With everyone in town for the VH1 Hip Hop honors (which tapes tonight at Hammerstein Ballroom NYC and airs June 7 on VH1), Bun B pulled a smart and strategic move, by promoting his album Trill O.G. by getting everyone together for an "all time greatest concert" at S.O.B.'s NYC. Lupe Fiasco, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Big Daddy Kane, Paul Wall and Wale, Pimp C is smiling!
Last night at New York City venue SOB’s, the Roc was definitely in the building. Performing to a sold-out crowd, Roc Nation’s own J. Cole ripped through cuts off his seminal mixtape The Warm Up and threw in a few surprises during his hourlong set, including guest appearances from Young Chris, Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek to help out on a few of their collaborations with the freshman emcee. With a crowd packed into the venue tighter than a shrunken pair of skinny jeans, the show was a taste of bigger things to come for the rapper, who’s readying his Roc Nation debut for release later this year.
With industry figures like Statik Selektah, Sha Money XL and Pill watching from V.I.P., J. Cole made his grand entrance to the stage at around 10:30 P.M., kicking off the show with a rendition of “Dollar & A Dream II” where the North Carolina emcee spit acapella before the DJ kicked the instrumental. Cole followed with “World is Empty” before addressing the crowd, reflecting on how he arrived to NYC seven years prior and caught a relatively unknown Kanye West play at the very same venue. Cue “Last Call,” which Cole destroyed before segueing into his “Dead Presidents II” freestyle, the centerpiece of his Warm Up tape.
Cole next brought out Young Chris as his first guest of the evening, bringing the on-wax magic of their collabo “Still the Hottest” alive on stage. “I Get Up” and “Losing My Balance” followed, with Cole pandering to the crowd by bigging up Queens and Brooklyn. “Dreams” and “Lights Please” came next, with the latter seeing the rapper spit over a naked keyboard melody before the beat crashed in and kicked the joint into full gear.
Once the beat for Talib Kweli’s “Get By” began booming through the speakers, Cole spit his verse from his freestyle before inviting Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek on stage to do the original track, rocking the beat before performing their collaboration “Just Begun” off Reflection Eternal’s forthcoming sophomore album Revolutions Per Minute. But the highlight of the evening? Cole played some new shit for a song called “Who Dat,” a joint that began with an instrumental that sampled the same beat as Beanie Sigel’s song of the same name, with the instro cutting out to let Cole spit it acapella. The up-and-comer shut down the set with his verse from Wale’s “Beautiful Day” and “Grown Simba,” and by the end, the star that had only recently been born had truly begun to shine.
From Wednesday night's (February 3) Statik Selektah's album release party at S.O.B.'s in NYC. Freeway, Styles P, Smif-N-Wessun, Lil Fame (MOP), Consequence, Sha Stimuli and more were on hand for the festivities.
As part of Hot97's Hennessy Artistry Presents Who's Next Live series, Consequence ,with some help from John Legend, stormed S.O.B.'s in New York City Thursday September 24.
I present to you Atlantic/Home School Records recording artist Vaughn Anthony. Recently out on the road with his older brother John Legend. Now striking out on his own and giving his older sibling a run for his money. Performing at S.O.B.'s in NYC May 14 in front of a very hyped music industry crowd which included Rick Ross, Ryan Leslie, Erica Goodman, Devo Springsteen & Estelle.
