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The future is always beginning now. Elektra started 1st grade today and I wept as I dropped her off. I cannot believe my little girl is growing like she is, it's a blessing. She makes me want to start life over. She is SO amazing. I don't know where I would be without her.
I could only imagine what this festival could have been with the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, DOOM, EPMD or Mos Def. Still, seeing this much FIRE power in one place is a pretty amazing thing. We missed Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique. Construction in SLC can be a BIOTCH at times. So, after the security pat down we were beer wrist-banded up…then we headed to the pit. Here are some thoughts on what I witnessed.
Pharoahe Monch: He didn’t seem that impressed with the crowd after several call and response attempts went nowhere. The live band he came with provided a nice touch. I caught “Desire” & “Simon Sez”. I wonder if he rocked some Organized K. isht?
Best Moment: The look on P’s face every time he tried to get the crowd going.
Talib Kweli: I enjoy Talib. More as a lyricist then a live performer. He can hold his own when he brings the live but I like getting lost in his wordplay, delivery and cadence. His set seemed really short and the presence of the Strong Arm Steady went mostly unnoticed. Except for Krondon…who might be the UGLIEST thing on the planet.
Best moment: One of the sound guy’s comes on stage to tweak a monitor and Talib calls him out by saying “Why the fuck would you do that. Fucking dickhead.”
Cypress Hill: There is something so butt rock or I guess…butt rap, about these guys. I have seen them like 6 times now? And mostly all by accident. Don’t get me wrong. They do have a tight show but really how many songs about WEED can you do? And the GREEN GRINCH was definitely in the air. I didn’t have any at all (really) and I still needed Visine.
Best Moment: “Hand On The Pump” & “How I Could Just Kill A Man” ruled!
Nas: One mic, A DJ and Nasir. He ripped through his set song after song. He covered the classics “NY State Of Mind”, “The World Is Yours”, “Street Dreams”, “If I Ruled The World”, “Made You Look”, “Get Down” and “Hip Hop Is Dead”. He jumped from song to song and covered a lot of history in the time he was on stage. He missed some cues but his presence commanded attention. Dope isht!
Best moment: “Y'all got some good weather, some beautiful women, some good weed," Nas announced. "And some of y'all have four or five wives, huh? I'm thinking of moving out here."
Wu-Tang: There is nothing better then yelling out “Bring The Mother Fucking Ruckus” with complete strangers by your side. The WU stage show was chaotic as I counted at least 12 maybe 13 people on stage at all times. A lot of feedback from the mics and eight emcee's on the choruses can be a little much at times. Still, a lot of energy and a lot of fun. It need more GZA though…that guy is slept on.
Best moment: Method Man saying that “Old Dirty loved him some pussy”. CLASSIC! 
-Dag Smart in line at the San Diego Comic Con
...Kapoor of the day
Your vitality and courage are strong now and you are eager to meet challenges. You can accomplish a great deal of work, especially if it involves physical effort. If you are active in sports, you will be especially competitive and vigorous now. Self-confidence is high.
-Da Rental Van!
In a way, the unacknowledged American standard for success is to transgress. Break the rules, or find a place where the rules aren't there yet, where they're not legally set in stone, and do something there. Make your name by breaking convention. We tend to live by rules that never made any sense, but we've forgotten they aren't the truth.
-Gunnar McKell and The King (L-R) say HOLLYYYWOOOOD!
"I don't feel a burden," Common explains. "I feel it's adult. That's my sole purpose. I ain't afraid of it, I ain't trying to stray from it, I embrace it. I know with all the conscious music, there's going to be music where I battle MCs like I did on 'The Game,' getting at 'em. I'mma make songs [while] having fun. That's what I'm about. The biggest thing I gotta do is be myself, that's what MCing is about. That's one of the most important things with being a MC: be you."
Common “Finding Forever”
Every other artist out there should feel, think, say and do the same. It is so hard to set the bar but even harder to keep it the there…“Finding Forever” does just that. Maybe a little too mellow at times in the second half of this LP…however…the music by Kanye West continues to impress me and Common is Hip Hop’s champion. The idea you don’t half to make DUMBED DOWN tunes for the masses and can put out product of this caliber is inspiring. This is Common’s 7th LP and he sounds as fresh as ever (go back and listen to “Resurrection“ and compare). The best and most intelligent LP of 2007 (so far, people better step their game up).
