Review: Icons of Hip-Hop Block Party Concert

If you were ever a fan of classic hip-hop of the 80s, then you probably should have been at the block party this past Sunday. On May 15^th, legendary hip hop artists Dana Dane, Slick Rick and Whodini stopped by The Pageant in St. Louis in part of The Icons of Hip-Hop Block Party Concert Series.

The show displayed the four elements of hip hop: DJ’s, break-dancers, graffiti and emcees.

To the right of the stage, artists were drawing various forms of art. Before the aforementioned acts came to the stage, 100.3 The Beat’s very own DJ Boogie Corleone dj’d throughout pretty much the whole night, playing a mix of old school with the new while people danced and reminisced. The show started with a breakdance battle between two teams between Flying Nuts and
Gateway to Rising Flavors. Gateway to Rising Flavors came out on top. There was also a DJ battle between DJ Who and DJ Lonnie B that went three rounds. DJ Who came out victorious. Then came the first act of the night: Dana Dane.

Dana Dane came out and got the crowd energized and displayed his singing skills with a rendition of “I Like It” by Debarge. He went on to perform his collection of hits from the 80s. He made sure to perform his first hit, “Nightmares,” which the crowd loved. He mentioned to the crowd that he was 50 years old and joked that he went to Dr. California for a procedure to explain his great physique. Truthfully, he went on a diet.

Slick Rick was next to hit the stage. He came out with his signature eye patch and iced out bling. Known for his great storytelling, he rocked the already pumped crowd with a string of hits including “Hey Young Girl,” “Teenage Love,” and the infamous “La Di Da Di.” At the end of his performance, his longtime friend Dana Dane joined him onstage.

The last act to hit the stage was none other than Whodini. From the moment it was announced that Whodini took the stage, the crowd went wild. The energy was through the roof the whole set. The first song they performed was a crowd favorite “One Love.” In between song break, they talked about how they’ve been together for 34 years and are still going strong. They then performed “Freaks Come Out at Night” and they couldn’t leave without performing one of their biggest hits, “Friends.” With the way they performed, there was no doubt that they still got it.

All in all, this concert was for the old school Hi-Hop lover in us all.