Published: Wednesday - November 14, 2007
Words by Arnold T. Pants
Jay-Z (Photo: XXL)
Thanks to my brother Gritz, I was up in New York on Sunday (November 11) to attend the "American Gangster" mini-tour. Admittedly, I am not the biggest Jay-Z supporter, but the show will undoubtedly live among some of my best concert going experiences. Seeing Beans and Freeway made my day. Hearing "Where I'm From," although cut short, was a highlight (I firmly believe this is one of the top 5 rap songs). I had never heard Wayne spit live, and that too was cause for excitement. Gritz has already hit with a full show rundown (see "Gritz N' Gravy: Jay-Z & Friends, 'American Gangster' (Concert Review)"), so I will keep my commentary to a minimum and touch on some tangential events and related news items.
Apart from the minor disappointment of not getting any tracks off Reasonable Doubt or a quick version of "Friend Or Foe '98," the only setback of the night was standing in line for two hours behind two complete douche bags. They were dressed straight out of "What More Can I Say." Except, dudes were not 30 plus, and believed the 40/40 Club to be the hottest night spot in the universe (hell, might be, I would never know). Gritz and I made a pact to walk in the opposite direction of this dynamic duo after entering Hammerstein Ballroom, easily achieved by Gritz's purchase of the cheapest possible tickets.
Funk Flex was charged with entertaining the buzzing crowd before Jay's arrival. He was ok, played a good set of mid-90s New York classics and then inexplicably turned to a medley of T.I. Fair enough, but it would have been logical to reverse the set and have the audience at a peak just as Jay arrived rather than a lull.
Flex's decisions behind the tables are not his only interesting moves these days. Recently this collaboration between JB Classics, Ford and the FMF was announced.
My first thought was "Damn, what happened to Lugz?" That brand has been so tied to Flex's identity for me. JB Classics first caught my eye with some playful adaptations of classic Nike Silhouettes. In recent years, the company appears to be finding its own identity, using high end materials and splashy graphics to dress up clean and simple footwear. This partnership with Flex and Ford really interests me because it merges several brands on different corporate scales (Flex is undoubtedly a brand at this point). JB has also partnered with Kid Robot in the past, and has a nice duel brand release with DC Shoes dropping real soon. This Ford model is rumored at 65 pairs, with a more generally released JB x FMF edition also set for December.
Collaborations also helped set the tone for the show. "Hello Brooklyn," allowed Jay his first breather of the night. Puffy arrived briefly. The ROC boys were in the building. This all meant that Jigga only once left the stage, and kept the energy level high throughout the set. His announcement late in performance of Jadakiss' move to the ROC wasn't even the only major acquisition news for Jigga.
Last week, as reported on the pages of this fine website, Jay-Z partnered with SCION group to purchase Artful Dodger (see "Jay-Z Purchases Artful Dodger Clothing Line"). I found this slightly confusing. Sure, the buy helps diversify Jay's garment empire. The brand appeals to an upwardly mobile demographic, as well as being popular among rappers (you may remember the conversation I had with Bun B, where he mentioned AD as one of his current favorites). That all being true, the aesthetic similarities between AD and Rocawear are apparent. Just as apparent as, say, the aesthetic influence of AD on a brand like Rocawear. At a time when the core (read leaders) of streetwear is moving toward cleaner lines and subtle detailing, Artful Dodger already appears dated. Jay's investment will pay off, no doubt, but I can't help but thinking he would have been better suited looking more forwardly with trends.
One trend I hope Jay does kick into gear is concerts that really celebrate music. "American Gangster" was never marred with marketing ploys (save for Beanie and Free stating the release dates of their new projects). There wasn't a t-shirt or commemorative item for sale. We were all there just to see and hear and enjoy Jay-Z. He sets the bar very high for rap concerts, and that's what hip-hop needs -- standards.
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