2008 Woodie Awards
Check the rhyme
The legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest reunited for the first time in more than six years to perform Worcester
Ryan Burns '08
Issue date: 10/5/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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There are a few artists in hip-hop history who truly redefined the art: Artists who make music their way and know what their fans want in order to create a more complete view of their music, and also an introspective look at themselves. Unfortunately, most of these artists came out in the early- to mid-90s. One of these landmark groups is A Tribe Called Quest. Last Friday, the legendary hip-hop group reunited for a tour stop in Worcester, Mass. On the Sega Sports Bounce 2k7 Tour, the group came together for the first time in more than six years in order to please their fans. Before the concert started, local deejay Statik Selektah played some classic tracks and threw various mixtapes into the crowd, I actually caught three of them and quickly became the most hated man in the audience.
The first act was the three-man group The Procussions. These three are the first group signed to the new Rawkus records, an underground hip-hop staple. The unorthodox group quickly captivated the Worcester crowd with its blend of bass heavy beats, lightning quick lyrics, and awesome hairstyles. Their dj made Statik Selektah look like an amateur, making a beat on a turntable with only one record. The crowd response for these new artists was very strong, and I feel that their fan base will grow.
Next up was Consequence, a lyricist who is best known for his appearance on later Tribe albums, and featured spots on Kanye West's first two albums. He performed his verse from Tribe's "Stressed Out," which perplexed me because he should have done it with the group later on. His somewhat emotionless set made the crowd a bit restless, as we were all waiting for Tribe to come out. He did a decent job overall, but his set paled in comparison to The Procussions set. After that was Rhymefest, Kanye West's new protégé, who quickly ran through several emotionally charged tracks from his debut album Blue Collar. While the crowd was feeling Rhymefest, his set went on for a little bit too long, as the crowd was getting ready for the Tribe.
The first act was the three-man group The Procussions. These three are the first group signed to the new Rawkus records, an underground hip-hop staple. The unorthodox group quickly captivated the Worcester crowd with its blend of bass heavy beats, lightning quick lyrics, and awesome hairstyles. Their dj made Statik Selektah look like an amateur, making a beat on a turntable with only one record. The crowd response for these new artists was very strong, and I feel that their fan base will grow.
Next up was Consequence, a lyricist who is best known for his appearance on later Tribe albums, and featured spots on Kanye West's first two albums. He performed his verse from Tribe's "Stressed Out," which perplexed me because he should have done it with the group later on. His somewhat emotionless set made the crowd a bit restless, as we were all waiting for Tribe to come out. He did a decent job overall, but his set paled in comparison to The Procussions set. After that was Rhymefest, Kanye West's new protégé, who quickly ran through several emotionally charged tracks from his debut album Blue Collar. While the crowd was feeling Rhymefest, his set went on for a little bit too long, as the crowd was getting ready for the Tribe.