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News & Such, Shows & Concerts, Videos

[report] Rakaa’s album release party – pt 1

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After sifting through my photos and evaluating the night, I decided it’d be best to divide this into 2 posts. [warning: long post ahead]

It’s 6:30pm when I first arrive. Already, there is a line forming outside the club. There are 2 DT fans from the UK who were waiting since 4pm. One of them mentions he was a fan since 2000 and said he had never seen JK live. He couldn’t miss this opportunity. Long time dedication like that is truly beautiful.

JK and crew arrive at 7:30pm. Their infamous black van catches immediate attention as they are rushed inside the club.   The fans are teased with the sound of their rehearsal booming from inside. They are given some relief as ticket sales start selling at 8:00pm (an hour later than the scheduled time). Most of the relieved fans go off to dinner before the show starts.

After 15 minutes of waiting, the crew finishes their set and are on their way to get ready. We head off to YangLee Hair, a Hongdae spot that they frequent on occasion. Yang, the owner, is the stylist for a number of celebs and was there to personally handle their beauty needs.

As we enter, we see a wall of photos of celebs. At the elevator door is a picture of JK, and we laugh as he stands right next to it during the elevator wait. At the back of the salon is a wall of signed CDs, and 2 shelves filled with autographed Movement CDs.

(pictured: YoonMirae 3, Drunken Tiger 5, DT 7, DT4, and Bobby Kim’s 3rd)

The crew is rolling deep on this night. On top of the headlining performers, almost JK’s whole 8th album line up is present. Those who aren’t getting prettied up have to find ways to kill time before the show. Stylez is drawing on his iPad and mentions its is his lifeline on the road. Roscoe and !llmind talk about their time in NYC (Roscoe just finished rocking Radio City Music Hall with Donnie Wahlberg). Roscoe raves about the crazy double decker tour buses there and NY pizza (made me miss home!) Tasha, determined, finds the one English magazine hidden on the shelf and peruses through the fashion ads. Other major players in the crew, i.e. JK’s producer, Techbeatz, Jason Park, and rapper Loptimist, browse the internet or play games. While this is going on, JK and Rakaa are in the next room doing lines of interviews (almost 2 hours of it)

Halfway into preparations, everyone stops to take a group photo. [Pictured Left to Right: Rakaa, Loptimist, JK, Stylizstik Jones, Yang, Roscoe, Techbeatz, !llmind, and Tasha].

As the group puts the final touches on their show, some of us go back to the venue and claim our spot for the night. At 10:30pm, the loyalists of fans have already packed in. It’s a strange scene — a pillar divides the stage. On the left are primarily Korean fans, while the right are a group of non-Korean fans. They are there to see not only Rakaa, but some came primarily for JK or Tasha. They’re a sure sign that Jungle has gone truly international.

The DJ spins a strange mix of hip-hop and trance. Fans try to dance the time away, but they slowly become impatient and tired. Some are so tired that they choose to sit on the stage. Finally, at 12:30pm, JK comes out to introduce and MC for the night. He chooses to be the official translator as well.

J gives the crowd chants to practice and hypes them up. He introduces Bizzy and in pure Bizzy fashion, he jumps on the stage with crazy energy. As he performs parts of YDG’s “RUN” and his single “After the Night We Broke Up (해어진 다음 날),” he rocks the stage with a fire that fills the room. He had just finished a commercial shoot right before the show and couldn’t even go to the rehearsal, but he somehow rocked it out with 4x the energy than usual.

Roscoe’s up next with Stylistik Jonez. For those who don’t know, Roscoe’s been collaborating with JK since the 2nd album (2000). The two met through DT’s old DJ, DJ Jhig, who asked Roscoe not only to drop verses on the 2nd album, but to also help produce it. Roscoe admits that many of the tracks were produced and mixed down in his old house in a few short weeks. Stylez is a member of the LA collaborative hip-hop crew, Likwit Crew, who are also responsible for recruiting rappers Xzibit and The Alkoholiks.

Stylez steps off the stage to say what’s up to the fans. [The bodyguards are not happy apparently.]

This is what I dubbed “the hat trick.” They brought on a stack of 8 hats and Stylez went through all 8 saying he hated them all. Meanwhile, the fans anticipated they would get one thrown out at them. All they got was disappointment as Stylez threw them to the back of the stage.

Finally, Stylez decides to film the fans wiling out during their set. I will finish this post with Roscoe’s final song, “Live It Up.”

-TO BE CONTINUED-

-L aka Miss DrunkenCamp

News & Such

[news] TIGER JK “I’m planning to break into the US music industry.”

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On August 8, in an interview with the Summer Festival Week & T, Tiger JK said: “I had a dream when I started working with music, so I was always satisfied with what little I had” … ‘But through twitter, I realized that many people (the U.S.) show interest in me and YoonMirae.”

Regarding his recent role in Rakaa’s “Crown of Thorns” album and future US collaborations, JK says that everything flowed naturally. “They showed interest in us and so many artists got to know theirs, but then I was willing to show our music to them too, influencing them to listen to our music.”

On the same day, Tiger JK invited Drunken Tiger affiliate member, Roscoe Umali, to the festival. The both hinted that they will perform with an artist with Korean-American decent on the 15th (surely, this would have to be Rakaa’s album release party).

JK will start his debut joining the underground Hip Hop artists from the United States, performing with “legendary” artists (“who” is the question). He will expand little-by-little, going from  cities like New York and LA, where many Korean immigrants, and media show a favorable interest in various types of music.

Another advantage JK has is he spent many of his school years in the US, furthering his bilingual Korean/English skills. Language barrier is one thing that keeps many Korean artists from testing the American market, and JK’s bilingualism has been working in his favor throughout the duration of his Drunken Tiger career. Surely, it has already set the foreground for his entrance into the American media..

Some wonder if JK’s US songs will have a similar sound to “I Want You” (난 널 원해), “Do You Know Hip Hop?” (너희 가 힙합 을 아느냐), and “Monster,” which had an American hip-hop style mixed with the Korean language. However, no one knows how his US songs will sound like and how it will differ from current hip-hop artists.

No one knows what’s in store for JK’s US career path, but we look to Jackie Chan as an example. He suffered very early in his career in show business, considering him as a “Clint Eastwood” type character who had a limited success run. But after returning to the Asian market, he improved his “Kung Fu acrobatic,” and went again to the American market, but this time achieving great success in the United States.

Main Source: Nate News

Much love to DrunkenTiger Brasil for the update (and thank God for Google Translate!)

-Miss DrunkenCamp

News & Such

[photos] DT crew kicks it with Hot 97’s Miss Info

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While at Summer Week & T, the artists sat down for an interview and these exclusive photos were released. Pictured above: Tasha, Roscoe, JK, Stylistic Jonez, Miss Info, and Bizzy.

For those who don’t know, Miss Info is a hip-hop news reporter for New York’s hip-hop station, Hot 97. She is most known for her “Celebrity Gossip” segment on the station and also was a vocal protestor of the station’s controversial “Tsunami song” that mocked Asians. She is both a major force in the hip-hop industry and one of the more involved players in promoting Asian Americans in the media industry.

On a side note, a few days after the Naksan concert, Tigerbalm, Korea’s US website, posted an ambiguous news release stating JK is preparing to break into the US industry. No details were provided, but it’ll be interesting to see if this news will unfold at Rakaa’s Album Release party next week.


Shows & Concerts

[show] “SUMMER WEEK & T” – Kanye, DT, Roscoe, and Lupe Fiasco

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Would you stomach a 4-hour bus ride (no bathrooms) to Naksan Beach for a 2-day concert featuring Kanye West, DJ DOC, Drunken Tiger, Tasha, Roscoe Umali, and Lupe Fiasco?

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people that would.

For a whopping 160,000won ($160), you can get access to probably one of the wildest line ups ever to reach Korea.

For the more sane, you can get a day pass for $120 ($82 if you have SK Telecom phone service).

The costs are quite high, but this concert takes place on one of the nicest beaches in Korea and those who are adventurous can spend $15 for a camp out on a beach (includes tent and the works) instead of the $140/night hotel room. So you can enjoy the scenery for the night on top of experiencing this wild ride of a show.

For Seoulites –  There’s a number of express buses that leave from GoSohk and Dongsu bus terminal that will take you to Yang Yang Bus Terminal near NakSan Beach. Costs run about $25 roundtrip. Another alternative is to take the KTX train to Gangnueng Station, an hour away from Naksan. A brief warning though – this option will take you 7 hours instead of the 3.5 hours the bus will take. The only major difference is you’ll have access to a bathroom and food cart the whole way.

To purchase tickets, Interpark has been nice enough to set up an English page for this show (unlike so many major shows that go on in Korea). Click here to purchase tickets.

P.S. If anyone is brave enough to stomach the wild ride to this place, please let me know. I’ve been to so many DT concerts, but none that were this problematic in terms of transportation.

-Miss DrunkenCamp

News & Such

[news] Rakaa of Dilated Peoples will feature The Movement on his next album

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Rakaa’s album track list was leaked yesterday and it was revealed that he will feature a track with some of the Movement’s power players. The track, titled “Ambassador’s Slang,” will feature Tiger JK, Tasha, Roscoe Umali, Epik High, and Dumbfoundead. It was produced by Japan’s pioneer hip-hop DJ, DJ Honda. Below is the report from HalfKorean.com:

Rakaa Iriscience Taylor“Ambassador slang. Connected worldwide! Understand we’re worldwide!!!” – Rakaa Iriscience / “Ambassador Slang”

I recently had the opportunity to preview “Ambassador Slang” from Rakaa Iriscience’s (Rakaa Taylor) upcoming hip hop solo album Crown of Thorns. All I can say is that “Ambassador Slang” matches all that I was anticipating ever since Rakaa mentioned it in our interview back in February. The hip hop posse cut features a variety of Asian/Pacific Islander artists including Korean/Korean-American artists Tasha, Tiger JK (Drunken Tiger), Dumbfounded, Tablo & Mithra Jin (Epik High).

Here is the lineup of MCs that spit fire on this dope dj honda-produced track (in order of appearance and where they represent): Tasha (aka Yoon Mi Rae) / Korea, Tiger JK (Drunken Tiger) / Korea, Roscoe Umali / L.A. via Philippines, Chiefsons – Big Ryzn / L.A. via Samoa, Chiefsons – Moshpit / L.A. via Samoa, Rakaa – WORLDWIDE via L.A., Dumbfoundead / L.A. via Korea, Tassho Pearce / Hawaii via Japan, Epik High – Tablo / Korea, Epik High – Mithra Jin / Korea, Jay Jaballas / L.A. via Philippines & King Kapisi / New Zealand via Samoa.

I can confidently say that each and every MC comes correct on the track! You will NOT be disappointed if you are a true hip hop fan. Trust me. This is a groundbreaking hip hop track full of talented artists, regardless of their ethnic origins. I don’t know that something like this has ever been done before (bringing together artists of these backgrounds) and, if it has, not on this level.

You have to applaud Rakaa for bringing together these artists and featuring them on his first solo album. He is an artist who has gained respect due to his talent, skill and what he has accomplished on his own and as a member of Dilated Peoples. For him to now be sharing the light with other artists on a global scale is truly a pleasure to see and hear and here’s hoping he continues to “build bridges.”

Obviously Tasha’s verse is of interest to us and she opens the track with this line, “The track hit the headphones, pen hit the pad, put MCs to sleep like tryptophan.” The rest of the verse is pure fire and just confirms what I’ve always thought about her ever since her days as part of the Korean hip hop group Uptown; that she is a dope rapper and one of the best in Korea (male OR female).

As usual, Rakaa’s own verse is dope. One thing I’ve noticed recently is that Rakaa has dropped a few Korean-related lyrics within his rhymes. On “Ambassador Slang” he ends a bar with, “… direct vengeance like Park Chan Wook.” Of course, Korean film fans will know that Park Chan Wook is one of the most acclaimed directors in South Korea and was the director of the “Vengeance” trilogy which consists of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. I don’t know about everyone else, but I think it is kind of cool that he would drop those kind of subtle Korean references in his lyrics.

I hope the track gets released as a single or, at the very least, as a B-side. I truly believe that if the rest of Crown of Thorns is anything like the three tracks I have heard so far (“C.T.D.”, “Delilah” & “Ambassador Slang”), Rakaa’s album is going to be monumental!

Rakaa’s Crown of Thorns is scheduled to be released on 7/20/2010 by Decon Records.

For more information regarding Rakaa or Crown of Thorns, please check out Decon Records or Rakaa’s Official MySpace or Official Facebook.

source: HalfKorean.com

Shows & Concerts

“Get Your Defense Up, It’s Standing Room Only.” – What’s Up, Jungle Party

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It’s weird of me to start this report with a line that’d you hear from a coach on the sidelines of a football game (“Get your defense up! Arms up! Elbows out!), and it’s simply because during this show I witnessed fans getting mad at each other due to people “cutting” into open spaces in front of them. After notching hundreds of shows under my belt, I had to share my 2 cents on this. Standing room shows are really an insane game of defensive human Tetris, meaning you have to fight to fill and keep a good spot no matter what. People lose all sense of manners at these shows and you have to be aware that every person there is out to get in front of you, and therefore your defenses must be up. So while I feel sorry for people who lose their spots, if you’re not playing the game right, the fault runs both ways!

But anyway!

We arrive circa 9:40pm, and the Walkerhill Vista Hall is already a madhouse. Tickets are sold out and fans are turned away. The What’s Up Jungle Party has an interesting concept: it’s a Halloween club like party, but it also includes a full concert from the entire Jungle Entertainment line up and other members of The Movement (I’ll dub it “The Cluboncert”). In a last minute change, Epik High is out of the line up and Buga Kingz replaces them. Tablo got married last week to actress Kang HyeJung and they’re on their honeymoon currently. So while Epik fans are greatly disappointed, the line up now looks like a throwback to the 2001 Movement crew (sans Dynamic Duo and YDG), and some fans are looking forward to the journey back in time.

After enduring what was probably the longest hour of trafficking music (music played during seating/placing people), Soul Dive starts the show. I don’t know much about this group other than each member has had their own shine with some of the top hip-hop artists here, but their stage presence reminds me of Far East Movement. They bring a lot of high energy to the stage and get people jumping. Their music, like Far East, is club friendly and fun, but doesn’t fall into the standard autotune Dirty South mimicry that has been abused lately in hip-hop.

LeeSsang is second, and they release a ridiculous onslaught of songs dating back to their first debut. Their set starts with a unique remake of the classic K-hiphop song, “우리 같이 해요 (“Together We’ll Do It),” the very first hit they did with their old crew, Honey Family. The crowd goes wild as they take the crowd forward through time with songs like “Loving You,” “인생은 아름다워 (Life Is Beautiful)”, and of course songs from their newest album, “Hexagonal.” Jungin soon joins the duo and adds her powerful vocals to their set. Jungin has worked with LeeSsang since their fist album and her voice is comparable to a mix of old school Korean folk and raw R&B soul.

Gil is an interesting character in LeeSsang, a real entertainer. In middle of his set, he picked up speakers on stage, threw tons of water bottles to thirsting fans, and during their 3-song encore, said “I need a cigarette… Fuck it,” and lit one up with no regards to the conservative image that most Korean star live by.  I love rule breakers.

Zeebra follows LeeSsang, which is not an easy feat since they delivered a whopping hour long set that hyped up the crowd. For those who don’t know, Zeebra is one of the pioneering hip-hop artists in Japan who started his career circa 1995. He spent some years in the US, so he speaks fluent English and Japanese.  I’m not familiar with Japanese hip-hop, but he sounds similar to old school DMX with a very raspy deep voice and defiant stage presence . He speaks English to the crowd and only a few of the fans are able to understand. He addressed it with this line:

“You know what I like? I like Korean food. Make some noise if you like Korean food *some people respond*… Ya’ll have no idea what the fuck I’m saying, do you?”

The few of us who did understood died laughing, while others laugh just at the sound of the word “fuck.”

Buga Kingz follows with a short set, but member Juvie Train doesn’t leave the stage without leaving an impression. Buga Kingz style of music is closer to the jazzy hip-hop that keeps you chill, but Juvie is sure to keep the crowd laughing with his on stage antics (I’ll explain more later).

As Palo & Bizzy step on to the stage, DT fans become more alert. Soon JK and Tasha, the night’s featured act, will be stepping on stage, but not without Bizzy & Palo delivering a hyped set. The beat to YDG’s “Run,” plays, which is a tease to fans: the song features both Tasha and JK, but Bizzy delivers only his verse and leaves fans yearning.

Gil returns to give the crowd Shany cookies (considerate!)

So after 2 1/2 hours, JK comes out from backstage jamming at first to Michael Jackson’s Beat It. The MJ documentary, “This Is It,” just premiered here, and JK attributes a lot of his stage presence and inspiration from the late star. In line with the theme, JK wears a tie-dye like vest that screams 80s.

JK is sure to perform a song from every album (sans 2nd and 5th). Lately, he’s mixed his classics with old school and modern hits, including FatMan Scoop’s “Be Faithful” and  Dr Dre’s “Next Episode.” Tasha soon follows with a rare performance of “Wonder Woman” and “G Hwa Ja,” both great songs from her 2nd album, Gemini. In my opinion, this album is really underappreciated and it ranks in my books as one of the best Korean hip-hop albums of all time (right behind DT2 and DT4). So definitely check it out if you haven’t yet!

Wonder Woman live (mixed with Missy Elliot’s “Get Your Freak On”)

G Hwa Ja live

However, the DT highlight of the night comes when Zeebra and the rest of the performers join JK to perform “Jet Pack.” The 8th album is filled with collaborations with international artists, so when they come together live on stage, it’s a special moment, as it may be the only live performance of that song that will ever happen.

a shaky vid of the performance – my apologies as I was getting pushed left and right!

In the midst of the performance, JK takes off his shirt (he calls it his “Rico Suave” move), and Juvie dumps a bottle of water on JK’s head. Below is the result.

While JK speaks some philosophy to the crowd, Juvie distracts them by mimicking JK’s Rico Suave.

Bobby jokingly comments that Juvie killed the mood, but it doesn’t deter the crew from finishing stong with a group performance of “Monster.”


Backstage is a scene of a massive DT/Movement family reunion. Each corner speaks a different story about the Movement fam – Zeebra’s entourage, Drunken Camp, Korean DT fanclub Tigebalm, and then a group of Movement’s producers. There are brief celebrations and a relief of joy in the air, but they are quickly rushed out, and the only way out is through the main hall where fans are still waiting. As JK is rushed out, he is not afraid to pose the whole way to his van. Every step, JK is camera ready, and as he descended down the escalator, he turns around, throws a peace sign in the air, and bids farewell to his fans.

Shows & Concerts, Videos

A Concert After Work. – Nylon MTV Benefit Concert

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MTV Red Carpet

Back in the US, it’s odd to catch a big star performing on a weekday. In fact, most managers would nix that idea out of fear that people wouldn’t show up. In Korea, a weekday concert is not out of the ordinary. It’s Wednesday, I just finished flexing my English speaking skills at work, and I’m rushing out to another DT/Tasha performance.

Tonight’s concert is a benefit concert celebrating Nylon Magazine’s 1st year in Korea. MTV is partnered with them and the generous sponsorship form MagnMag.com makes the concert free for all it’s participants. A select few people won guaranteed tickets form Nylon & MTV’s website, so a separate line is formed outside for people waiting for those tickets (roughly 500+ people – WHOA what a line!)

A few Camp staff members and fans decide to wing it and just try to get a ticket from the first come first serve line. In a surprising twist, this line is not as bad as the reserved line, and we’re able to get decent seats.

While the calamity in the seated area is nice, it’s where I notice the difference from American DT fans and Korean DT fans. In America, we’re aggressive and we like getting riled up by the performers. We’re used to the pushing, shoving, and struggling to get a good seat/view. In Korea, fans are content with just sitting or standing where they’re seated. It lets everyone see a view, but when you’re that one person in the crowd standing, throwing their hands up, and trying to get as close to the stage as possible, you’re the odd one out. I actually got a warning from the bodyguards a few times for getting too riled up. I apologize, Korea, but when a performer is telling everyone to stand up, and go crazy, my American habits kick in. (소리를 많이 질려서 최송합니다! ^_^)

screens

Anyway, what’s great about JK’s performances in Korea is they all go all out for each performer’s performance. The panning of JK’s photo and the words Drunken Tiger in the back creates a great effect and it always causes the crowd to scream madly. Back home, a DT performance is not as elaborate and the venue is usually smaller and more intimate (that has its advantages though, making the performance feel more raw — and US DT fans love a crazy raw DT performance!).

pay day

In a weird twist, JK actually starts the show and is shortly followed by Tasha. JK is considered a Korean hip-hop god here and Tasha, of course, its goddess. It’s rare they put a huge act first in any culture, but DT fans rejoice anyway (hey — if they finish their set early, that means we can go home early, and trying to get on that last subway train in Seoul is very important!).

Today’s set is very short (consisting of “Monster,” “True Romance,” “Pay Day,” and “검은 행복”)  and doesn’t require much explanation. So I’ll simply let the photos tell the story.

IMG_2906

(Dear Cellphone company, your customer is product placing in my photos. A donation to Camp would be greatly appreciated.)

IMG_2910

the end

After the performance, a few TigerBalm/DrunkenCamp staff rush out to catch a glimpse of the power hip-hop couple. It’s a regular for us to go to these shows and our faces are now familiar to DT’s team. We’re welcomed with the warmness that friends have between each other, but only for a brief moment. A lot of the big stars back home would do 1 show a day, but JK & Tasha are sped off afterwards to another show at a university miles and miles away from the venue. I guess there are no breaks here even for the biggest stars.

[many thanks to MTV for helping this report happen]

-Miss DrunkenCamp

P.S. I need more people who are Korea based who are willing to go to shows, take pictures, and/or write about them. Rolling with Camp has some great benefits (ask anyone on my team!). Email me at drunkencamp@gmail.com if you’re interested!

News & Such

“I like free things because free things like me.” – FREE DT/Tasha concert!

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Yes, it’s true, after spending $75/ticket in the past to see DT perform in the US, life has decided to play a fun joke and tell me about free DT concerts here in Seoul. Man, Korean fans, you guys are lucky!

When: Oct 7th, 2009 @ 8pm
Where: Olympic Park Olympic Hall (Line 5, Olympic Park station)
Who: Drunken Tiger, Tasha, Epik High, Clazziqui, House Rulez
Cost: FREE, $0, CERO, NADA

Tickets are first come first serve. Early arrival is suggested.

MTV 홈페이지(www.mtv.co.kr/event)
나일론(www.nylonmedia.co.kr)
매그앤매그 (www.magnmag.com)

Shows & Concerts, Videos

R16 – The Front Row Experience.

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stage

[courtesy of guest writer, Malaysia P.]

It is 6:55pm, five minutes before the show starts. Another Drunken Camper and I are in the front row getting wet from the rain. However, that doesn’t stop the crowd from going wild with anticipation. The show finally starts, and it starts off right with Dumbfounded, a Korean rapper who mostly known for his battling skills on Grind Time TV. He had a real laid back sound that reminded me of Lupe Fiasco (Be sure to be on the lookout for Dumb’s album coming soon. Do your research!).

201

After Dumbfounded, Bizzy & Palo hype up the crowd before JK’s appearance. When JK comes out, the crowd loses it (You could probably here his name being echoed in Seoul). He starts with “Do You Know Hip-Hop,” one of my personal favorites from his Year of the Tiger album. The crowd is reciting line for line with so much energy. I end up getting hit in the head a couple of times by fans who are waving their hands back and forth, and it’s somewhat of an annoyance. However, JK’s performance is so hypnotizing that it doesn’t matter. Next he performs, “Isolated Ones! Left Foot Forward,” followed by “Good Life,” and then “I Want You,” which is mixed in with Dr. Dre’s “Next Episode.” This was my first JK concert, and watching JK’s concerts on YouTube couldn’t even compare to this.

monster start

The best part about being in the front row of the pit is getting the chance to see the artist up close and being more personal with them. JK doesn’t mind the personal bond either. After coming down from the stage more than five times, you can sense the joy he feels from his interaction. It’s a thing that some American artists won’t even do at their shows, and the fans appreciate it greatly.

off stage

240-edit

JK then introduces fellow Drunken Tiger member, Roscoe Umali, and I think El touched upon this performance pretty well. See here for more details.

roscoe intro

Afterwards, Epik High takes the stage with a splash, throwing water into the crowd, waking me up from the trance I was in after JK’s performance. Epik’s performance sends the crowd on a buzz that is surely felt. Soon after, they introduce Dilated People’s Rakaa. Man… for those who don’t know Rakaa, do your research! This guy is nothing to mess with! Rakaa brings the crowd back to reality with the message to keep supporting Korean hip-hop because Korea has some of the greatest hip-hop artists alive. He was sharing the stage with some of them that night, so he knew it all too well.

Wait, is that beat what I think it is? Where’s my camera?

As “Monster” starts playing, fans beside me lose it. Every one of the perfomers is back on stage doing their own verse on the “Monster,” beat. I try  hard to keep my camera from shaking because the crowd behind me jumping up and down.  My camera battery starts to die, and I start praying it’ll hold out to record this rare moment. Luck was on my side as my camera survived the 6+ minute performance.

While being front row is great, there’s always that crazed girl next to you that won’t stop screaming (you’ll hear her in the video). So El uploaded her footage from backstage. It’s tamer than the video I have, but it doesn’t have any distracting screaming girls.

After the concert, an angel from nowhere gave us the okay to meet the stars. The fellow Camp member I was with in had caught Roscoe’s Vlado sneakers that were thrown into the crowd, and one of the show organizer’s who saw it let us enter to get the shoes autographed. In the midst of this, we were able to meet some of the performers before they left. And despite being such an influential force in the hip-hop world, these guys are some of the most down to Earth emcees I’ve ever met. Seriously, this stuff only happens in dreams!

We ended the night on a high note and our hour and 1/2 bus ride home wasn’t even felt. Despite feeling hungry, tired, and wet from the rain, truly, this was an experience that will never be forgotten.

–Malaysia P.

https://drunkentigerintl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/201.jpg