I was first
introduced to Talib Kweli by a person in charge of the
woman in charge of the apprenticeship program at the
Detroit Free Press, Emiliana. When I heard that he would
be in Detroit for a concert, I knew that I had to go
and so I told my friends Carmen and Gabriel about it
and we all planned to go. Carmen found out that he was
coming as a part of the Sprite Liquid Mix Tour and that
other performers would be there like the Roots and N.E.R.D.
Because Carmen is absolutely in love with the Roots,
she was all for going. We waited too long to buy our
tickets so if we went through ticketmaster, we would
have been on the lawn. Fortunately, Carmen's mother
was about to get us seats 6 rows from the front.
We arrived
at DTE Energy Music Theatre on time at 4. Around us
was a swarm of people ready for a day of great music.
I was quickly reminded of the Eminem Concert that I
wrote a story
on for the Free Press. We were surrounded by a sea of
white people, something I am not used to seeing at a
concert that is majority hip hop (but then again, I
guess hip hop is the pop music of the time). The people
were laid back as they waited around for the concert
to begin. There were many shops in which a person could
buy jewelry or shirts to commemorate this event. There
were a lot with drug references on them which was something
I didn't really like but that was the kind of concert
we were at.
Carmen
and I looked around for a few moments before going to
find our seats. I don't think we realized how close
we would be to the stage but we were very close and
could see evenything...in detail. On the stage at the
time was a band called "Slightly Stoopid"
and their named proved to be correct. Mixing rap with
rock, Slightly Stoopid blew our ear drums out with their
screaming that they called music. It wasn't long before
Carmen and I, like most people, left their seats to
explore the shops. Most people hadn't sat down anyway
so the band was performing for empty seats.
Looking
around, we saw a booth set up that said, "Fight
Racism." In it were cheap accessories with different
messages on them about combating racism. One of my favorite
was the patch that said, "Support the Police, beat
your own ass." It was even more funny because the
booth was owned by two White people who probably would
never face any time of racism in their life.
After
a while, we heard the bumping of bass on the main stage
and so Carmen and I returned to our seats to hear a
rapper by the name of Skillz. He was talking about how
he was a Ghostwriter, someone who writes the lyrics
for other rappers. Carmen and I listened to him and
the guy seriously proved his name. He definitely had
skills. We listed on as one by one, he named rappers
who he had written for adding an insult to each one.
Carmen and I were hooked. When he stopped, we both screamed
out, "When does your record come out?" He
heard us and said they were selling it in the booths
and he said he would come with us to sign it.
After
Skillz when off, a group named Robert Randolph and the
Family Band took the stage. His style of music reminded
me a lot of our friend Jelly with her band Jelly's Pierced
Tattoo. On thing was, Jelly put on a better show. Their
music was okay, it was just boring to look at. Robert
was forced to sit at his table guitar, which from first
sight looked like a turn table or keyboard, and play.
Their music was great, but a little too loud for my
ears. We did watch as the band played. This was what
Jelly needed to be doing. Look for her site in my links.
Finally,
it was time for the real concert to start. Talib Kweli
took the stage with a vengeance. The people absent from
the seats before soon rushed the stage before he could
even speak a verse. The electricity was undeniable.
Kweli put on a show the only way he knew how and blew
the crowd away with his lyrics and style. If I were
not a fan before, I was truly one now. He performed
songs from his current CD, Quality and also stuff from
his previous recordings. If Kweli was the last thing
I heard that night, I would be happy as hell. I didn't
like the way he was treated though. There was almost
no light show for him or any use of the large television
screens. In short, he was treated like an opening act.
But by the way the audience was in to his performance,
it seemed like he was the headliner instead of ONE of
the headliners. Kweli also brought out Skillz and another
rapper from Michigan. The crowd went crazy. Kweli did
his thing and did it well.
Kweli
left and set up began for the Roots. Carmen and I were
flabbergasted. We thought that the only band that could
go after the Roots were N.E.R.D. and that's because
Pharrell was in it. But instead a group named O.A.R.
would be going after the Roots. As they were setting
up for the Roots, the ushers began to check people's
tickets. Since so many had rushed the stage, a lot of
folks were not in their seats. One by one, people were
sent back to the lawn. I laughed. Experiencing the Roots
is like going on an epic journey. In front of me was
a hip hop group that had real instruments and played
them with great skill. I saw a group that had a front
man who was more street than a lot of people I see in
Detroit, yet there were elements of rock, blues, reggae
and other genres incorporated in their music. Sure,
other artists flow with other genres but there was something
different about the Roots. It wasn't about experimenting
to make a song a one trick pony. This was their music
and I loved ever second of it. Hearing them was like
making love as every note surrounded my body and took
it some where else. The Roots is real music.
To follow
up the Roots means two things: 1. You better be good
as hell. 2. You better have a name for yourself (popularity).
When O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) came to the stage, we
saw an all White group begin to do a sort of Reggae.
After one song, Carmen and I got up and walked around
until they went off stage. I couldn't help but notice
that the majority of people walking around were Black.
I could have seriously gone home after experiencing
the Roots and Talib Kweli, but I figured, you only see
Pharrell once in a lifetime so why not. When their music
stopped, we returned to our seats and waited for N.E.R.D.
N.E.R.D.
was exactly what I expected, not on par with who I saw
before. Pharrell came out and the crowd went crazy.
After one song he told the security to step down and
let people come to the stage. I don't know if the guard
let them or if the people just pushed them out of the
way, either way they came. Pharrell warned them though,
to be safe and have fun. N.E.R.D. did a good show. The
guy standing next to me was a big fan, singing like
he was on stage with them. People began to crowd surf
and we all laughed. It was truly like a big part and
we all had fun. I still, however, could have left after
the Roots.
The whole
experience was amazing and Carmen and I couldn't help
but to talk about it the whole way home. I listen into
Kweli on my way back. I realized as I was driving in
the darkened street of Moross, I was truly a fan. Feel
the Rush!
