Hip-hop fans flocked to the Media Arts Center at Roxbury Community College Jan. 20 to attend the indoor music festival “Live From the Tape Deck: A Celebration of 90s Hip Hop.”
Hosted by Beats and Barbecue, the premier hip-hop festival of New England, the tribute to ‘90s hip-hop featured a variety of artists — most notably Raekwon, a founding member of the iconic hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Other headliners included rapper Ché Noir and artist Edo.G.
The event started at 6 p.m. with a low-energy atmosphere. However, the host, LaMar Harris, also known as Mr. PSA, kept the audience engaged throughout the night with jokes and music.
Artist Spnda and beat maker Grubby Pawz opened the show before music group Genosha Records took the stage and performed a few of their songs, reminiscent of old school hip-hop, as more people arrived at the festival and immediately started enjoying the music. New age rapper Fazo took the stage next and switched the vibe to modern hip-hop, which the audience still thoroughly enjoyed.
While advertised as a celebration of ‘90s hip-hop, the show was, in reality, a celebration of the genre as a whole. Hip-hop artist Meech Bold performed next with a set full of music using themes of the trials of life and overcoming them. The final act before the headliners came out was duo Play Havoc, who had just ended its reunion tour.
Ché Noir was the first of the three headliners, with music that blended classic hip-hop with new-age pop influences. The combination had the guests in the now mostly-filled auditorium bobbing their heads and raising their arms to the beat. Edo.G followed, and the crowd cheered for the fellow Bostonian. When his set ended, the Boston-based rapper hyped up Raekwon’s entrance.
Finally, Raekwon took the stage. Passionate Wu-Tang Clan fans rapped every word along with him, and all audience members were encouraged to get up close and personal with the stage. For an artist of his caliber, Raekwon was extremely humble and kind to his fans, and even performed a couple extra songs for them. The show ended at 10:30 p.m. after Raekwon thanked the crowd and other artists who performed.
The event was full of appreciation for the artistry of hip-hop. The respect between artists and fans was mutual, with a clear bond forged by their shared passion for music.
