Now why you wanna go and do dat luv huh?.......

As a follow up to Zed’s post on the "Return of the Legends Concert Pt. 1”, that was held in Detroit on Friday,…… let me expound on the magnificence that was.

First of all, before I got there, I looked online to see if there was a ban on camera’s. I called Zed, maddddddddd as hell because being the budding photog that I am, I wanted to take some good pics. Zoom lens? Check. Camera? Check. Full battery power? Check? Permission to take pics? UN-FUCKING-CHECK. Zed said “now you know that them muthafucka’s ain’t gon let you bring a camera up in there”. Yeah, I knew it, but I was holding on to hope in all truth. And my camera is an SLR and as most of them are, is big as HELL and with the zoom lens (which I WOULD need, because though I was in the 4th row, I would not have been able to get the real pics that I wanted and it’s only a LIL bit bigger than the regular lens!)

So, I was already at a deficit but still getting hyped to go though. So, me and my husband dropped the lil one off and headed off. I had on my jeans, and my cool-ass BROOKLYN tee-shirt that Zed copped for me on his last trip out to NYC.

So, we get there and it’s like exactly 8:00pm. So, we mill around for a minute cause the place is NEXT to bare. I was beginning to get worried. Though, I shoulda known cause Africans NEVER come on time...I mean, if there were 100 people in the joint AT 8:00, I would be surprised. So, we went and got this Courvosier concoction that was a frozen alcoholic pink lemonade. THAT shyt was the bomb! Especially seeing as though I was out and ready to have a blast.

O.K….. so at about 8:15 ex-U of M hooper, Jalen Rose comes on and introduces Black Sheep. So……I was all hyped to enjoy this , my first ATCQ concert. Notice that I didn’t mention ANYONE else. I really came to see ATCQ in all honesty. To get things warmed up Dres comes on stage and does his thing sans Mista Lawnge, but still rocked it and it was actually pretty cool to see and hear him in concert. He was still the same sounding Dres that I remembered back from my days at Michigan State. So, net up was the wildcard that no one knew would be performing, Das EFX. When these guys (dayum I had no IDEA that they were so “miniature”) came on, they got the now growing crowd even more hyped up and they ended their set with the seminal “They Want EFX”. The crowd really started getting into it and I was starting to “feel” the “EFX” of my drink. I could see this would be a good night.

Detroit natives, Slum Village came and ripped the set next and since most people into REAL hip hop from Detroit, know who they are, they incited a “rap-a-long” following this evening too. They rocked their now classic “Tainted” and the crowd soared! People were in the seats rocking and rapping along and having a great time.

Next up was EPMD, and though Zed said they were “lumbering but not dead”, I say that they did a helluva job. One thing that I must commend ALL of the groups on was the fact that they did a great job and kept the crowd going. “You Got’s Ta Chill” and “So WHatcha Sayin” got the rest of now full crowd off it’s feet.

And can you say that by this time I was feelin NIIIIIIICE and fuzzy, having a great time, the crowd was pumped and I was ready and WAITING for ATCQ to come out. I coulda EASILY heard JUST Tribe and been F.I.N.E. but after hearing all the others, I was glad that they were included because though this was called “Return of the Legends….”, they never LEFT me. They are STILL in heavy rotation in my car or home. These cats take me back to the days where I was young and full of hope, life and potential. Now, I am not saying I am used up now, but I was just fresh and READY for the world at that time. I was a young woman of 21-23 when these dude were in their hey-dey. Being back in that musical pocket I was transported back to when I was just about to graduate from college and was learning what it meant to be me. I was forming my memories and further developing my musical sense of self as well. I had long leaned towards the Native Tongue groups (Monie Love, Blacksheep, ATCQ, Brand Nubian, Poor Righteous Teachers, JB’s, De La Soul……etc.) as groups that I “felt”. After all, isn’t that what music is all about? FEELING???? When you really like a song you can FEEEEL it changing your mood, going through you and CONNECTING with your spirit on the deepest primordial levels. Some of you may think that I am getting too deep with this,but to me and everyone else (if you really think) about it, music IS deep. It DOES elicit a response (whether good or bad depending) in ALL OF US. I mean, Counrty and Western elicits a response from me….it’s just not a good one. I have an AVERSION to the way it sounds.



ATCQ from day ONE has been THEE group that if I COULD make music, makes music most like I would. Music is the co-host and the active catalyst of my life. You know how when a song comes on that you like and you are feeling that RUSH of “THAT is my SHIT”, what you are feeling are the “good feeling” chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins affect parts of your brain much like that feeling of “being sooooo in love” does. It makes you feel good, invigorated and invincible. You can’t TELL me that when you hear “your song” that you don’t get geeked and WANT to get up and dance or at least sing along. Those are endorphins and I can always count on them to take me back to a time and place where everything was good. Music that I love is tied to those feelings and thus when I hear the music AGAIN , those old feelings and memories come back. Nostalgia people.


Who could be the one /
Rhyming ill, having fun /
Blowing up, making musical memories and things /
Elevate your thoughts on the vibe that we brought /
While we climbing we shine like a super bowl ring /
You could do it too/
I mean hot like we do /
It's a lot like we do and make your own mark /
It's deeper than the song /
Hope you live your life long /
When you win, how you start, kid you gotta have heart /
Niggas in my shit
Move! /
Give a nigga room /
Back it up, it's a grown man making on time/, Like It Like That


The crowd was amped and full to what seemed to be 90% capacity at this time. And since I was close to the front, it probably appeared that it was even MORE crowded. Jalen came on and was wearing the “Peoples Instincive Travels…..” album on a tee shirt as he was about to introduce Quest. I just about jumped over people like I were in a mosh pit to snatch it off of him, but the threat of jail deterred me. As I said, I know almost EVERY SONG by heart and the only ones I DO NOT know were a few from the “Beats, Rhymes and Life” album. That was my LEAST favorite album if I have to pick one. So, I had my “act foolish” fuel in me and when he announced …..

“A TRIIIIIIIBE CALLLLLLLLED QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEST”

I immediately rose from my seat, stood UP on the metal , park-like seats and was literally jumping up and down. I had enjoyed the concert up until then so much and had ALREADY been jumping around so much that my knees had ALREADY started to hurt along with my feet, but this was my night. My night to be taken back, my night to enjoy reliving my younger days and my night to “DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING”.




“Chairman of the board, the chief of affections/ You got mine's to swing in your direction/ Hey, you're like a hip hop song, you know?” Bonita Applebum”,

For those who don’t know me, I am what you would call a “big girl”. I am not a little petite girl and when I tell you that I was jumping ALLLLLLL over the place and DIDN’T GIVE A FUCK, that is what I MEAN! I was swinging my arms, jumping up and down (envision the way Kris Kross was jumping straight up in the air in their “jump” video), I was rapping EVERY.SINGLE.WORD, I was gesturing like me and Quest were having a rap battle, and As I looked over Zed was doing the same thing! He was throwing his arms up and getting hyped. Loving the show! The whole place was ELECTRIC.

“Q-tip and Phifer, they mashed up the party
Kick the rhymes and more rhymes
Kick the beats and more beats
We'll have you scratchin in your head, like Shaheed on Technics ……” , Clap Your Hands

The funny thing was that me & Zed had talked earlier and I had said (and he agreed) that in a perfect world , only those who REALLY appreciated and LOVED the “native tongue” (i.e., not the Sha-nay-nays that won tickets off the radio and her ghetto crew) would be there. In a perfect world, the people in attendance would be much like us: respectable, there to have a good time and ones who REALLY FELT the music. Not those who 2 weeks ago were like “ A tribe what WHO???..... who dat?” See, when you are really into something you do not want it denigrated by those who do not TRULY appreciate the artistry and the skill that went into creating that music. Hence, I am sure a country and western lover would not want to see me at their shit. I understand and will not be there.




“now you caught my heart for the evening/kissed my cheek moved in you confused me/ should I just sit out or come harder/please help me find my way….” Find My Way

But when they came on, it was like I was in their world and they were in mine. I was their muse and they were feeding off of me. They NEEDED to see me and they NEEDED to feel that I respect and LOVE them for what they do and for the joy that their music, parts of their soul, have brought into mine. So, I jumped, shouted, and if my husband hadn’t positioned himself directly in front of me to protect me from falling because I was going so wild, I probably WOULD have tried to walk over a head or two to the front of the stage cause I was feeling them so tough!!! People went Banana’s when they did “Electric Relaxation” as well as “Can I Kick It” and “Find A Way”. All in all their performance was awesome. By far the BEST concert I have ever been to. My only complaint is that they weren’t able (due to time constraints) to do MORE!! I woulda stayed out there half the freakin NIGHT to hear more!!!! I have such great memories attached to Tribe’s music. In a way I grew up to be who I am while listening to their music. So, though I was in LITERAL pain until YESTERDAY because of all of the damn aerobics I did, I don’t care…… I’d do it again…….. there are not many things that I am this intense about and Tribe is one of them……. They know….. I did it for the love.

Love getting down and i love a cool breeze /
Love seein' checks from record companies /
Love lovin' love 'cause i love what I do /
And we do our thing for the one nine two, The Love