You Do Not Want To Miss This!!

A New York State of Mind

Are you a lover of Hip Hop music? If so, then this post is for you! No, it’s not going to be the usual travel blog you expect, but it was an adventure that I wanted to share. This past Friday, I went to the New York State of Mind Concert with the Wu-Tang Clan and Nas featuring De La Soul. If you have not been, you definitely need to go!

I arrived early to the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall because I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to find my seat and relax. Relax, I did not! While we waited for the concert to start, they had all the old school hip hop playing. From EPMD to Slick Rick to Run DMC and many more, you could not help but to bob your head and rap along to the lyrics. There was a wide range of cultures and ages there. The youngest looked to be around eight or nine. (Surprising, right?!?)

To get the crowd hyped, about fifteen minutes before the show started, DJ Scratch started spinning on the ones and twos. His musical arrangement included 50 Cent, DJ Khalid, Jay Z, Cam’ron, Biggie, Black Rob, Lauren Hill, Boogie Down Productions, DMX, LL Cool J- I mean the hit list could go on and on. It was a flashback of hits. DJ Scratch kicked you with hit after hit like the Shaolin Master himself hit you in the chest with that heat!

With the crowd still hyped, De La Soul comes out with their banger Potholes in My Lawn. They flipped to Oooh, and the crowd went wild! The crowd was graced with

Stakes is High, Just to Get By, Buddy, and Rock Co.Kane Flow. Everyone were out of their seats shouting the lyrics like they were a part of the group, and I don’t think anyone sat down after that for the rest of the concert.

At this point, the crowd is feenin’ for more. Boardwalk Hall is smoked out as a montage of Shaolin Kung Fu videos flash across the backdrop screen on stage. RZA, from the Wu-Tang Clan, comes out to a pulpit like a preacher about to give the good word. His monologue brings the crowd to a loud roar of cheering filling the hall like a lion out in the wild. RZA has the crowd chanting, “Wu-Tang Killa Beez! Wu-Tang Killa Beez!” as the bass drops and he introduces the first Wu-Tang member to grace the stage. GZA leads the way as one by one each Wu-Tang member is introduced, and they wrap two to three minutes of their various solo songs. The awesome thing was ODB’s son, who is definitely his twin, filled in for the sorely missed group member. (RIP ODB) Wait! Something was wrong. Method Man was noticeably missing from the stage and was not introduced. The group on stage finished the set with Bring da Ruckus and many were questioning ‘where was Meth?’

Nas hit the stage and the crowd goes insane as he props his foot up on the stage and listens to the crowd scream his name. He hits us with You Can Hate Me Now rolling into Got Ur Self A… into TSK. His set included Get Down, Represent, New York State of Mind, and Eye for an Eye.

We took a short fifteen-minute or so break before the cartoon Speed Racer starts playing on the screen and Raekwon comes out with Ghostface Killah rapping his hit Ice Cream. The rest of the members from the previous Wu set come out rapping to Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F*** Wit. As the crowd is swaying from side to side, rapping the lyrics and throwing up the Wu-Tang hand symbol, we get the shock of the show when Method Man walks out on stage to rap his verse of the song. There he is!!

He follows up with the infamous Method Man and Get By featuring Mary J Blige. All the ladies in the crowd belted out Mary’s parts Lol Young Dirty Bastard, ODB’s son, hit us with Shame On A… which turned into C.R.E.A.M then the song that started it all Protect Ya Neck!

I could go on and on about this concert, but you need to experience it for yourself! I was just happy to have the experience and I wanted to share it with you! Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!

Disclaimer: I, Artilya Key, also known as A. Key (A Key To Adventure), am not affiliated with any of the links, places or sites mentioned in this blog nor did I receive any compensation for this post. Should you need more information, please refer to the linked information or contact the company. Any copywritten information belongs to that entity and is not associated with A Key To Adventure.