Duck Down Records Concert

After more than five year of not performing in the South Florida area; the Duck Down records crew came back on their southern leg of their fifteen year anniversary tour. The difference this time around they came without Origino Gun Clappaz and Ruck of Heltah Seltah. In their place came new label artists Skyzoo and former Organized Konfusion member and Rawkus recording artist Pharaoh Monch.

First off to perform were some opening acts such as female MC Dynasty who was ok and somebody else who I can't remember and then Duck Down artist Skyzoo. After that Pharaoh Monch came on. He has mastered what it is to put on a show and you could feel his energy. He performed all his new material off his up coming album W.A.R (an acronym for We Are Renegades) and many more including classics such as "Oh No" and finished it off with "Simon Says". Pharoah was amped when he performed his staple song; to the point where he held the mic stand as if it were a sword.

The generals of the Boot Camp Click Smif & Wessum came up next and performed all the hits including my personal favorite "Black Trump". Then Sean Price came on and all three of them got on stage and went back and forth. To end off the night the headliner Buckshot came on and did all the Black Moon classics and did his verses off the 1994 posse cut "Crooklyn" that he did with Special Ed and Masta Ace for the Spike Lee movie of the same name. Buckshot ended the show by saying "We're going to end this tonight. How we started it". The DJ played the intro to Ronnie Laws "Tidal Wave" which is the sample Black Moon used for "Who Got the Props" and then the instrumental to "Who Got the Props" came on. Buckshot gave his all performing his classic and the crowd fed off his energy. I got goose bumps seeing him perform that song! One of my favorite hip hop songs off all time. I hadn't been to Hip Hop show in a long time. Maybe I'm being biased because I've been a fan of Black Moon/BCC since I heard "Who Got the Props" back in late 1993. It was one of the best Hip Hop shows I've been to in years. Seeing that show is a testament to why after 15 years Duck Down records are still around; while other labels have come and gone; especially now in these difficult economic times.

Their success is based on the artists on the label have genuine love for the music which is palpable and also the interaction with the fans. While I waited to go backstage I stood by the merchandise booth and saw how fans in drove bought t shirt, and CDs. Duck Down would throw in a free CD for the purchase of any merchandise.