‘bling-bling’ stylings of pop rap; they do not come on stage dripping in gold jewelry; nor do they have the attitude of novices. They are obviously well skilled in the art of putting on a show-they’ve been doing it for over ten years now. They have mastered the techniques of keeping the crowd rowdy, playing what their fans want to hear and making sure that in between sets there is always music bumpin’. There was never a dull moment while the acts switched or while Maseo was finding the right record to spin.
Rather than dissing requests for earlier stuff in order to pump up their upcoming album, De La always goes back into the early days to perform the classics that everyone grew up listening to and wants to hear. Too many groups that play shows refuse to play older stuff in order to get the word out about their new stuff. De La doesn’t have to worry about kids buying their albums, they know that no matter what they put out there, it’s going to be good and people are going to like it. It is refreshing to go to a show and be able to sing along to all the old tunes and hear familiar beats.
However, the group did manage to slip in a few new tracks. Maseo teased the crowd with his “favorite song from the new album,” a new tune with a Latin beat. If the new songs have names, they weren’t announced clearly at the show, but they were still great.
Considering that they ventured all they way from NYC to the hallowed halls of Mt. Holyoke College in rural Western Mass, De La Soul and their stage partners Biz Markie, Reks, and U B Illin played an amazing show. The beats and bass coming from the auditorium could be felt across the campus. De La Soul are truly professional hip-hop artists that have their skills polished.
