Mos Def + Talib Kweli - House of Blues (Boston, MA; Sept. 8, 2009)

Boston truly is a hip-hop town, a truth proved at the House of Blues with Mos Def and his extravaganza tour in support of The Ecstatic. As one who still has not fully embraced Mos Def’s previous album True Magic, I was most pleased with the new material. But this pales in comparison to the anticipation of having Talib Kweli join Mos for a Black Star RE:union.

For the past few years, Guerilla Union has been offering the strongest and most consistent hip-hop shows. The blistering line-ups of the Rock the Bells tour make them a premier production outfit, and the Paid Dues festival proved their commitment to independent forms. With this, I was glad to see the opening set by Jay Electronica. His “Stairway to Heaven” length opus “Eternal Sunshine” has attracted much buzz. As Jay sings, “I took Eternal Sunshine and I looped it/No drums no hook just new shit” which should make any college film major go apes. What did happen was Jay opening the set with much self-depreciation and a Dixie Cup sloshing with Jack Daniels. His posture was humble, but his overall presence weak and sloppy. Calls for a blunt to calm his nerves were answered enthusiastically, and two folks were hoisted over the crowd barrier to help the situation. Continual calls for Red Sox cheers and Yankees boos became tired, and a breathing-break to “I Love Rock and Roll” were forced, but his charm did win over the audience. Maybe it’s the warm, New Orleans smile, or nodding shouts to his lady as he asks to “call Badu and get Tyrone on the Megaphone.” The strength of Jay is his layered lyricism, and that works best for him on polished recordings. Yet when he cuts the beat out, bends down for the front row, he fully delivers crisp lines that reminded me why Mos picked him for the tour and upcoming Simpatico collaboration.

With barely a pause, Talib Kweli belted out a superb set filled with Reflection Eternal gems and more recent singles from Eardrum. Non-stop, fully-enunciated, and marching all over the stage, Talib acted as hip-hop general ready to move the masses back to conscious music. This wasn’t some super serious MC though, as humorous flashes punctuated the show, especially with a freestyle over Black Rob’s “Woah.” The set jumped from classic Quality into snippets from Liberation, all with an unassuming manner that showed complete control of the music and the crowd. While the styles might switch up, even offering a reggae set and Bob Marley sing-along, each song felt impassioned. This is a man who knows his message, and holds firm to how he wants to be received. He sure was, making sure we “didn’t come here for baseball” but for a seriously strong performance. This is all that I can give, since my notes became so disjoined from forgetting about this review and throwing myself into the music.

Darkening the stage, Mos Def took behind a drum set to pound out the first song of his set. Right from The Ecstatic, he rhymed over top of his sparse beats. It worked well for “Ghetto Rock,” and demonstrated why Mos is an elastic ambassador for hip-hop. His resume reads like a novel, finding success in music, on stage, and in film. However, almost everything done that night felt like a lead-in for Talib to rush the stage to shouts of “1,2,3!”

The new album was well known, audience filling in at the right times, and great production. Using a 1960s styled mic, Mos draped the cord over his hand to channel the spirit of a Motown crooner. The hypnotic repetition that opens “Casa Bey” was a great moment, with Mos slip-shuffling to the beat. Again, the promise of Talib was foreshadowed in the song’s line, “legendary and silent Black Star shining.”

And we were not disappointed. 

I cannot say just how much the Black Star album means for most people, but the reaction to Mos and Talib together on stage to run through “Respiration,” and “RE:DEFintion” proved that this is a magical piece of hip-hop. Transforming the crowd into a seething mass of fist pumps, these songs offer stellar wording, textured samples, and infectious beats that sound fresh as they did a decade ago. 

And then the air was let out.

It was a clear case of The Roots Effect, when a hip-hop show takes a detour into slightly more experimental territory. That’s when Black Thought is silenced to permit a 30-minute rendition of Dylan’s “Masters of War.” Good politics but makes the audience head to the bar. Mos’ Michael Jackson tribute of “Rock with You” and “Billie Jean” was a nice bit, but not ecstatic. Covering parts of “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” just does not carry the weight of “Ms. Fat Booty.” The DJ, realizing the mood, even asked if there were more than ten people in the place, since that’s what it sounded like. 

That’s the messy brilliance of Mos Def. He’s an amazing artist, but his chameleon work dilutes the power of the music. Still, on the walk home I was pleased with the night. Really, Mos is amazing live. It’s just that the crowd let down the energy once Talib made his final exit. The anticipation and fulfillment was too much to be sustained by “U R The One.”

My verdict: run on out and get that album, and Philly and Baltimore better fill out the last concerts of the tour. You will not be disappointed.

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