This weekend I took a visit to Boston to see my bestie for her birthday.  On deck for my brief trip was a free concert being held at City Hall/Government Center in which the city of Boston was trying to promote diversity in music.  Just like any other free concert they had to team up with an organization to help spread the word.  The organization of choice was Jam’n 94.5 Boston’s only hip-hop and R&B station. 

Now, I’m not sure if this was on purpose or not but 80% of the crowd definitely hadn’t graduated from high school yet!  I could have sworn rival high schools had divvied up the square in some kind of High School Music stand off.  In either case we laid out our blanket sipped on some “libations” and prepared ourselves for what was to be a good evening.

The MC for the occasion, DJ Hustle Simmons kept the crowd engaged with Ricky Ross and other rap music.  Today’s opening act…Young Riot.  Now I’m trying not to knock the hustle of the up and coming rapper but really…. I can’t!  Between the fact that he used everyone else’s beats and rapping so close to the mic you could barely make out what he was saying I needed him to go back to the basics and just hit me with a few bars ACAPELLA.

Next group on deck – Experimental Mind State aka EMS (M-Dot, Revalation, Mayhem, Kore, Strick9, & Desco.) Now they went back to the basics of having one hell of an entourage on stage but still that didn’t do much for the fact that all they really had to say was F the Yankee’s and throw up your 3’s …WOMP!

NEXT and FINALY Ryan Leslie J

Now this was my first time seeing Mr. Leslie perform so I couldn’t wait to hear Gibberish and Diamond Girl specifically.  With him reaching out to the “strong, independent, educated woman” I was READY and could have sworn he was talking to me directly (I kid, I kid). 

Filled with energy Mr. Leslie jumped off the stage immediately and threw himself at the screaming fans.  I think that’s where my excitement ended.  His sound was off and I wondered if it was the fact that I could barely hear him over the base player.  He sang… 

“You’re not my girl”  then…

“Quicksand”

:Clears throat: as they adjust the sound levels.

He sang…

“Diamond Girl”

“Valentine” blended into “I’d rather be with you” blended into  “I want to be your man”

Now at this point I knew it wasn’t the sound guy messing up it was Mr. Leslie himself sounding a bit off. 

He continued…

“I’m addicted to you

“Gibberish”

“Something that I like”

By his last song I was sad.  This was not the same Mr. Harvard that I hear through the radio.  What happened boo?  I promptly tweeted that it wasn’t a good experience and you know what?  Other people replied letting me know this wasn’t the first time.  So what’s REALLY good Ryan?!

So I left.

Oh and by the way the crowd was less interested in Ryan before his set and was WAAAY more interested in some kid named Wiz Khalifa.  I must be out of the loop or getting old. 

Blew my damn mind!  

-DK

My Steez – American Apparel top and skirt.  Deréon gladiator sandals pictured below.

Photo’s courtesy of theELLEfiles