LOX – Money, Power and Longevity (Concert Review)

I was ready for the last concert of this long and busy week.

 

The Arena venue located in downtown Montreal was packed with a much older and different crowd than the two last concerts I attended. The pouring rain didn’t stop these hip hop heads to attend this Rap rendez-vous.

Unlike the Bun B show, the crowd got to enjoy fewer guest performances before the main act arrived. The first group to perform was  E.M.G. a Toronto based rap trio. The group  has already open acts for Pusha-T, M.O.P. and even recorded a song with Spragga Benz, better known as Wayne in 2002’s Shottas. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Toronto group EMG were the first to perform.

The second performer was Peter Jackson, a Canadian rapper who has been grinding for a few years now. Having toured with Waka Flocka, Juicy J and even French Montana, Jackson still finds time to work  on his music, which you can find on http://www.peterjacksonmusic.ca

 

Around one o’clock , the wait was finally over. After seeing Styles with Sheek or Ghostface with Sheek again it was  time for The LOX to be finally reunited. The music selection was obvious (from a fan perspective) but oh was it reminiscent of the good old days. The trio kicked off the show with New York City  but  took us back to the 90’s era with several hits like All About The Benjamins , Money, Power, Respect and Ride or Die Chick. Since all tree had successful solo careers, if was only right for us to  knock our fists on Jada’s Knock Yourself Out or cross our two arms while singing Locked Up from Styles P. Of course, Sheek Louch’s Good Love is always a good song to make ladies dance.

 

LOX performing

 

 

It’s a pretty known fact that Styles P loves Montreal weed. What better way to perform his song  I Get High then to distribute cigarillos, blunts and rolling papers to excited fans ? Another great moment of the night was when Styles P (again) jumped out of stage to ride with his fans. Having done that  a few years ago was still surprising to me because this venue is a lot bigger than the previous one. I guess the mass of vultures did not scare the New Yorker.

Styles P lighting up on stage.

Seeing The LOX together for the first time of Canada was a great hip hop moment for myself and everyone who attended this much anticipated reunion. While some rappers run after money and power, this group proves that respect takes time to built and is the only real proof of success.

 

Rule number 1: Don’t rub Styles P in the wrong way, even if you’re his number 1 fan.

Rule number 2:  Message to all Montreal venues : If you’re gonna have a group signing autograph on 300 t-shirts, make sure you have solid tables. Let’s just say hell broke loose at 3 am.

Rule number 3: no rules…Jadakiss is still cute from his Ruff Ryders day. Muaaa

 

 

 M.U.L.A Grade: 9/10…Can’t wait for these 3 to come back. No beef, just crazy groupies.

 

 

Weed and Energy: Method Man & Redman Concert Review (March 29th 2014, Olympia)

Weed and energy. If you didn’t have one of these two, you were probably screwed. Last night, thousands of Wu-Tang and Def Squad fans met at the Olympia venue, regardless of  our cruel and everlasting freezing weather.

Around 9pm, the venue was already packed with thousands of  impatient fans, whom some by the way, were still bummed about missing the Wu Tang reunion a few months ago.

Ottawa-based rapper Charron was a valuable choice for the first part of the show. As I told you before, freestyles is the kid’s forté.
Charron dropped a few bars here and even let one fan in the audience ( like Julien) show the public his beatboxing skills. Hopefully, he will be in a television near us soon.

Then came the waiting game. When the first guest left the stage, we learned a few minutes later that M&R would be late. DJ Redd Dredd did a fair job as far as playing old school music but I think some type of MC should have taken the stage to make the time go faster. After inhaling half a pound of weed from left to right, Meth & Redman’s guest DJ, (DJ DICE) finally preparing his set. A few minutes later, they finally arrived.

The concert felt like a discography of the two rap legends. After each song, one of them kept introducing the next one by saying: ” Now, we’re gonna take you to 1994”. That was nice way to make us wonder what they would choose in their wide music repertoire. Between a few words on the late Old Dirty Bastard, the crowd surfing or their funny eccentric dance moves, they both managed to perform the followings songs: I’ll be dat, Errbody Scream, How High Part 2, Y.O.U, Let’s Get Dirty and of course ”Da Rockwilder”. The Dj even played my song ”Rite” at the very last end, while M&R were signing autographs to some lucky fans.

After the show, a few of us got to meet the artists and even pose for pictures. Awesome experience. It would be a lie to say that I was pissed that Redman could not take 2 minutes to give me a one on one. But on another side , all artists or well known Djs are not as genuine and funny as these guys. I’m gonna get you next time Red!

 

R.I.P Old Dirty Bastard. RIP to the mid-late 90s.

 

 

 

They still have the best chemistry after all these years.

 

Sorry for squeezing you too hard Meth. It’s all love.

 

 

About to go backstage.

Posing with Charron who did the first part of the show.

 

Me and Dj Dice. We all loved your sarcasm ! See you next time.

 

Litte souvenir.

 

 

Shout out to the INHH Eye candies. Looking good girls!

 

 

M.U.L.A. Grade: 9/10 They were worth the wait. One of the best show I’ve been so far! **insert Redman’s barking sound**

 

 

 

 

Stalley @ Ivy Nightclub, Montreal March 23rd (Privé Sunday)

For those who didn’t know, Maybach Music Group member Kyle ”Stalley” Myricks was at Ivy night club last Sunday.
Why artists always come in freezing weathers still remains a mystery to me. When we arrived around one, Montreal DJ Sweet La Rock played the latest club hits to everyone delight.  Other DJs  like Cream and Redd Dredd were also part of the party. I was surprised that no songs from our guest was even played, at least to introduce his music to some of the partygoers. Party heart, Swangin  anybody ?! It would have been great to hear him perform a song or at least say something… I don’t know, maybe he was just tired or just plain high (my sister later confirmed she was slapped by a very LOUD smell around him). Oh well, at least me and other fans got the chance to pose with him for a picture which was cool from his part.

Last night was proof that conscious music doesn’t get as much airplays as ”pop-a-bottle-screw-b*tches”  music does. It is up to us, music consumers to change this reality and listen REAL Music.

Now if you excuse me, I will go twerk my ass out to that new Tyga song and drink me some cheap Moscato.

Nice swag, Nice cup, Nice Pic ! #ivynightclub

 

 

Raise your ears, raise your Weapons!

 

 

 

M.U.L.A Grade 7/10:  Next time I want to see Stalley perform, not sit around and wait patiently for his bottle to be brought to his  VIP table.