Sneaker Pimps, the world touring shoe show that combines elements of hip-hop and urban fashion, made it's way to Philly over the weekend. The event drew a host of talent as well as hundreds of sneaker heads, who packed the Starlight Ballroom on Saturday, August 8th. The tour was started back in 03', and has traveled to over 60 cities with over 200 shows since then. With art installations, contests and walls upon walls of sneakers, there was plenty for attendees to take in, but the some of the show's biggest draws were on stage. With longtime Sneaker Pimps host and Chi-Town native, Dave Jeff, taking the reigns as master of ceremonies, the tour brought with it one of the most impressive hip-hop shows of the year thus far.
Philly's own hip-hop trio of Charlie K, Chris Conway and Kush Shalimar, better known as WrittenHouse, got thing started off right. Combing live instrumentation via Kush's keyboard and Conway's MPC with rhymes from Charlie K., the group is no stranger to the stage nor rocking big shows, and certainly proved the fact to Sneaker Pimps attendees with a fantastic performance.
Joya Bravo's set was next, and it was a bit different to say the least. Starting off by singing Andre 3000's verse from "Rollin" (from the incredibly slept on Dungeon Family group effort, Even In Darkness), the multitalented Brooklynite then switched things up a bit with a few raps, before going out with some impressive violin playing.
The illustrious Seca, better known as Selina Carrera, kept things moving with a solid showing of talent. The young singer/emcee switched from kicking rhymes to hitting high notes effortlessly, and ended up with the Rick Friedrich produced track, "Energy".
Things got a bit interesting when DJ Bear-One took the stage and soon began berating the soundmen for not having things set up right, then getting on the hosts when they tried to calm him down, much to the crowd's amusement. Before the situation could get out of hand, New York by way of Ohio emcee, Stalley, stepped up to the mic. Mistakenly announced as being from Philly, no doubt because of his long beard, Stalley treated the crowd to a number of tracks from his Mad Stalley: The Autobiography, which feature the emcee rocking over beats from Madlib's Shades of Blue album.
Another homegrown act, Bee Eater Records' own Hustle Simmons kept the streak of dope sets alive with a very impressive showing. With emcee Dave Ghetto taking control of the crowd and producer The S Ence serving as hype man, the group got right into it with songs from their self titled 2008 debut as well as their upcoming album, No Days Off.
MC Elixir of the Philadelphia based Scratch Makaniks crew, took the stage for one of the more memorable sets of the night. After a brief introduction and a short showcase of his rhyming skill, Elixir and DJ Rab went into full party mode with a DJ set that included classic material from some of the genre's fallen heroes including Pac, Pun, and Biggie.
D.C.'s Phil Ade' gave the crowd an impressive sampling of his club friendly songs, which combine his skills as an emcee and vocalist. His single "Hollywood" was definitely the highlight of his set, and one of the best performances of the night. Roots affiliates Truck North and Dice Raw took the stage one after another, accompanied by DJ Bear-One. Truck, who is featured on The Roots' 2008 album, Rising Down, is a no-nonsense rhymer with a very strong stage show. Similarly, veteran emcee, Dice Raw, effortlessly rocked the crowd with a set highlighted by his verse from the Roots' track, "Get Busy".
The last act before the headliners took the stage was J. Cole, whose performance was second only to the Clipse. Hailing from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole's resumé is impressive: after going to St. John's University on an academic scholarship and graduating Magna Cum Laude, he became the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Cole's impressive lyricism, high energy and varied subject matter made it easy to see why Hov chose the young rhymer as the cornerstone for his new label.
Taking the stage shortly after midnight, the Clipse showed exactly why they were chosen to be the featured act on the Sneaker Pimps Tour, with arguably the best live hip-hop set the city has seen this year. The Virginia based group, comprised of brothers Malice and Pusha T, have been long praised for their witty word play and street influenced lyrics, gaining a cult following through a series of classic albums and unforgettable mix tapes. Another big element of their success has been their incredible stage show, which has packed venues across the country and around the globe. The Clipse brought a ton of energy to their 45 minute set, which featured a guest appearance from Re-Up Gang member and Philly rapper, Ab-Liva. Incorporating classic material from Lord Willin', Hell Hath No Fury, the We Got It For Cheap mix tapes and their soon to be released album, Till The Casket Drops, Malice and Pusha T put on an absolutely amazing show for the packed audience, and one that won't be soon forgotten.
Hip-hop shows featuring a ton of performances are nothing new, however it's exceedingly rare that everyone gives the crowd a compelling performance. While the Clipse and J. Cole definitely hit it out of the park, each artist that took the stage at Sneaker Pimps was on their A-game, which is no small feat for a show featuring 11 different acts.
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