Thursday Nite: Irving Plaza
Let me first start by saying....I ain't mad at A.J. Benza! He throws Hip-Hop a bone every so often so it's aiight that he screwed up once......
But ya gotta remember in general......People who report things in the news from sources are USUALLY wrong!!! Even if that source is a police report!! Take that from a brother who knows!!!!!
Next let me say, we are splitting this into THREE parts! (1) - B-High, will be doing this part and (2) transcribing the News article and (3) Dr. D will be presenting an editorial about the event & Dirty in a different article.
Part 1:The DAILY NEWS version!
(Copywrong 9/23/96 NYDN Hot Copy)
Root of the Problem
Sometimes Old Dirty Bastard's act gets a little old and, well, a little dirty. The just-sprung-from-jail rapper performed with the Hip-Hop group the Roots at Irving Plaza Thursday night and everything was beautiful until the last 10 minutes - prime time for the well-respected, Philly-based live hip-hop band. "It was great" a source* said. "But after they sang Old Dirty Bastard's hit, "Oh Baby, I like it Raw," he refused to get off the stage."*
This being a live rap-type performance, a small melee occurred between ODB and the Roots' frontman Black Thought. The two squared off before shoving and pushing each other. Eventually, the crowd booed long enough for ODB to shuffle off stage and storm to the back of the arena, where he growled, flailed his arms and broke beer bottles. Stuff like that.
In light of Tupac's death,* the last thing concert-goers want to see is any negativity between rap & hip-hop performers," the source added.
*Well, before I start, I would LOVE to know who the fuck this lame ass SOURCE is???? A source so informed that he calls Shimmy Shimmy Ya by the only line he probably remembers!?! Who forgot to mention that ODB was only trying to make a point...albiet a long, rambling, intoxicated point! That's the difference between ODB and the Roots, they UNDERSTOOD that the white man gave them 10 minutes left & they must please, and the Dirty One, the Rawest MuthaFuckker in HIP HOP today!!!!, who couldn't give a fuck!! The source left out the fact that Dirty felt dissed, by starting the music while he was talking!! And I don't know WHERE that source sat, but Black Thought squared off on NO-ONE!!! He tried to stress REASON and level headedness!! While he did NOT back down, he did NOT square off! But to make matters worse, after Dirty went to the back, He (sort of) DISSED ODB , saying "I don't even know, whoever from Wu-Tang..Old Dirty...But I offered him my MIC!!!" (*the implied & this is what I get for it). And lastly it seems to me that this sources use of the words "concert-goers" must be a code name for white college kidz! Cause the kidz from the ghettieo, the brothaz and sistaz from the hoodz, everyone DOWN with Hip Hop whatever the color, know that any negativity between rap & hip-hop performers is a figment of critics or newswriters. That "negativity" between PEOPLE is a part of life, and the last thing they need is someone exploiting Tupac's name OR that situation!! (Dr. D)
B-Highs Version
1st let me start by saying that I dig the Roots. The brothers touch me. The brothers have MAD RESPECT in the industry. That said, here goes.
Got the invite from R & R to attend a Roots Record Release part on Wed. the day before. "Show up at 9:30pm performance at 10pm!" I heard that before. Call Boo over at Geffen 2 discuss shit.
"Johnny B." say he, "Been trying to reach ya, got 2 VIP passes to the Roots tonite, but I Fed Ex'd them to your P.O. Box!! Sheeat! Okay, I'll messenger you another set NOW!!" Get there at 8 pm, Open Bar, VIP time etc....
8:45pm Arrive, walk out, meet Boo, walk back in! Head upstairs! Meet & Great Big Max - NewJacks, Gordon from R & R, The crew from Video Undaground and more.
Sit my ass down, over looking the stage, upper left side. Roll a spliff, smoke a spliff. Roll another spliff, smoke another spliff. Re-Invite KoKo over, you know Koko of KokoBaz!! Video Music Box's #1 videographer, Ralph & Crazy Sam's Fave, to smoke another spliff. Smoke a blunt with the Girls next to me.
Another Blunt with the Fan of Indie. One of the 3 Girls next to me is a true head, so we do another spliff AND another Blunt!
About this time the Roots are supposed to go on.
Hey, The Cold Crush Crew takes the stage. Aiight, Old school in effect! But, hey, thats what The Roots are all about, paying tribute to our roots!
Saw Jeru, Crucial Conflict, Bahamadia at the last Roots show, while not old school were a diverse show! So I know the Roots live. I respect the Roots. Cold Crush crushes and are gone.
Roots take the stage! Mid way through, with his hair cropped short, and in psuedo work garb, the Dirty one, bottle of champagne in hand, appears on stage! Gives respect to The Roots, crosses over stage. Black Thought, Roots frontman, recognizes him immediately, stops what he is doing and says "Old Dirty!" and shakes hands, hugs, then hugs dirty again! They say a little somethin, somethin, then Dirty introduces himself to the Bassist, and hangs. Black Thought introduces The Roots. Dirty hangs off to side. One of his posse has an unopened bottle of Dom P in each hand, Dirty workin on his own. Dirty hangs & greets off to side.Roots do a couple of numbers. A couple of More. Even More.
Roots Rock the house. "Thats the way we Harmonize" More hype, live shit! Roots tearin it now, muthafuckka... Cut to some live ass drum solo! During solo Dirty re-appears. Grooves on Drum Beat! Leaves again... Returns..... Black Thought Introduces Dirty...
"About 3 months ago.. I got locked up....I went to High Impact...
MUTHAFUCKERS I'M TALKING...
I went to High Impact... and muthafucker told me,
Dirty...you got a YEAR to do!!! Dirty Dog do a year??...HAHAHAHA...
If the Dirty Dog gonna do a year...Then who the fucks gonna please ya all here!!!....MUTHAFUCKKAZ, I SAID if Dirty Dog gonna do a year MUTHAFUCKKA...who the fucks gonna please ya all here!!!"
Roots kick into Shimmy Live.
He rhymes a little Shimmy.
Gets to the Killer Bee's part.... Falls apart... Oh baby I like it raw!.... Freestyles verse or so.....
Hold it, hold it hold it.... You ALL RESPECT THE ROOTS, ya'll muthafuckaz are sick..your real nigga...hold up, ya'll niggaz for real... ya'll the only niggaz....I swear on my babies....that touch a nerve in Dirty Dog.. ya niggaz are sick....
Roots kick into Shimmy Again.. Dirty tries to set the flow.... One of his hanger ons starts rappin Zoo..
"That's MY SHIT, muthafucker, rhyme your own shit"
say's Dirty as he takes a bottle from the brother and swigs it!!! Nigga starts rhymin...whack as can be.... Black Thought lets Dirty know..time is short..... Dirty's performane is flat as shit...... The vibe the Roots built is stagnating.... Dirty rhymin again....
Black Thought.."Make some noize for Ol Dirty Bastard.....we got ten minutes left...as we continue on.."
Dirty..."No..No..No....Hold On a"
"We only got 10 minutes left..."
"I got ya....."
"We only got 10 minutes left..."
"I got ya..I got ya....Yo I got 1 more thing to say ta ya'all....
Rambling speech, with belches about "Bitches!" Niggaz.. and fuckin em up the ass...."
...as we continue on.."
Black Thought tells keyboard player to start music....... Dirty, visably pissed turns around and snatches the cord outta the keyboard, ending music... Black Thought tries to reason while Dirty goes off about disrespect!! Crowd Boos.. People next to me (It was OBVIOUSLY a Roots crowd) yell "Go to AA!" After a few tense moments Dirty parts the floor and proceeds to the rear of Irving Plaza. Thats when Black Thought says "I gave him my mike" Much Ado about nothin......... See the Roots LIVE on IndieSent Exposure... See what happened FOR YOURSELF!!! Next week...On IndieSent....Peace
