Finale show was last night in LA - and it was truly special. I shit on shiny suits back in the late 90s, and I laughed really hard at "10 years from now we'll still be on top" but I still was secretly into all the Puff and Mase hits. It's funny to even think that had to be sorta secretive in 97-98. Anyway.

Puffy is a smart man who realizes he can't carry a show. He's just not a great live performer. He let the songs be the star. It was most obvious when he opened with Victory - which is a great opener to a show but 2/3 of the song was people who werent there so it was lacking. He did Bad Boy for Life and then brought out Nas for Hate Me Now, then Mase to get into Can't Nobody Hold Me Down and Been Around the World. Hits right off the bat.

Then he just carouseled through Bad Boy & related artists for the next 2+ hours -

112 (It's Over Now, Dance with Me, Peaches and Cream, Anywhere)
Total (Trippin, No One Else, What You Want, Kissin You)
The Lox (Last Day, We Gonna Make It, I Get High, Knock Yourself Out, Wild Out)
Carl Thomas (Summer Rain, I Wish)
Faith Evans (No Other Love, I Love You, You Gets No Love, You Used to Love Me, Can't Believe, Soon as I Get Home)
French Montana (a buncha stuff I dont really know)
Lil Kim (Quiet Storm Remix, Big Momma Thing, No Time, Get Money, Lighters Up)

Then Puff came back out promising that the night was gonna start getting legendary, as if it hadn't been already. He jumped into a couple of his own songs, mainly focusing on just the beat and hook (again, smart guy) - I Need A Girl, brought out Mase to do Feels So Good...then said he was gonna bring out some guests.

Mary J Blige came out to Real Love and people lost their shit. She did Be Happy and a few others.

DMX came out for about 10 minutes and tore the house DOWN - Ruff Ryder Anthem, What They Really Want, Party Up, etc. Crazy energy.

Then Puff said he loves RNB and baby making music. A Jodeci logo flashed briefly, but then Puff disappeared and Dre and Snoop came up from the floor to Tha Next Episode. The moment of Dre, Snoop, and Puff together on a stage wasn't lost on the crowd (who was just losing it the ENTIRE time). Dre asked if he could leave, and Puff said NOPE and they did Still D.R.E - after which Puff gave nothing but respect to Dre and Snoop for everything they've done for hip hop.

Jodeci came out to do a few songs. They...didn't sound great, but it was cool to see them nonetheless.

And then Puff and Mase came back out to do the rest of the hits with guests from the rest of the show - Love Like This (with Faith), Only You (with 112), Can't You See (with Total), Woah (with Black Rob), All the Way Up (with French Montana), All About the Benjamins (with Lil Kim) and then EVERYONE came out to do I'll Be Missing You.

Hypnotize played while we walked out.

I always wanna hate on these nostalgia tours but...this was fucking legendary.

loudest the crowd was all night.

unfortunately i'm not caked up enough to just fly outta town to see a show.

like I did, you messed up.


Y'all probably don't care about Fishbone and I don't care about Puffy and Mase and 112


Faith Evans is legend and Carl Thomas is quality but they ain't enough for me to sit through all that....mess.

so that's that

... right next to a coupla cans of Krylon with graf tips, a notpad and pen with lyrics, and a Madden 93 Genesis cart.


---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

but starting with Victory and ending with We'll Be Missing You is melodramatic

I cant reiterate enough how bad Jodeci was

is different from what outsiders may expect, yet, it's still L.A. Meaning, some folks may think that the tour wouldn't succeed here, if they're stuck in the whole "East Coast West Coast" shit that never really was an issue for real. Even "Notorious" shitted on us and I didn't like that. But L.A. has always loved Bad Boy.

Yet.....we STILL feel like "this Westside, tho!" I walk up outside, and 92.3 is playing "Ain't no fun" and a few Pac songs. Then I see several folks with Death Row and 2Pac shirts on...basically like "yeah I'm here, but you know who I still ride for." - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CuBwXEdVUAAsOqf.jpg

Respect.

all my friends raved how great it was. :(

DMX easily had the biggest reaction of the night. He could have just took over the show if he wanted. When he was walking off I could see Swizz in his ear on some "I TOLD YOU you go this!" I loved the show and was happy to see my son Murda do his thing. I'm made we didn't get more Ma$e records to be honest. NOTHING from the second album which makes sense I guess. I would have lost it if he did Get Ready. Faith owned the stage every time she touched it. My favorite Kim moment was her performing Queen Bitch. BOTH VERSES. I spitting along to every bar. 112 was catching bodies too. Total came through on the low to crush the buildings.

We also got Designer and Milly Rock...take from that what you will.

Oh and Busta was there for Victory. And Pass the Courvoi...I mean Ciroc this way.

She came back and said it was the best concert of her life. Couldn't imagine a more fun line-up for folks our age.




**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

.

Bad Boy had a strong run and Puffy rather people want to admit it or not he was running the game 20 years back for a while.

Puffy is a Great marketer and he branded things better than anyone else in the Rap Game in the 90's, he learned from Death Row's fumble and paved the way for Jay Z and baby Williams,etc,

Puffy made shiny catchy and I dont even roll with Fluffy and his shady ways, however he understood the ringleader role