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Kick Out the Jams

KRS-One at the Huntridge, Aug. 8

"Rap is something you do...hip hop is something you live!" The world needs another rallying cry like it needs another action-flick hero running for governor, but there was something simple, gratifying and authentic about this one. Chanted by the b-boys, b-girls and white suburban tagger kids as they made their way toward the doors, it capped KRS-One's set Friday, a raucous, roof-raising medley of his greatest hits. The only bummer was the show's brevity--thanks to a case of too many opening acts crowding the bill.

KRS-One has a skewed rep. Yeah, the guy known as The Teacher throws down some thought-provoking rap--on his albums, sometimes to the point of groan-worthy preachiness. Live, however, it's not at the expense of a good time. Friday's show proved just that: more energy than substance, the hourlong set saw Mr. Smarty Raps whipping the crowd into a hand-waving froth by throwing into rotation a number of hits, returning to the choruses like spinning plates: the bwomp of "South Bronx," the sass of "Sound of Da Police" ("Woop! Woop! That's the sound of da police!") and, providing another rallying cry for the night, "The Real Hip Hop II" ("The real hip hop is over here!"), not to mention high-energy tributes to fellow old-schoolers such as Run D.M.C. Of course, the message was never far off. From "Know Thyself": "It's one thing to be iced out and rocked up / But what's the point if you're gettin' locked up?"

But you have to wonder how well the message has held up, what with the ascent of neo-gangstas like 50 Cent and DMX feeding suburban kids renewed fantasies about power and wealth. Then again, does it have to be school every day? Friday's party atmosphere was tough to resist. KRS-One tossed out glowsticks and tennis balls; breakdancers--a spectacle in their own right--were spinning blurs on the floor; a butcher-papered wall sponsored by local arts group 5ive Finger Miscount hosted aspiring graffiti artists and taggers alike; and an occasional blast of chronic's telltale stank punched you in the nose with a green fist. Some of the opening acts certainly helped the vibe, most notably the funky, easygoing stuff of local champs The Chapter. Rap is something they do, but hip hop is clearly something they live.--Andrew Kiraly