Alumni Hall was well-equipped for over 1,000 students who came throughout the show. Although the concert started a bit late, there was plenty of food and beverages provided, and students MC Kemmik (Blair Randall '11) and DJ Enzo (Trey Roy '09) got everyone dancing before the other three artists took the stage.
Mississippi-based Big K.R.I.T., who performed first, is not as mainstream as the other two performers, but he served his role as opener well, hyping the audience up for the rest of the concert.
K.R.I.T.'s choruses were easy to sing along to, and his beats had audience members raising their arms in the air. His lyrics, however, were at times too vulgar and comical. The tracks "Sookie Now" and "Rotation" from his free album "Return Of 4Eva" were my favorites from his performance, as they were catchy enough to remember long after the concert.
More people showed for the next performer, Immortal Technique. Coming straight from Harlem, he changed Alumni Hall's vibe without toning down the ongoing party, he reminded everyone that there are issues about Dartmouth, and even Green Key, that need to be addressed.
Technique passionately discussed sexual assault, and told men they need to step up because assault could happen to their mothers, sisters or any other women close to them without them ever knowing it.
Technique also discussed the entitlement problem that occurs at Ivy League institutions and other colleges across the country. He told the audience that Dartmouth students think they know everything and are better than everyone else because they go to a good school. Technique reasoned that there are different types of intelligence, as some people have the balance and agility to excel in athletics, while others have the ability to balance a checkbook.
"Immortal Technique was brilliant, but I think that some of his talent and genius went underappreciated," Jessica Drazenovich '12 said. "I heard countless times in the crowd, That's too deep for Green Key. I just want to have fun.'"
The closing song in Immortal Technique's set, "Dance With The Devil," from his first album "Revolutionary, Vol. 1," was heavy with horrifying and emotional lyrics. The song tells the chilling story of a man who joined a gang and had to rape an innocent woman, who he later finds out is actually his mother. I was blown away by his ability to apply this story to those of so many others around the world.
It was surprising to see people leave the concert when it was time for Talib Kweli, one of my favorite MCs and arguably the most well-known performer of the three. A socially and politically conscious artist, Kweli ushered in a more relaxed vibe to end the concert as he walked on stage with his Brooklyn style, fly shades and hat.
All of the waiting was worth it Kweli was in his element as he jokingly started off the show with R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" in response to evangelist claims that the rapture would occur on May 21.
"Talib took way too long to come out, but in the end he did his thing," Kayasha Lyons '12 said.
Kweli performed tracks from all of his albums, including his work with his contemporary, Mos Def, with whom he formed the rap duo Black Star in 1997.
From his most recent album, "Gutter Rainbows," Kweli performed songs like "I'm on One," which samples "The New Style" by the Beastie Boys. Kweli asked everyone to sing the background "ohs," which made for an enjoyable atmosphere.
Kweli then moved on to some of his classics. As a big fan of Kweli's music, I went crazy and sang every word to "Hot Thing," "I Try," "Get By" and "Lonely People." The performances of each track brought back memories of the first time I heard Kweli, a trendsetter in the hip-hop world. His lyrics are simply on another level above most MCs in the industry.
"I thought Talib gave a sick concert," Janet Kim '13 said
Kweli, like Technique, got into some real talk with the audience, especially when he called out Fox News for being mere entertainment rather than legitimate news in response to claims made on Fox that artist Common was vulgar and negative. Kweli then said that former President George W. Bush fit such a description better than Common did.
"I think [the performers] exposed Dartmouth students to a side of hip-hop that doesn't receive a lot of mainstream attention but that adequately represents issues affecting a population that not many Dartmouth students are familiar with the underserved," Joan Leslie '12 said.
If the world had ended on May 21, at least Dartmouth would have been dancing, learning and listening to great music.
