The Key Club – Hollywood, CA
Live Review: 1/31/10

Hours after presenting the Grammy for best rap/sung collaboration to Jay-Z, Rihanna and an absent Kanye West for “Run This Town,” Mos Def found himself in a familiar place on the Sunset Strip. Four days after The Boogie Man and The Roots had one of the most talked about pre-Grammy jam sessions, Mos Def was back on stage at the Key Club for his post-Grammy party.

Although Mos didn’t walk away with a miniature, gilded gramophone statuette (he lost Best Rap Solo Performance to Jay-Z and Best Rap Album to Eminem), his mere presence at the award show should be a welcomed sight for the hip-hop community.

In times where rappers-turned-actors are a dime a dozen, it should be noted that Mos was once nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his acting prowess in Something the Lord Made. But let’s call a spade a spade here because Mos Def is first and foremost a performer who is best suited to be on-stage with mic in hand rather than on a set in front of a camera.

It was close to midnight and there was no sign of Mos Def yet, aside from his sound check that happened three hours prior. When he did appear on stage he was wearing a Mardi Gras carnival mask and, as expected, sharply dressed. There were screams and applause from the crowd, which was on the thin side compared to the packed house for his Thursday night performance, which welcomed him to the stage. The smaller crowd made for a more intimate evening with the stage lights staying a deep red and the vibe intense. His set was heavy on material from The Ecstatic, including “Casa Bey” and “History,” produced by the late J Dilla. He even debuted some new music to the approval of the audience.

Throughout the night he addressed the crowd with what was going on in his career, some news being a bit shocking–at the moment he was without a record label–and some news that was exciting–he was to be the next animated member to join Gorillaz (so hopefully he’s Coachella-bound).

If The Ecstatic and his Key Club performance proved anything it’s that Mos Def is a distinguished musical act and he’s still got a lot to contribute to the hip-hop community. It’s like Deon Sanders playing baseball. Sure Sanders turned some heads in the MLB, mostly due to the notoriety of his name, but at the end of the day all his fans really wanted to see was his dominance on the gridiron. So go ahead, Boogie Man, guest-star on House and have fun, but remember you’re best-loved with a mic in hand, not a script.

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http://www.myspace.com/mosdef

via Stephen Loh, 5 February 2010 10:37am | 1 |