A… E… I… O… U… and sometimes Y
I had to DVR this year’s “Hip-Hop Honors” because of work obligations. But I wasn’t going to miss A Tribe Called Quest, one of this year’s honorees.
Others honored included:
- Missy Elliott: The woman introducing Missy, Kerry Washington (?), started off by saying “You can call Missy lots of things…” Just don’t call her late for dinner. Get it? ‘Cause she’s fat? Aw, never mind.
- “Wild Style”: Released in 1982, this movie showcased hip-hop in its most absolutely pure form. Fans of the Beastie Boys might recognize some of the dialogue (”I heard she’s been giving it to all those graffitti dudes…”).
- New Jack Swing: I loathed New Jack Swing in its heyday, and the music really hasn’t gotten any more tolerable with age. It’s still crappy singing over crappy keyboards over crappy beats. It was nice seeing the late 1980s-era dancing, though.
- Whodini: “The Freaks Come Out at Night.” Need I say more?
- Snoop Dogg: Snoop was the shit back when he first appeared on the “Deep Cover” soundtrack and then on “The Chronic.” But he hasn’t made music worth listening to since he dropped “Doggystyle” back in 1993. And I’m not sure why Harvey Keitel was tabbed to introduce him during the show.
I had to sit through all of that to get to A Tribe Called Quest. You know, the whole “save the best for last” thing. Those of you who read Occasional Potato (my old blog, whose name was taken from a Tribe lyric) know how much I like ATCQ, so I’ll spare you here. Suffice it to say that “The Low End Theory” is the finest hip-hop record of all time.
During the show, Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco performed “Electric Relaxation.” Lupe took the Phife verse and butchered a couple of the lines. Nice going, dumbass. Then Tribe (including Jarobi!) took the stage as the show’s final act and medleyed “Check The Rhime” and “Award Tour.” Check it below:
