Saturday night I was lucky enough to hit up the second night of the annual Chicago Rocks hip-hop showcase at the Metro. Put together by the Molemen, this event is a great chance to check out some of the hottest hip-hop artists the city has to offer - and this night was certainly no exception. In addition to long time Chicago favorites like Diverse, Vakill, and Juice; this particular night was anchored by recent breakout star Lupe Fiasco. While most people currently know him as "the other guy" in the most recent Kanye single "Touch The Sky", that should all change as his debut single "Kick, Push" climbs up the charts. He put on a very energetic, if brief, set near the end of the night on Saturday and had the crowd eating up every word. He started things off by rhyming over a couple of Kanye beats ("Sky" and "Diamonds") before switching over to some material from his upcoming Food & Liquor album. He finished up with "Kick, Push" and the crowd went crazy. Rap can always be hit or miss in a live setting, but if this charismatic performance was any indication Lupe's got a long and exciting career ahead for him. Other highlights from the night included a set from Typical Cats' Qwel and one of Just Blaze's favorite young Chicagoans, Naledge (recently signed to the rejuvenated Rawkus). Not to mention the awe-inspiring moves displayed by the legendary Brickheadz crew and some onstage graf artwork. Not only was it a fun night, it went a long way towards proving just how vital and thriving Chicago's hip-hop scene is - we've got a hell of a lot more than just Kanye and Twista to offer the scene.
(By the way, be on the lookout for Lupe's "Kick, Push" video which was filmed not too far from where I live. I never thought I would see a rap video on MTV (ok, MTV2, but still) filmed so close to my own 'hood.)
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