A musical timeline that covered the early 1980s through the mid-2000s helped rap lovers usher in the New Year at Chaifetz Arena Sunday night.
The roster was jam packed – but for the most part there were few complaints, though finale act Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick had to suffer through a mass exodus from the audience as the show stretched into four hours.
After a crowd hyping session by MC Lightfoot, 1980s hip-hop heartthrob Big Daddy Kane opened up the show with a mint condition performance that kicked off with a show worthy of the “smooth operator” proclamation that set him apart from other rappers in his day.
Agile and with an energy level on par with his prime, Kane wowed the crowd with his hits that included “I Get The Job Done” and “Ain’t No Half Steppin’.” He sprinkled in spurts of freestyle over the course of his brief set and left the audience eager to dive into the experience of the rap veterans’ revue.
Mystikal picked up where Kane left off as far as energy and performance caliber. Fans were also pleasantly surprised by his toned frame as he powered through his contributions to the New Orleans hip-hop scene.
The audience followed suit with the signature bounce in “It Ain’t My Fault,” “The Man Right Chea” as well as his crossover hits “Danger” and “Shake it Fast.”
Kane, Mystikal and Lightfoot’s hard work to build the show up came to a screeching halt with the tragic offering of Miami rapper Trick Daddy.
“I see y’all looking at my stomach…I forgot to wear my waist shaper,” he said to break the ice as the audience collectively gasped at his appearance. “Never mind the stomach, watch the [expletive],” he responded as he jumped right into a crude, sloppy and winded set that undermined the previous acts – and meant that whoever followed would have to start from scratch in rebuilding the show’s momentum.
Luckily, former Geto Boys front man Scarface was up for the challenge. Backed by a medley of music by St. Louis’ own Donny Hathaway, Scarface was met with rousing applause as he jumped right into a brief, but extremely well received showing that touched upon his days with the group as well as his solo career.
His solo hit “Sex Faces” and his version of the Geto Boys classic “My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me” seemed to resonate most with the audience.
The “dirty south” portion of the show continued with Memphis natives 8Ball & MJG. They weren’t as strong as the best of the acts within the lineup, but fared well enough with their club bangers like “Lay it Down” and “You Don’t Want Drama.” Fans let it be known that they didn’t appreciate the duo leaving the stage without performing “Pimp Harder,” one of the group’s biggest hits.
Jalil and Ecstasy (formerly of Whodini) gave a sampling of the group’s biggest hits. Though it felt a bit out of sync with the previous performances, the audience did their best to vibe to the group’s hits like “Five Minutes of Funk,” “The Freaks Come Out At Night,” and “One Love.”
Perhaps the tour would’ve have been more cohesive had it been strategically organized either chronologically or by region.
The show doubled back to New Orleans for Juvenile – a rapper with strong St. Louis ties, including a son that is a native. His connection to the city and his cadre of hits made his portion of the show a fan favorite. They sang along to his hits from the Cash Money vault – including “Hot Girl,” “Huh” “Slow Motion” and “Still Fly” before closing the show with his with his staple hit “Back That Thang Up.”
The show ended where it began – 1980s New York hip-hop – thanks to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. It’s a shame that the masses filed out before the show ended because it was one of the stronger acts – despite Rick’s weak stage presence. Every bit the showman, Fresh picked up the slack as he carried their show through hits like “The Show,” wowed the crowd with his beat box stamina and encouraged the faithful portion of the audience who remained until the show was over to “Dougie” out the door.
