>I feel sorry for Canibus. I wish I was there to see it.
>Ironically enough, he had a song on his mixtape where he was
>at the grammy's sitting behind Mos Def and the Roots and
>shouted everybody from Okayplayer out on the song. Oh well.
> Props for inviting him though.

Well actually they didn't invite Canibus. I brought him down. My little sister (Meleni (meleni.com), a new rock/soul/pop artist on Columbia bout to come out that's also featured on the new Hitch soundtrack) opened up for Wyclef at the Vibe/Spin Party so i took my homegirl over there to check out my lil sis b4 coming to the jam session. After Mel performed I went backstage and i ran into the lyrical beast himself. I walked up on him and started tellin him how i thought he was truly one of my favorite lyricists of all time and how i could never figure out how they dropped the ball on him. Plus I went on to tell him that he definitely needs to be out there now and how i'd love to see him do well and would be honored to help him get to where he needs to be with my resources .....blah..blah...blah...

So he and I started hangin for the next bit of time shootin the shit and all. I introduced him to Meleni and my homegirl (Yaya) and some of our peoples and he introduced me to Clef and a few of his peoples. He's a funny, cool, interesting dude. We was clownin'!!

So we hung backstage for a bit and I told him I was leaving to go to the the Roots Jam Session joint and he asked about it. I told him it'd be the hottest shit and all the REAL hot MCs would probly be there and how it'd be a dope crowd of people and was tellin him how it'd actually be a real good look if he went. So then he wanted to go but he was like Wyclef MIGHT call him up on stage and he should probly be there if he does. So I told him we'd wait for a sec and see what's up. So Clef came on and and we watched a coupla songs and were ready to go so I went to Bus and was like "Yo we're leaving!" "Now?", he said. And I told him yeah. And he was like "FUK IT, I'M GOIN WITH YALL!" and bounced with us.

So me, Mel, Yaya, and Canibus hop in the rental and roll over to the joint. They were on some serious NOBODY's getting in bullshit and for those of yall that know me yall know i know the game like the back of my hand so I start to analize the situation and try to figure out how to get us in. So I know a few of the PR heads behind the ropes but they on some, Forrest I can't do nothin but u know i would if I could shit (cuz you never wanna be the one to shade a promoter who MIGHT have some shit u tryna get into real soon). But they tell me who I gotta talk to. GAME TIME!! I tell the lady I'm one of the promoters for the event and I got Yaya from America's Next Top Model AND Canibus with me and we need to get in and blah blah. She gives me the REAL NICE, sorry but we can't let ANYONE else in game and i'm like YO It's FUKIN CANIBUS!! She's like I know who he is and he's great but we had to turn JAY Z AWAY (definitely a LIE cuz it's almost ILLEGAL to turn Jay away ANYWHERE in the US). I see Tina (Roots road manager or something) and she shades me HARD (granted she doesnt REALLY know who i am, but I was salty cuz she gave me the "I won't even walk over there and speak to you, talk to the hand sign)! WOW! Whatever though. I DO THIS so I understand and I'm cool with it. I get the other lady's attn again and convince her that I spoke to Thought earlier in the day and told him I had Canibus with me and how he BEGGED me to bring him down (all lies) and she eventually lets us in.

Now I feel like I'm Canibus' manager or something at this point since I've CONVINCED him to leave Clef's show and roll to this joint- so now i have to see to it that he DEFINITELY ROCKS. We both immediately run into Thought and he nonchalantly tells him that he'll be able to get on later. A few of the bands are rockin and then they FINALLY start puttin on the All Stars so I take Bus back stage. Glenn rocks, Musiq rocks, Anthony rocks, Mos Rocks, Woods rocks and now time is winding down (wack ass 2 o'clock LA). It's like 1:55 and Quest is getting off the drums and i'm like OH SHIT!! Fiona gets on and starts doin her thing and i start tryna get Thought's attention to remind him that the big lil man HIMSELF was in the building and hadnt rocked yet. Someone mentions it to him first and at the same time someone is in his other ear saying how it's 2AM and they HAVE to cut shit off. But i can see that Thought is gonna give him at least a LIL shine and as soon as Fiona's done I tell Bus to get a mic and go toward the front of the stage....

Now I remember a while b4 Bus got on he was in my ear sayin shit like "yo fuk all these instruments and shit, that shit is too loud. I just wanna rock acapella" and I'd be like well nah keep the music, but just have them drop shit out a lil bit and when it's appropriate YOU be the MD and when you got some ill shit to say have Quest let you rock acapella. But do it musically, ya know (cuz i didnt want him to be a BUZKILL like how India Arie was at the Black Eyed Peas Tsunami benefit joint a few nights earlier).

I guess i shoulda known he wasnt really listening cuz he was real anxious and shit when he got out there and was ready for Quest to dead the beat immediately. It was kinda funny. I felt kinda bad cuz on the real, Canibus kills almos ALL of your favorite MCs- HANDS DOWN. If he had guidance and direction and good management and good beats he could make a 5 mic album- EASILY! But i was dissapointed cuz although he was still ill, he didn't spit his tightest of verses (especially not tight enuf to be demanding Questlove get OFF the drums I mean come on) and he really didnt recognize his audience and rhyme accordingly. I was thinkin, dude, you got Mos Def and Black Thought sittin behind you listening so you gotta spit some profound shit instead of the run of the mill battle rhyme shit. Whatever. What topped it off is he then asked Quest to come back on (which he did) and continued a lil bit till Mos and Thought jumped in and cut him off.

Whatever. Ya live and you learn....i hope....he's still an ILL ASS MC and I think he still has the potential to be a star.

Just a lil funny background story on Canibus' addition to the show. Thought yall might like it.....

Check this out:
Prince Tribute Party
featuring live Prince song renditions from (so far for sure) Cee-Lo Green, Lyfe, Peven Everett, YahZarah, Alia Marie, Anthony Mills, Alice Smith, Rob Muraat-plus a shitload of other heavy hiters...definitely worth