Tag: concerts

audio review : Breath Control 2 ( song ) … KRS-One

This beat, perhaps the best KRS-One’s ever rapped to, should’ve been put aside for a different artist. It’s a marvelous reggae loop that would’ve been perfect for, say, a Jamal-Ski song for Jamaican girls to shake their butts to. KRS-One is too obsessed with his skills as an MC to allow such mindless fun.

To be clear, it is a good song. Not just for the beat but also KRS-One’s vocal delivery and flow, which goes nicely with it. It’s the concept; a very unnecessary sequel to Breath Control; it would be better without. Even worse is how he dates it by mentioning the year during the “dope style” introduction.

my rating : 4 of 5

1990

audio review : Edutainment ( album ) ... Boogie Down Productions

video review : Purple Rain

video review : Purple Rain

This could’ve been a good concert video. Instead the stage bits are repeatedly interrupted by what’s supposed to be a movie. The acting is porn bad; the only two real actors are Clarence Williams and Olga Karlatos as Prince’s dysfunctional parents; but the girls are pretty; Jill is my Apollonia; and the music rocks.

Of course the music rocks. This is a Prince movie and Purple Rain is his best album. The fictionalization of it is off-putting; for some inexcusable reason, his name is changed to The Kid; but its songs shine. Some are poignant enough to leave the ladies in tears. Perhaps the title is a metaphor for running mascara.

my rating : 3 of 5

1984

audio review : Purple Rain ( album ) … Prince And The Revolution

audio review : LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad performing at the Electronic Beats festival in Cologne

“If you don’t know what to do,” MC Conrad suggests, “learn learn learn to boogie.” That’s easy to do at the Electronic Beats festival, especially during this gorgeous DJ set by LTJ Bukem. It’s a compilation of drum and bass tracks mostly from his Good Looking record label, but it’s Conrad’s signature vocals over the top that make it special.

The way he addresses the crowd, by shouting echoed commands to the beat, should be annoying. It isn’t. In fact, it’s exhilarating, especially when he goes from rhythmic to melodic, making the songs he’s singing over sound even better than they did as instrumentals. He also seems to be freestyling, which makes it even more impressive.

my rating : 4 of 5

2002

audio review : J Beez Comin Through ( song ) … Jungle Brothers

Ladies and gentlemen, how about a big round of applause for the ending of this song in which the beat strips down to just hip-hop drums and what sounds like a short piano riff. It’s the manic record-scratching laid atop that sells it; thousands of tickets worth, in fact.

The J Beez are Comin Through your city on tour. They’re going from venue to venue, performing concerts for fans around the world. If you think the girl; or is that a boy; at the end says their names in the wrong order, by the way, check the Forces Of Nature album cover.

my rating : 4 of 5

1989

video review : Delirious ( comedy special ) … Eddie Murphy

video review : Delirious ( comedy special ) ... Eddie Murphy

I don’t know about Delirious, but Eddie Murphy is certainly hilarious in this HBO special. It’s a stand-up comedy show live from Washington DC, but there’s nothing politically correct about it. Even with kids in the audience, Murphy comes with a barrage of raunchy jokes, often via personal anecdotes and spot-on celebrity impressions. He also goes after white people and “fags”, but it’s all in fun. “I fuck with everybody,” he says, “I don’t give a fuck.”

my rating : 5 of 5

1983