[Previous entry: "Black Eyed Peas make rousing Malaysian debut"]
05/27/2004: "A cool bunch of rapping Peas"
Hip-hop and rap no longer just spell gun-totting gangstas and hedonistic musicians flashing their bling-blings, THAM AI MEI realises after savouring a funky evening with the chart topping Black Eyed Peas on Wednesday night in Kuala Lumpur.
The odd thing about the Black Eyed Peas’ (BEP) inaugural concert at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort indoor arena was the presence of countless under-12 kids who were bobbing non-stop to the music, accompanied by their parents, of course. Standing tirelessly in front of the stage were plenty of teenagers and adults alike, and most of the girls were garbed in their best hip-hop gear complete with cargo pants and tank tops.
The atmosphere was heated up the instant local favourite hip-hop duo Too Phat bounded on stage at approximately 8.20pm. To appease the anxious crowd, the talented rappers showed off most of their favourite hits while bringing on the full force of their back-up dancers. Street dancing was displayed in all its glory as the nubile dancers flipped and somersaulted effortlessly to the groovy beats, gradually setting the funky mood for the night.
The lights soon dimmed and the crowd’s anticipation rose to a crescendo. The lights came on again soon after and the pumped-up BEP members of Will.I.Am, Apl.d.Ap, Taboo and the gorgeous Fergie were finally on stage. Geared up in their signature understated cropped cargoes and vests, the funk masters looked exactly as they do in their music videos. The group launched immediately into the up-tempo, quickstepping fast-rap of Hands Up, with the three male MCs rapping and bobbing to a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Moving seamlessly onto the next frenetic pace of Hey Mama, the Peas promised a night high on entertainment.The feisty Fergie was her talented and fabulous self; drawing roars of approval every time she shook her booty. Her powerful vocals injected a soulful touch to the songs, marking BEP as a true masters of fusing street-wise funk with soul.
Smells Like Funk came on next and the crowd lapped up the catchy tune as the energetic Peas roamed the stage, working the different sections of the crowd. The pace of the concert went down a notch with the loosely rhymed Fly Away, followed by a burst of freestyle jazzing from the live band. The chief rapper of the group, Will.I.Am, launched himself into a medley of R&B grooves, with loose versions of R&B chart-toppers like Snoop Dogg’s Beautiful. It was sheer magic listening to this fusion of live band music and smooth R&B, and the vibe of the arena was overwhelmingly groovy. The bobbing heads and raised hands fed the band’s energy as they played to the group’s deep funk sounds.
Oh yes, breakdancing is in again too, judging from the crowd’s reactions as each of the three MCs took turns to twirl and spin on the stage. If ever there was a time for a comeback of that 1980s street phenomenon, it’s definitely now because this group makes everything look hip and cool.
Finally, the power-charged group wound down to address its audience.
“Today is definitely a special day, because today is the day that hip hop is in Malaysia!” declared Taboo in his deep voice, drawing a frenzied response from the appreciative crowd. “Today is the day that beautiful people are here!” he continued, after which he launched into another round of freestyle rapping together with rap guru Will.I.Am.
The momentum busied up again with the interestingly arranged Let's Get Retarded. The audience was on a natural high as the soulful rapsters pushed all the right buttons.The blend of soul, funk and R&B never sounded better!
“Are the ladies of Malaysia tired?” teased Will.I.Am as he scoured the audience, drawing an instantaneous “no” from the females.
Suddenly, soul-mama Fergie takes a defensive stance in front of Will.I.Am, cueing the audience on the upcoming song. What other song can it be other than the dramatic break-up piece, Shut Up. The powerhouse vocals of Fergie and Will.I.Am’s gruff rumblebrought the song to life as they played up to the verbal sparring of the tune. The energy and chemistry radiating from the two dynamic performers were awesome to behold – this was almost like Broadway meeting hip-hop! Fergie, the passionate hip hopper, was so immersed in the whole drama of it all that she got down to her knees towards the end of the song.
Later on, groovy R&B met street funk in The Boogie That Be, which was a definite favourite of mine. Effortless collaboration between the members and the tight performance was a true giveaway of the sheer talent of the group at merging different music genres. What followed was the sultry Latin Girls, with the cheeky Fergie gyrating a few rounds to tease her male fans.
As a perfect conclusion to an almost perfect concert, the universal favourite Where Is The Love was played to a crowd that almost deafened themselves with their screams of approval. The feel good vibe was fantastic as the socially conscious lyrics brought about a positive enthusiasm to the waving crowd. Messages of love and peace had never been so clearly sent across. I think almost everyone went home feeling uplifted and recharged.
Source: The Star Online