Guest Blogger: Axiom

Axiom, one of the 12 competitors from the First Annual HHK Championship is here to guest on the blog... take it over Ax:



The final countdown is here, baby bubbas. Leave your strobelite honies at home, powder up your Similac winners. The moment we’ve all be waiting for is right around the corner. As Busta might say, “There’s only five [days] left!!!!!!!!”

Okay, we all have our favorite live shows that we’ve seen over the years. My all-time favorite was the Victory tour, September 1984 in Philly, which was my first concert ever. The crowd was very big (60,000 strong I later learned); I was very small. But for this blog entry, now that I’m large and in charge, I only want to hear about memories of your favorite hip-hop concerts. Pick three, I guess. Tell me about the story surrounding the concert or the concert itself, whatever.

My two favorite stories both involve the same group. There was a time when I was a Roots concert junkie. I remember catching glimpses of them having bucket ciphers on South Street back when they were the Square Roots. (I always thought it must be an American hip-hop no-no to to call yourself “square” anything; that’s why they had to get their first major burn overseas.) When I went away to college, I went from casually enjoying The Roots to actively seeking them out. A handful of us arranged to have them come perform at my tiny New England college. I worked “security” backstage at the show, stage right the whole time, just watching their performance up close. I don’t think my lightweight self provided too much in the way of real security. After the show, while I was helping to break down the instruments, ?uestlove chatted with me and signed a Roots T-shirt for me.

Last but not least, I remember seeing The Roots perform at the Bowery Ballroom when the song “You Got Me” was very popular. I got in because my homie worked for a label and had an extra ticket. We stood down near the front. The show is memorable to me for two main reasons: 1. I saw Jill Scott perform “You Got Me,” which she wrote, for the first time. I guess Erykah couldn’t make it for whatever reason. Jill brought the house down. 2. It turns out The Roots were recording their live album that night, The Roots Come Alive. It’s unique to be able to relive the whole show every time I pop in my Come Alive cassette.

So, tell me about some of your favorite concerts. I’ve gone to my fare share of NYC free summer concerts – but I’m sure a native New Yorker can expound better on the topic. Or maybe a Canadian can tell me some stories about dope shows out in B.C. Let us know!

- Axiom