Music

By Chuck Arnold

August 12, 2023 | 9:20am

There was a quick second throughout Hip Hop 50 Live — an epic celebration of the golden anniversary of hip-hop that stretched from Friday evening into Saturday morning at New York’s Yankee Stadium— that offered a fast actuality verify.

In between Kid Capri’s DJ set and a breakdancing section that includes Rock Steady Crew legend Crazy Legs, Yankee legend Derek Jeter crashed what felt just like the world’s largest block get together and reminded you that it was truly the house of the Bronx Bombers.

But on this unforgettable evening, the stadium belonged to hip-hop — the music and the game-changing tradition that was fathered by DJ Kool Herc at a celebration within the South Bronx 50 years in the past on Aug. 11, 1973.

And with a loaded lineup that included golden-age groundbreakers (Run-DMC, Slick Rick), West Coast rap royalty (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube) and new-millennium masters (Lil Wayne, T.I.), the marathon, seven-hour-plus live performance felt just like the Live Aid of hip-hop. It was that historic.

In a style recognized for its hype, it exceeded it.  

And if there had to be one MVP on this all-star extravaganza, it was New York’s personal Nas. Taking the stage after midnight because the penultimate performer, he launched into his “Illmatic” basic “N.Y. State of Mind” and fully embodied the ability of “One Mic” earlier than closing with that “Stillmatic” hit.

Nas additionally introduced out the evening’s largest — and finest — shock visitor in Lauryn Hill, who joined him for his or her 1996 joint “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” earlier than delighting the gang with “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and Fugees faves reminiscent of “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Fu-Gee-La.”

And it was Nas’ Mass Appeal firm that co-produced the occasion. It’s actually a testomony to the respect and juice he has as an elder statesman now — as he identified, he’ll be 50 himself subsequent month — that so many generation-spanning giants got here collectively for a once-in-a-lifetime second.

In an evening that felt like one lengthy spotlight reel, different standouts included Fat Joe, who turned the gang all the way in which up with hits reminiscent of “Lean Back” and shock visitors together with Ashanti (“What’s Luv?”) and legendary rapper KRS-One (“Bronx Tale”). And the Bronx-born MC, who has shed some 200 kilos, even went shirtless to exhibit his weight reduction.

Then there was Snoop Dogg, who, 30 years after releasing his basic “Doggystyle” debut, had followers puffing and passing out within the open to “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “The Next Episode” and “Nothing But a ‘G’ Thang.”

And when he introduced out Slick Rick and a beatboxing Doug E. Fresh to do “Lodi Dodi,” there have been chills within the air on this good summer time evening.