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Kanye West can't be upstaged by famous friends
12/05/2005 2:23 AM, Reuters
Craig Rosen
50 Cent is lighting up
movie houses, but Saturday night at the Gibson Amphitheatre,
Kanye West proved that he's hip-hop's brightest star: His
100-minute set showed the sophistication and class so often
missing from rap shows.
And he didn't do it alone. Since this stop on his "Touch
the Sky" tour was in Los Angeles, West was able to line up some
headline-grabbing guest stars. Most notably, Academy Award
winner Jamie Foxx reprised his role on the recorded and video
version of the chart-topping "Gold Digger," recreating lines
from Ray Charles' classic "I've Got a Woman," and later managed
to slip in a plug for his own upcoming album. Also reprising
their recorded roles were diva supreme Patti LaBelle on "Roses"
(she appears uncredited on the album), Maroon5's Adam Levine on
"Heard 'Em Say" and rapper Common on "Get 'Em High."
Lesser-known up-and-coming MCs GLC and Consequence also lent a
hand, yet it was West who ultimately was the star of the show.
A few songs following Foxx's exit from the stage -- after
he played human beatbox during West's freestyle segment and
joined in on a meandering tribute to slow jams -- West returned
solo with his tour de force, "Jesus Walks." Dressed in a white
suit, West delivered the rap about personal and urban struggle
with such charisma that he topped his performance with Foxx and
cut across denominational lines to make even skeptics true
believers.
West's production and presentation also were first-rate.
The show opened with a video version of a skit from his album
about a fraternity of "flat broke" young men. When a drill
sergeant-like character questions why West appears to be
smiling, he responded that he "wants to touch the sky," which
segued perfectly into the Curtis Mayfield classic "Move on Up"
and West's Mayfield-sampling "Touch the Sky."
While detractors can argue that West -- like many hip-hop
performers -- relies too heavily on sampling other artists'
hits, he's smart enough to realize that a DJ mixing records
doesn't make for an interesting show. Sure, West's set
prominently featured DJ 8-Track, but there also was a live
string section, percussionist, keyboardist and a pair of
backing vocalists bringing the samples to life.
West also employed props to help dramatize his music,
including a bed, night table and alarm clock for "Late" and a
hospital bed for "Roses," a tribute to his grandmother. The
show worked best when it stuck to the thematic script.
Openers Keyshia Cole and "American Idol" winner Fantasia
Barrino both need to work out some kinks before reaching
headlining status. Cole has the potential to be the missing
link between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige, but at times her
vocal gymnastics were annoying. Barrino performed some
Prince-like funk numbers before launching into a cover of
"Purple Rain" and a set-closing rendition of Aerosmith's "Dream
On." She performed with the spunk of a young Tina Turner, but
at times her histrionics seemed forced.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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