Jam Master Jay Tribute Concert Hits NYC

Last night I was lucky enough to attend one of the best concerts, for one of the best causes, to hit New York City in some time. It was a Jam Master Jay tribute concert, with the J.A.M Awards, created by Jay’s wife Terry Corley-Mizell and the Jam Master Jay Foundation to honor certain members of the hip-hop community for their outstanding contributions to social justice, the arts, and music (J.A.M.). While honorees included Wyclef Jean and Chuck D (who both weren’t in attendance), among others, it was the concert itself that brought the burbs and the hood together at Hammerstein Ballroom to honor Jay’s memory.

After an intro by DMC and Terry Corley-Mizell, Kid Capri took to the stage and brought out De La Soul. They ripped through tracks like “Buddy” and “Stakes is High” before exiting stage left so that Mobb Deep could rock sans the H.A.V.O.C. Instead, Prodigy, flanked by Big Noyd and what seemed like the entire Queensbridge in “Free P” shirts (because Prodigy will soon be heading off to jail on a gun charge, rocked a twenty minute set that saw him go through tracks like “Give Up The Goods,” “Keep It Thoro,” and “Shook Ones.” As for Hav’s absence, Prodigy said Hav just couldn’t make it. Perhaps there’s more to that story.

Then the hip-hop generation’s Bill Cosby, Reverend Run, took to the stage for what seemed like a rather short cameo. I thought he’d have something profound to say considering the fact that Jay was his DJ, but all he really did was introduce Long Island’s finest, EPMD (Erick and Parrish Making Dollars, for the young folks out there). Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith looked rejuvenated on stage, and performed “You Gots To Chill” and “Headbanger,” among others. When LL entered stage left during their set, the crowd went crazy and the flashes from camera phones lit up the venue.

The evening’s highlight was when big Snoop Dogg hit the stage. He came out rocking a dookie rope chain, fedora, and Adidas sweatshirt and performed Run DMC’s hit “Sucker MC’s,” which DMC himself got on the stage to spit the last verse for. Then the Doggfather entertained the crowd with “Gin and Juice,” “Nuthin But a ‘G’ Thang,” and “187,” before captivating the audience with “The Next Episode” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Earlier in the day, Snoop spoke to Sucker Free exclusively, and said, “Jam Master Jay was a real cat, somebody who I was personally inclined with, so any time his wife and the people come and ask me to be a part of this, it’s nothing. I get a chance to rock with DMC tonight so I get to act out my dream of being Run.”

Following Snoop was a J.A.M. music award given out to Wyclef by Biz Markie and Marley Marl, but Clef wasn’t there to receive it. So M.O.P. hit the stage and performed “Ante Up,” and “Cold As Ice.” Following the Brooklyn brawlers, former House of Pain front man Everlast came on with Cypress Hill producer/DJ Muggs, and proceeded to play electric guitar over drum breaks, and sing a to bunch of songs that this crowd of hip-hoppers didn’t know. He even did a Johnny Cash song! It was a welcome bit of rock during a night of hip-hop.

It seemed like a half hour passed before Dead Prez came on to do “Hip-Hop.” Papoose followed, but even after performing the exhausting “Alphabetic Slaughter” a capella, he could barely get a rise out of a crowd that was too tired and too drunk to clap for his mixtape hits. Jim Jones and Juelz Santana came out, performed “We Fly” and other Dip Set material, then Raekwon ran through some Wu-Tang classics before the night ended.

The show was long and exhausting, but only because there were so many acts billed. And that’s not a bad thing. It was actually rewarding to know and actually see what Jam Master Jay meant to these artists. Plus the line to get in stretched all the way down 34th street. So Jay’s memory lived on for another day last night, and the J.A.M. Awards and tribute concert just cemented his legacy even that much more in the hearts of hip-hop fans.