Summerstage pt. I - Q-Tip!

What season is better than summer? What's better than a free concert?... What in the world could be better than a free concert in the summer???

Last month I had the amazing experience of seeing Hip-Hop legend, Q-tip, rocking live. Chester French opened and did an okay job... but everyone was there for the ATCQ leader. This was my second time seeing him perform... (first time opening for Common at Nokia Theater Times Square) and it was even better than the first! Something about the outdoor vibe mixed with hot sun made it more intimate than a dark room with flashing lights.

I've had Q-Tip's most recent album, The Renaissance, on heavy rotation since it dropped in November, '08. It's the first Q-Tip album I ever really listened to and imo it's one of the best for '08 and so far '09... and most certainly ever! Hearing those tracks live made me appreciate his artistry even more. People have questioned Q-Tip's relevance to the current state of music, but his album stuck to its title, bringing it back to the music... minus the bling and the swag (THANKS!).

Q-Tip had his mother on stage; played a tambourine while rapping; gave a tribute to MJ for his song "Move", which samples the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine"; went back into his older hits; was joined by Diddy on stage to dance to "Vivrant Thing"; jumped into a "Tribe" set, performing all the classics... and as if that wasn't enough, he walked through the crowd, pushing his bodyguards away, so that the audience could join him in singing "Life is Better".





That, my friends, is a true artiste!