Many things can be said about the Congress Theater, but you certainly can’t say that they lack the ability to consistently bring in relevant talent, across a wide range of musical genres. This month alone the Congress is hosting artists with styles ranging from Bluegrass to Metal, making November 14th’s Hip Hop Invasion ’08 just one more piece of this Chicago landmark’s musical mosaic.
Featuring Three6 Mafia, Kardinal Offishal, Baby Bash and Ray J, Hip Hop Invasion 08 offers up some pretty heavy hitters from the worlds of Southern rap, Canadian hip-hop and West Coast smooth. Two of these artists are RIAA certified Platinum Award winners, and all of them have reached the top 10 on multiple Billboard charts. So keeping all of that in perspective, I guess that the $40 cover, or $10 per performance, doesn’t seem too unreasonable.
Headlining the event is Memphis Tennessee’s Three6 Mafia. Best known for its contribution to the Hustle & Flow soundtrack and an astounding 2006 Academy Award win for “Hard Out There for a Pimp,” Three6 comes to Chicago riding on the back of the highly successful album Last 2 Walk and it’s single, “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body).” Most recently they received an American Music Award Nomination as Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Rap/Hip-Hop Music.
Toronto, Canada’s Kardinal Offishal first made a name for himself as a producer and guest rapper for fellow northerners Choclair and Rascalz and his talents are displayed on this year’s reggae and dancehall-inflected Not 4 Sale, which features contributions from Rihanna, Estelle and Akon on the club hit “Dangerous.” Kardinal is highly acclaimed amongst his peers and often referred to as Canada’s hip hop ambassador.
Opening the night will be west-coast natives, Baby Bash and Ray J. Both rappers will hit the Congress stage with notable summer jams under their respective belts. Baby Bash’s “Cyclone” features a guest rhyme from T-Pain and beats courtesy of Lil Jon. It was recently certified platinum; selling over 1 million digital downloads.
Ray J’s “Sexy Can I” features Young Berg and definitely shows a lot of R&B influence. It may not be as entertaining as the homemade sex tape he starred in last year, but it has done well on the charts.
Tickets for Hip Hop Invasion ‘08 are open to all ages and on sale at http://www.chitownentertainment.us. Special VIP tickets include exclusive seating and a meet and greet with the artists. The event will be hosted by B96 personalities Stylz and Roman.
So, give it up to the Congress Theater once again. Hip Hop Invasion 08 sees November shaping up as a banner month for one of Chicago’s real treasures.
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Written by Guest on 2008-11-12 13:05:02
Great Job!!! |
Oh Yeah...
Written by Guest on 2008-11-12 14:26:20
This is gonna be off tha hook! |
Written by Guest on 2008-11-12 16:19:39
Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)!!! |
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