Concert Review: Were You Watching The Throne?!?!?! Jay-z and Kanye Watch The Throne Tour

First off, let me begin by saying that I have seen Jay-z in concert on many occasions, however, this was my first time seeing Kanye perform live and in person.  Besides his stellar award and televised concert performances, I could only anticipate the performance that Kanye would deliver at the Watch The Throne concert.  Unlike Kanye, Jay-z has had so many world tours its too many to name (Hard Knock Life, Roc The Mic, Jay-Z and Friends, etc.).  Contrary to Jay-z's previous performances, he and Kanye had no guest appearances, no dancers, and surprisingly, not even a visible band at the Watch The Throne concert at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

It seems as though the bulk of the budget went into pyrotechnics, smoke, high tech lasers and two digital cubed HD screens that elevated about 60 feet in the air showing video footage that was selected to accompany each song, with Jay-z and Kanye standing on top of the screens, no less.  Jay and 'Ye won the crowd over with hits from the album like No Church In The Wild, Lift Off, Otis, Who Gone Stop Me and Welcome To The Jungle to name a few, and also took us back with classic hits like Big Pimpin', Is That Your Chick and Hard Knock Life as well as Flashing Lights, Diamonds Are Forever and Gold Digger that kept the fans' diamond/roc signs up all night.

 
The Roc Nation affiliates mellowed the mood and turned down the flashing lights to focus on one of my favorite songs off the album, New Day.  As they both reflected on the future life of their unborn children and how they would make things better for them once they were born, Jay thanked the crowd for sharing the moment with them, as it was an emotional performance that the concertgoers could actually connect with.

No performance of Watch The Throne would be complete without Sweet Baby Jesus, a nostalgic track that boasts the melodic voice of Frank Ocean, as he proclaims, "we made it in America".  The American flag was a common theme throughout the concert, as Kanye and Jay-z exemplified what it means to live the American Dream.  Besides, isn't that what the album was all about?  The concert was not without its other deep moments, like when they performed Murder To Excellence, with Kanye declaring, "I feel the pain in my city wherever I go. 314 soldiers died in Iraq.  509 died in Chicago."  As the 60 foot screens rose to the ceiling, Kanye and Jay-z depicted historic and graphic footage of police brutality, political marches and speeches and this is where the crowd got a bit quiet and reflective.

I was also surprised to see that the majority of Kanye's and Jay-z's fans were not African American, and even further, that the crowd was overwhelmingly full with fans of Kanye.  Nevertheless, I held Hov down like the true fan that I am and recited every word to every song, just because I'm cool like that.  All in all, the concert was very enjoyable and I'm glad I sprung for the c-note (and them $ome) to attend such a monumental and epic tour.  Kanye and Jay-z gave us a performance we could be proud of and made a clear statement to the world that everyone should heed...."Watch The Throne".

WEIGH IN
Have you ever seen Jay-z or Kanye West perform live?
Did you attend the Watch The Throne concert in your city?
What did you like about the performances?
What did you think was missing, if anything, from the tour?
Would you pay to see Kanye and Jay-z on tour in the future?

Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch The Throne

The highly anticipated album Watch The Throne recorded by Hip Hop mega artists Jay-Z and Kanye West was dropped today, Tuesday, August 8th, the day the Watch The Throne concert tour tickets went on sale.  The release has left the Internet, blogs, Facebook and Twitter all buzzing with talks of the new material, the tour, whether the two will get along and what the outcome will be of this mega-collaboration.  We've already seen how quick the shit can hit the fan when Jay-Z collaborates with a music great (ie. R. Kelly and the Best of Both Worlds/Unfinished Business album/tour).  So lets just hope the two can keep it together until December 12th when they perform in LA (and yes I got tickets!!!!)


Jay-Z and Kanye were able to hold off the release without any leaks, which in this day and age is damn near a mission impossible, but if anyone could do it, Jay and 'Ye could.  Tickets for the Los Angeles concert are already sold out, but if you're in or around the LA area, you still might have a chance with Las Vegas so go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/watchthethrone asap before its too late.  The first single to drop from the album, Otis, boasts a popular sample by Otis Redding, Try A Little Tenderness, which comes at the hands of soul-sample and talented musical producer, Kanye West.  This song has such a strong popular cultural existence, it only makes sense that the two used it for the first single to spark the fire to the release of the album and the tour.  The song recorded by Otis Redding was featured in Pretty in Pink with Molly Ringwald in 1986 in one of my favorite scenes from the whole movie (see the video below):

Watch The Throne Album cover & Track Listing

1. No Church in The Wild (Feat. Frank Ocean)
2. Lift Off (Feat. Beyoncé)
3. Niggas in Paris
4. Otis (Feat. Otis Redding)
5. Gotta Have It
6. New Day
7. Prime Time
8. Who Gon Stop Me
9. Murder to Excellence
10. Welcome to The Jungle
11. Sweet Baby Jesus (Feat. Frank Ocean)
12. Love You So (Feat. Mr Hudson)

Bonus
13. Illest Motherfucker Alive
14. H*A*M
15. That’s My Bitch
16. The Joy (Feat. Curtis Mayfield)

As you can see, the album has guest appearances by R&B/Hip Hop newcomer Frank Ocean, on two tracks and Beyonce on one.  As well as, repeat collaborator Mr. Hudson who was featured on Jay's "Forever Young" track.  Below are a few pics from the studio where Jay and Kanye have been creating the masterpiece.

To my Jay-Z and Kanye fans:

Have you been anticipating this high profile album?
Would you like to see Jay-Z and Kanye on tour?
Do you think the album will perform to all of the hype?

WEIGH IN! 

A Purple Party: Prince performs at the Great Western Forum

Who doesn't love Prince, the artist, the symbol, or whatever he's making us call him for the moment?  Fact is, he is an irreplaceable figure in the pantheon of R&B, Pop, Soul and Rock music....period!  Prince is clearly an undeniable icon and legend known not just for his music, but his persona and fashion sense *side eye at the booty cut out pants*.  So naturally, when I heard he would be performing at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood for 21 dates, to say I was elated would be an understatement.

I have friends who have attended his concerts in the recent past and their biggest complaints were that he did not perform the music that made him who he is.  Classics like Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, 1999, etc. were left out, I'm assuming because at that time he was in a bitter war with Columbia Records over the rights to said music.  This bit of information had me a little weary concerning the performance, but I had heard so many great things from friends whom had already attended that I wasn't too worried.

I was given a set of rules to follow from previous attendees, which consisted of:

1. Eat before you go.
2. Do NOT arrive on time.  Prince will not hit the stage until approximately 9 pm, even though tickets said the show starts at 7:30p
3. BYOB, if possible.
4. Parking could be a nightmare ao make plans accordingingly.
5. Do not leave after his performance; stay for the encore.

Needless to say, I followed the directions and everything went smoothly.  Prince features a special guest every night he performs that have included the likes of Gwen Stefani, Chaka Khan, Sheila E., Mint Condition and Alicia Keys just to name a few.  Chaka was the special guest of the night and she literally tore the house down.  She sounded and looked amazing and truly gave her all to the performance.  She performed hits like I Feel For You, Through The Wire, Aint Nobody, and Stay.  She is truly one of the original R&B divas who paved the way for female artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, and Brandy and I was so happy to finally see her perform.

During her set she brought Whitney Houston on stage to sing *side eye*.  Whitney's voice is completely gone.  The crowd exploded once Whitney got on stage, but after she started singing, I think everyone was happy to see her go shortly thereafter.

The sound quality was dynamic and Prince's band was amazing.  The entire Great Western Forum partied the entire time and the energy was electric.  Prince performed songs like Little Red Corvette, 1999, When Doves Cry, I Would Die For You, Cream, Diamonds and Pearls and much more.  He still looks good and moves like he did on Purple Rain.

Ultimately, Prince is trying to raise the profile of the Great Western Forum which has seen a lack of top concerts and performances at the venue in recent years.  I believe this is a great way to bring back the legacy of this great venue that is a huge part of the fabric and history of Inglewood/Los Angeles County.

If you still have yet to see Prince in all of his purple majesty, don't worry, there is still time.  There are still concert dates that are forthcoming so be sure to get your tickets which start at $25 a pop.  Prince performs a different set each night so there is always something new to experience.  Make sure to follow the directions set above for an enjoyable time and last but not least, PARTY LIKE ITS 1999!