De La Soul with Pete Rock, Masta Ace and Butta Verses
Wednesday, October 27th, 2004
By Luis M. Soler

Hey hey hey, everybody, welcome back to Live @ B.B. King’s. Winter came and I had to fatten up and get in a hole in the ground, like the squirrels and the bears in hibernation. So I apologize if you haven’t seen anything in this column for a while. Thankfully, spring is upon us again, and as the world emerges through the thaw, I wipe the webs and the dew from my eyes and think back to the shows that nourished me throughout these long, cold months.

The election drama had been in the air for far too long, making the city tenser than the usual, so it’s no surprise that B.B.’s played host to a fun, funky crowd of old schoolers, newbies and all shades in between, everyone there with one thing on there mind: soul smashing rhymes on top of booty rocking rhythms. And who better to deliver the goods than those perennial purveyors of head-nodding happiness than De La Soul, lords of the not-so-underground. This highly influential group, who released their first album 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989, is still out there rockin’ the decks and burning up the mike, bringing you the kind of intimate but high voltage show that keeps the people banging their heads and shaking their rumps. Always playing devil’s advocate to the current state of hip hop, these cats do what they do best when they’re having fun, and they don’t even need to shoot anyone outside of the Hot 97 studio.

De La Soul's First Album: Three Feet High And Rising Click To Purchase From Amazon.com

To get the party started, Maceo, De La’s DJ, came out to share a few choice words with us, spreading positivity and good vibes as only he can. He reminded us about De La Soul’s long history, to which this crowd was no stranger. He sent all the requisite shout-outs, and also spoke about the election, reminding us to exercise our right. He went on to introduce Butta Verses, an up and coming MC hailing out of the south Florida area (though he claims the Bronx as his birthplace). Butta, who recently signed to Bear Mountain Entertainment (Maseo’s label), appeared on a couple of tracks from De La’s most recent release The Grind Date. He showcased some of his own banging tracks, and the crowd embraced him like an old favorite, throwing their hands up and making noise in all the right places as he worked the crowd like an old pro. At one point, he stopped to ask us “Am I doing these guys justice?” You tell me. Check out www.buttav.com for info and news on this soon to be exploding mc.

Next on the mic was Masta Ace, aka the Music Man, an able MC out of Brownsville, Brooklyn. A 15 year veteran of the rap game, who has collaborated with other luminaries as Biz Markie, Marley Marl, and Big Daddy Kane, he’s been touring in support of his most recent release, Long Hot Summer. Matsa’s unmistakable flow was, like always, as smooth as silk, and the crowd showed him the love he so rightfully deserved (don’t forget folks, this is the guy some people claim Eminem is ripping off). Go to www.mastaace.com for more on this tried and true hip hop slinger. He may or may not be retiring from hip hop, so if you get the chance, check him out and remind him of why he started in this game.

After a short intermission, Pete Rock, probably best known for his work alongside CL Smooth, hit the mic with the energy of a live wire. MCing and producing since the late 80’s, he’s been touring in support of his sophomore solo effort Soul Survivor II. Rock kept the crowd amped with his rugged rhyme flow and solid delivery. Probably the highlight from his set was the cover of “Down with the King” by Run DMC, which was dedicated to the memory of their recently passed DJ, Jam Master Jay. Check out www.peterock.net to satisfy that jones for more Rock.

At this point, Maceo came back out, finishing up a plate of spaghetti and rubbing his ample frontside. After clueing us in to the much anticipated reunion of A Tribe Called Quest, another seminal New York rap group from the early 90’s (I know you’ve heard “Scenario” at the bar, dude) he hit the decks to spin a tribute to them (keep your eyes peeled for a for a few dates from ATCQ and a much rumored brand spanking new album). Finally, Dave and Pos emerged to cheers like it was Knicks game, and proceeded to keep the party rolling like a Mack truck. And as always, they delivered the goods. Working the crowd like the hip hop sorcerers that they are, De La wowed us with the new stuff while keeping the classics banging.

Tracks like “Ooh”, “Me Myself and I” and “The Bizness” reminded us of why we loved De La in the first place, and “Shopping bags (she got from you)”, “The Grind Date” and “Rock Ko.Kane Flow,” proved we’d never leave them. All around me could be seen hip hop bliss-heads nodding, assses workin’ it, arms reaching for the sky. The whole crowd felt the love they were giving, and sent it right back to them. Mase even came out from behind the decks to spit some lyrics, and needless to say the crowd wasn’t disappointed. Without any of the bling-bling fronting of other rappers, these guys have fun like it’s a house party and they just grabbed the mic for the fuck of it. The crowd was thoroughly rocked by these guys who know how to do it right. Go to www.spitkickers.com for more on these hip hop veterans.

The real treat of the evening was the plethora of surprise guests that hit the stage. Dres of the Black Sheep came out to support De La on a few tracks, and we were graced with “The Choice is Yours” by way of De La and Dres. MF Doom emerged to do his bit from “Rock Ko.Kane Flow” (rumored to be the first time they’ve performed it live together), metal mask gleaming under B.B.’s lights. Wordsworth and Punchline both let off some amazing freestyles, and “The Bizness” saw one great rapper after another, including a special surprise appearance by Talib Kweli, who maybe had one of the most memorable lines of the night: “I’m the K, E, W, L to the I/ Even if I spell my name wrong I still be fly…”

All in all, the crowd was treated to a night of local hip hop living legends, with a nod to the new torch bearers of thinking-man’s rap. The crowd was feeling it the entire time, hands in the air in not-so-silent worship. The only low point was when the house lights went up and everyone had to go home. Otherwise, the show was the prime example of how to pull off an amazing hip hop show.

That’s it for me, kids. Keep your eyes to the sky for a DVD from De La Soul as well as more dates,
and Butta Verses debut album is supposed to drop sometime soon. Remember to check out http://www.bbkingclubs.com for upcoming shows, and until next time folks, see ya at B.B.’s.