By Odeisel

(BB King’s NYC 8/28/2009) A Rock the Bells crowd is an informed one. Every few seconds you wait for the show, a different dissertation on who is or isn’t dope erupts from different pockets in the crowd. You don’t have to watch your jewels but you do have to know your lyrics. A climate like this lends itself well to concerts in club settings because the audience knows everyone’s material and will rock with them.

The show opened with freestyle legend Supernatural kicking a mean verse involving elements from the crowd for inspiration like cell phones, hats, and cups of liquor. Then he made up a song on the spot featuring three random words selected from the audience, in this case: finite, Michael Jackson and black.

It takes a true talent to rap true improvisation style and ‘Nat has been doing it for years.  Then, he transformed into three different emcee personalities (Slick Rick, Busta Rhymes Biggie). His talent in this area is arguably without peer. Using live elements is almost as arcane as a Jedi knight but Supernatural is a supreme practitioner.  There is an element of north eastern Hip-Hop snobbery, with a backhanded compliment to the South, but overall he had full control of the crowd. His mic was on echo which at times was awkward but overall a very good set.

Next up was Slum Village, performing in the absence of Baatin and Dilla. T3 and Elzhi held down the legacy con mucho gusto. With the heart and the soul of the group gone, they had an immediate handicap but if you didn’t know the group before, you wouldn’t have noticed that they were missing anything. The reverb/quadraverb on the mics was particularly annoying during their set,especially when they attempted to rhyme together. It detracted from their set and threw their rhythm off, but their enthusiasm and the goodwill from the crowd supported it. The duo performed SV classics like “Tainted Love” and “Selfish,” & as well as freestyles. Okay set overall, but it was a bit too long.

Next up was Slaughterhouse, who took the stage with DJ Frequency. They opened with the bomb that opens their debut album, “Sound Off” with all the accompanying stage drama created by the songs arrangement.  It was clear from the onset that they would be the main event of the evening if not the headliners.

As they perform “Microphone” you can see that while they have only been together as a group for less than a year, they put a lot of time practicing and getting their feel for each other on stage. They chime in all at the right moments, their motions are in line and with four emcees they are not bumping into each other on stage. One of the things that work against them on the album is a big boost in stage and that’s the presence of four distinct emcees. The energy is kept at a high level with each man checking the crowd for slacking.

They split the next few minutes of the show between regions and among their different catalogues. Slaughterhouse really tore it down. You can’t take anything from them on stage. The love they had for this music shines through on stage. I don’t know how that would translate outdoors or arena style but indoors they get down. Special shout to Joell Ortiz, who really exerted himself and projected a much larger presence on stage than I would have initially thought.

The headline act was the duo Reflection Eternal, consisting of Talib Kweli and Ohio producer Hi-Tek.  You can tell that they haven’t been on stage in a minute as there are a couple hiccups early in the show but they get through it fast. One thing that people don’t respect enough about Kweli on stage is his vocal control and the speed and density of his rhymes. Kweli spit the hottest verse of the night from his upcoming album.

Ironically DJ Hi Tek ran into tech trouble and Kweli was forced to improvise and spit verse after verse, both a cappella and behind hand claps from the audience. Actual records 1, Mac Laptop and Serato 0. While Kweli valiantly fought with it, the tech issue totally stopped the momentum of the show, but Talib’s laser sharp verses and a surprise appearance by Styles P put the show right back on track.  Talib’s set continued with classic verses from both Black Star, Reflection Eternal, and his own impressive solo work, including the classic “Get By.”

Overall it was a great show, and the normally outside Rock the Bells show translated well to the intimate venue setting. While the audience numbered hundreds rather than thousands, the energy encased on the venue more than made up for the size and all the acts delivered with varying degrees of success.

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