Reasonable Doubt (Concert Review)

J-Banks · 06-26-2006, 09:54 PM

"Is this Brooklyn's house tonight?"

As Funkmaster Flex warmed up the crowd before Jay-Z's concert-come-tribute last night (Sunday, June 25, 2006) celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his classic debut Reasonable Doubt, it's safe to assume Radio City Music Hall had never heard the phrase before tonight. The venue, not normally associated with shows, proved the perfect set-up for Hov to bring his colossal stage show to reminisce, re-create and re-interpret his first album.

With enthusiasm at a , the curtain was raised to reveal a black-tie, 50-person backing band which included musical director ?uestlove (and his band the Illadelphonics) along with the 30-member "Hustler Symphony Orchestra". After Pain In Da Ass (better known as the "OK, I'm reloaded!" guy) reprised his opening speech on Doubt from the side of the balcony, a 1996 Lexus drove onstage with Hov riding shotgun. Clad in a white suit and dark scarf, the rapper immediately seemed confident and poised, launching into album closer "Regrets". Curiously, he chose to perform Doubt, released 10 years ago to the day, in reverse chronological order (Did he feel more highlights came earlier in the album or was he just saving his most surprising guest for the end of the show?).

Not content to simply recreate the album note for note, many songs switched mid-track to give an entirely different take on established classics, changing genres and re-creating classic Hip-Hop beats. After the original "22 Two's" was performed, the band quickly went into "Can I Kick It?" before Hov doubled the original song and rhymed "44 Four's" a cappella (Don’t believe him? The screens kept a running total). With Snoop's voice on "Murder Was the Case" the sampled chorus for "D'Evils", the ominous sound of "Murder" provided a creepier sonic background than anything found on the album. And in a fitting tribute to his borough, Ol Dirty Bastard's "Brooklyn Zoo" was used to close out "Brooklyn's Finest".

Perhaps even more creative than the sample re-creations, though, were the seamless musical transitions engineered by ?uestlove for many songs that gave a much-added depth to the originals. Highlight "Feelin' It" showcased the band's talents by effortlessly going from the original beat to a re-creation of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Unbelievable", to ragtime to smooth jazz, giving the band a little leeway to jam rarely seen in most live Hip-Hop.

It seemed fitting that given the scope of the event, visuals would play almost as big a role as audio. With five large screens looming above the orchestra, footage alternated between Diamondvision-esque live shots of Jay-Z and images centering on the singer's past and hometown Brooklyn. Nowhere was this more necessary and emotionally impacting than the aforementioned "Brooklyn's Finest", Jay-Z's duet with Notorious B.I.G. While speculation ran rampant over how Hova would approach the song, in the end, he performed both parts with video footage of Biggie doing his parts at the appropriate times.

This being a special night for Jigga, the big question was who would, and wouldn’t, show up to this epic event. While Sauce Money appeared for "Bring it On", any hopes of a Jaz-O/Jigga reunion were quickly dashed by his no-show. However, many of the original participants came through, including Memphis Bleek and Foxy Brown for their parts in "Coming of Age", and "Ain't No N***a", respectively. In the biggest surprise of the night, Beyonce took over Mary J. Blige's part for a jazzy rendition of "Can't Knock the Hustle", appearing onstage to deafening applause.

Given that people were selling their children to go to this show, Jay-Z knew he couldn't just do the 60-minute album and end the night. After a brief intermission, in which Just Blaze and his records replaced the orchestra and a t-shirt and pants replaced Jay-Z's suit, the rapper came out with Memphis Bleek to run through nearly 20 of his classic non-Doubt hits. Appearing more relaxed and spontaneous than his first set, Jay-Z performed medley-style, doing the first verse of every song and giving the crowd as many hits as could fit before curfew. Drawing off every album released since Doubt, the set leaned more toward the rapper's commercial, club-friendly side. While "PSA" and "U Don't Know" were crowd favorites, (The latter strangely showing video of various Kurt Cobain footage throughout the song), it was tracks like "Big Pimpin'", "Money Ain't a Thang", and "I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me)" that dominated the 30-minute set.

Jay-Z clearly let you know who was running the concert, killing beats sometimes seconds after they started playing and arbitrarily deciding to go a capella on tracks like "Imaginary Player", and “"N***a What, N***a Who". The spur-of-the-moment feel of the set only enhanced the energy of the sold-out crowd, who knew the lyrics so well, Hova could've slipped on a lyric or two and it would have been barely noticeable. On "Big Pimpin'", the rapper didn't even have to rhyme, playfully standing on stage while the crowd turned the track into a karaoke joint. It was a memorable moment, not just for showing the power and ubiquitousness the rapper still enjoys, but for the dedication so many people feel to someone in an industry dominated by short lifespans.

Zhiwai · 06-26-2006, 10:01 PM

Props on this

DaMnNn ItZz jOhN · 06-26-2006, 10:03 PM

pr0ps sounds gooood.

da_kid_LT · 06-26-2006, 10:05 PM

damn seems like the concert was crazy..... IMO Jay's the best to eva do it

The Die · 06-26-2006, 10:17 PM

propz..................

Euro_Boi · 06-26-2006, 10:49 PM

propsssssssssssssss.....

TRK · 06-26-2006, 11:13 PM

propz on da info

Young Nicks · 06-26-2006, 11:20 PM

THats the tightest album he came out with and the only one he didn't jack on....

hasan · 06-26-2006, 11:20 PM

aight propz

structure7070 · 06-26-2006, 11:22 PM

los tmy respect for Jay when i heard that song "Im not a biter im a writer" download that shit

alkasmolik43 · 06-26-2006, 11:49 PM

propz, shit sounded hot

CANNONS*TP09* · 06-27-2006, 12:13 AM

i got a video of this.......

nyfinest232 · 06-27-2006, 12:22 AM

damn i wish i went

sprint320 · 06-27-2006, 12:25 AM

propz on news

GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww · 06-27-2006, 01:00 AM

propzzz, GAY-Z

T.Giddy · 06-27-2006, 01:10 AM

propzzzzzzzzz

Billydakid82 · 06-27-2006, 01:59 AM

props my boy went

kevin413 · 06-27-2006, 09:44 AM

it musta been a good ass concert. man jay-z still makin money off a album that came out 10 years ago

Spike S.S.K. · 06-27-2006, 11:44 AM

propz on this
this album is a classic, and should be honored the same way as all those other classics are. One of the few albums ever made where seriously every single track is good

Young Prodigy · 06-27-2006, 12:03 PM

Jay-z>>BIG

Just my opinion

Now Thats Gangsta!!

Retired. · 06-27-2006, 12:08 PM

sounded like a crazy concert
props

GBaller 101 · 06-27-2006, 12:29 PM

propz mayne

ShadySoldier · 06-27-2006, 01:28 PM

propzz. sounds like it was hott. i wanna see some clips or something.

yayos_home · 06-27-2006, 11:55 PM

propz but i do know jay wanna comeback into rapping

leb · 06-28-2006, 08:09 AM

propz soundz hot .. damn thatz a good idea makin a concert 4 a album datz 10 yrz old

06-26-2006, 09:54 PM	#1
J-Banks Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 21,015 Repped: 5,294 Repped 53,425 Times in 7,839 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Neg Reps: 53 Neg Repped at 93 Times in 86 Posts	Reasonable Doubt (Concert Review) Reasonable Doubt (Concert Review) "Is this Brooklyn's house tonight?" As Funkmaster Flex warmed up the crowd before Jay-Z's concert-come-tribute last night (Sunday, June 25, 2006) celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his classic debut Reasonable Doubt, it's safe to assume Radio City Music Hall had never heard the phrase before tonight. The venue, not normally associated with shows, proved the perfect set-up for Hov to bring his colossal stage show to reminisce, re-create and re-interpret his first album. With enthusiasm at a , the curtain was raised to reveal a black-tie, 50-person backing band which included musical director ?uestlove (and his band the Illadelphonics) along with the 30-member "Hustler Symphony Orchestra". After Pain In Da Ass (better known as the "OK, I'm reloaded!" guy) reprised his opening speech on Doubt from the side of the balcony, a 1996 Lexus drove onstage with Hov riding shotgun. Clad in a white suit and dark scarf, the rapper immediately seemed confident and poised, launching into album closer "Regrets". Curiously, he chose to perform Doubt, released 10 years ago to the day, in reverse chronological order (Did he feel more highlights came earlier in the album or was he just saving his most surprising guest for the end of the show?). Not content to simply recreate the album note for note, many songs switched mid-track to give an entirely different take on established classics, changing genres and re-creating classic Hip-Hop beats. After the original "22 Two's" was performed, the band quickly went into "Can I Kick It?" before Hov doubled the original song and rhymed "44 Four's" a cappella (Don’t believe him? The screens kept a running total). With Snoop's voice on "Murder Was the Case" the sampled chorus for "D'Evils", the ominous sound of "Murder" provided a creepier sonic background than anything found on the album. And in a fitting tribute to his borough, Ol Dirty Bastard's "Brooklyn Zoo" was used to close out "Brooklyn's Finest". Perhaps even more creative than the sample re-creations, though, were the seamless musical transitions engineered by ?uestlove for many songs that gave a much-added depth to the originals. Highlight "Feelin' It" showcased the band's talents by effortlessly going from the original beat to a re-creation of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Unbelievable", to ragtime to smooth jazz, giving the band a little leeway to jam rarely seen in most live Hip-Hop. It seemed fitting that given the scope of the event, visuals would play almost as big a role as audio. With five large screens looming above the orchestra, footage alternated between Diamondvision-esque live shots of Jay-Z and images centering on the singer's past and hometown Brooklyn. Nowhere was this more necessary and emotionally impacting than the aforementioned "Brooklyn's Finest", Jay-Z's duet with Notorious B.I.G. While speculation ran rampant over how Hova would approach the song, in the end, he performed both parts with video footage of Biggie doing his parts at the appropriate times. This being a special night for Jigga, the big question was who would, and wouldn’t, show up to this epic event. While Sauce Money appeared for "Bring it On", any hopes of a Jaz-O/Jigga reunion were quickly dashed by his no-show. However, many of the original participants came through, including Memphis Bleek and Foxy Brown for their parts in "Coming of Age", and "Ain't No N**a", respectively. In the biggest surprise of the night, Beyonce took over Mary J. Blige's part for a jazzy rendition of "Can't Knock the Hustle", appearing onstage to deafening applause. Given that people were selling their children to go to this show, Jay-Z knew he couldn't just do the 60-minute album and end the night. After a brief intermission, in which Just Blaze and his records replaced the orchestra and a t-shirt and pants replaced Jay-Z's suit, the rapper came out with Memphis Bleek to run through nearly 20 of his classic non-Doubt* hits. Appearing more relaxed and spontaneous than his first set, Jay-Z performed medley-style, doing the first verse of every song and giving the crowd as many hits as could fit before curfew. Drawing off every album released since Doubt, the set leaned more toward the rapper's commercial, club-friendly side. While "PSA" and "U Don't Know" were crowd favorites, (The latter strangely showing video of various Kurt Cobain footage throughout the song), it was tracks like "Big Pimpin'", "Money Ain't a Thang", and "I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me)" that dominated the 30-minute set. Jay-Z clearly let you know who was running the concert, killing beats sometimes seconds after they started playing and arbitrarily deciding to go a capella on tracks like "Imaginary Player", and “"N*a What, N*a Who". The spur-of-the-moment feel of the set only enhanced the energy of the sold-out crowd, who knew the lyrics so well, Hova could've slipped on a lyric or two and it would have been barely noticeable. On "Big Pimpin'", the rapper didn't even have to rhyme, playfully standing on stage while the crowd turned the track into a karaoke joint. It was a memorable moment, not just for showing the power and ubiquitousness the rapper still enjoys, but for the dedication so many people feel to someone in an industry dominated by short lifespans. __________________ JBanksblog.com - check it out __________________

06-26-2006, 10:17 PM	#5
The Die bruburuburu Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Colombia Posts: 6,557 Repped: 688 Repped 540 Times in 301 Posts Neg Reps: 158 Neg Repped at 154 Times in 126 Posts	propz.................. __________________

06-27-2006, 12:29 PM	#22
GBaller 101 Fuck You Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Diamond City Posts: 18,736 Repped: 409 Repped 1,154 Times in 208 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz mayne __________________ damianjv.blogspot.com check it out!

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06-26-2006, 10:01 PM	#2
Zhiwai G_unit_soldier_Chang Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 9,469 Repped: 15 Repped 49 Times in 8 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props on this

06-26-2006, 10:03 PM	#3
DaMnNn ItZz jOhN Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 11,930 Repped: 302 Repped 5,025 Times in 439 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 3 Posts	pr0ps sounds gooood.

06-26-2006, 10:05 PM	#4
da_kid_LT Bajan Shotta Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Crooklyn Posts: 1,409 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	damn seems like the concert was crazy..... IMO Jay's the best to eva do it

06-26-2006, 10:49 PM	#6
Euro_Boi Governor Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 31 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propsssssssssssssss.....

06-26-2006, 11:13 PM	#7
TRK Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 2,843 Repped: 641 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz on da info

06-26-2006, 11:20 PM	#8
Young Nicks $ C4RRYIN6 MY$3LF $ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Anderson,SC a piece of shit of a city... 864 Posts: 1,617 Repped: 426 Repped 929 Times in 249 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	THats the tightest album he came out with and the only one he didn't jack on....

06-26-2006, 11:20 PM	#9
hasan WEST SIDA Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 12,201 Repped: 8,471 Repped 23 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	aight propz

06-26-2006, 11:22 PM	#10
structure7070 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 155 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	los tmy respect for Jay when i heard that song "Im not a biter im a writer" download that shit

06-26-2006, 11:49 PM	#11
alkasmolik43 tommy gunnz Join Date: May 2004 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 2,604 Repped: 1,174 Repped 4 Times in 3 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz, shit sounded hot

06-27-2006, 12:13 AM	#12
CANNONSTP09 Banned Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ninjaville, The Palace Posts: 2,224 Repped: 338 Repped 93 Times in 34 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	i got a video of this.......

06-27-2006, 12:22 AM	#13
nyfinest232 Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,288 Repped: 1 Repped 1 Time in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	damn i wish i went

06-27-2006, 12:25 AM	#14
sprint320 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,194 Repped: 143 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz on news

06-27-2006, 01:00 AM	#15
GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,150 Repped: 0 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propzzz, GAY-Z

06-27-2006, 01:10 AM	#16
T.Giddy MuFucken Boss Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 4,239 Repped: 950 Repped 852 Times in 209 Posts Neg Reps: 21 Neg Repped at 28 Times in 24 Posts	propzzzzzzzzz

06-27-2006, 01:59 AM	#17
Billydakid82 Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 93 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	props my boy went

06-27-2006, 09:44 AM	#18
kevin413 Veteran Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Broad View Park Fort Lauderdale, FL 954 Posts: 6,631 Repped: 3,823 Repped 13 Times in 5 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	it musta been a good ass concert. man jay-z still makin money off a album that came out 10 years ago

06-27-2006, 11:44 AM	#19
Spike S.S.K. Strength & Honor Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 10,000 Repped: 4,022 Repped 2,377 Times in 237 Posts Neg Reps: 8 Neg Repped at 25 Times in 15 Posts	propz on this this album is a classic, and should be honored the same way as all those other classics are. One of the few albums ever made where seriously every single track is good

06-27-2006, 12:03 PM	#20
Young Prodigy The Gho$t Writer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lauderdale(Fuck who aint feeling the south) Posts: 833 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Jay-z>>BIG Just my opinion Now Thats Gangsta!!

06-27-2006, 12:08 PM	#21
Retired. 2D GFX Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ya know Posts: 5,045 Repped: 245 Repped 255 Times in 121 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	sounded like a crazy concert props

06-27-2006, 01:28 PM	#23
ShadySoldier BxX FiNEST * Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 317 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propzz. sounds like it was hott. i wanna see some clips or something.

06-27-2006, 11:55 PM	#24
yayos_home Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 615 Repped: 121 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	propz but i do know jay wanna comeback into rapping

06-28-2006, 08:09 AM	#25
leb Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 15,231 Repped: 6,936 Repped 165 Times in 29 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz soundz hot .. damn thatz a good idea makin a concert 4 a album datz 10 yrz old