Let me set the scene first by listing the Playas in the house: Stylus (and his man Bush Head Ed), Grav508 (did I get the number right?), res1, kawright (oooo, too bad to hear you're engaged...brown skin lady, what cha doing?), sevencents, and NY playas NazDak (long know, no see, Playa!), and Dee Phunk. There's another brother whose screen name I'm forgetting, who was really getting it krunk.<P>Right off the top, lemme say Jaguar killed it. Particularly with the scatting part at the end of "the brother's side of the story" (correct title? hell naw). Not only is her voice is an instrument, but she has an ill theatrical presentation that makes her performance extra-live. (for those of you that wanted some DC hip-hop trivia, the brother who hollered back when Jaguar asked if the people in the back were still with her was Priest da Nomad, a very ill freestyler). And I was feeling the red (sequined?) bodysuit. Meow. <P>By the by, I was able to make out Jaguar's lyrics out the best of everyone. Great enunciation. 9 times out of 10 in a live show, I can't catch all the lyrics for songs I haven't heard prior to the show.<P>Now that I got my Jaguar jocking out of the way, let me also acknowledge Flo Brown, who KILLED it. Great energy and she "rides the beat like an equestrian" (Ras Kass). Scott Storch on the keys was banging something lovely during her set. No idea who the drummer was, but he was holding down fort, too. My favorite joints were the last two...."this is for my sons (suns) who refuse to shine". Sweet. The piece she opened with (something about a "four pound") had a bit too much cursing for me. To paraphrase OC, "every other bar was a cuss". when I heard the lyrics in her later songs, I knew she didn't have to rely on that (profanity is like a lyrical crutch to me). She represented though. Guess she added a few mu'fukkas in the first one so the "ig'nant niggas" would hear her (Lauryn....yo is it ill that I'm using footnotes or what? law skool has me messed up).<P>Anyway, Mercedes held it down for dolo for the jazzyfatnastees fam and did em proud. She hit some lovely notes.<P>Asia came out and blew it up. Also an ill note hitter.<P>3 7000 9 (right name?) also brought the ruckus. The Okayplayer fam up front turned it into a mosh pit. <P>Near the end of the Black Lily set the guitarist for the Lily band dove into the crowd. That was ill.<P>A krunk time was had by all. You know we get em cyssed, Joe.<P>PS: Princess is beautiful <img src="http://www.okayplayer.com/dcforum/Images/wink.gif"><P>PPS: Tank is very sweet, what a nice lady. Now I'm going to have to find that fellow who dissed you and put him in a headlock.<P>Peace,<P>Spirit<BR><a href="http://amphibians.iuma.com">http://amphibians.iuma.com<;/a><BR><a href="http://infiniteloop.iuma.com">http://infiniteloop.iuma.com<;/a><BR>DC hip-hop is on the rise...<P>"High grade when I create beats/if I don't get signed/I'ma be the most dope bum that ever walked the streets" - <BR>Aychell (HL, of Khemystery)<P>"If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it's probably a tool of the conspiracy" - unknown<P>

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com