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Hip-Hop Concert

Sneaker Pimps 2010 Shows Its Sole to NYC with Headliner Rick Ross

December 9, 2010 By Ashley Nuñez Leave a Comment

Sneaker addicts, sneaker collectors and Hip-Hop fans withstood the chilly winter wind in Midtown Manhattan as they lined up for the final stop on Sneaker Pimps 2010 Tour. Braving the cold were Shakiem and Dennis from Brooklyn explaining why this event was so important to NYC:

“This is like the Mecca of sneakers. [When dressing] you start with your sneakers first and then you work your way up.”

As the crowd grew in numbers, a spilt began to form between those in anticipation for Mayor’s sneaker battle and those who were there to see live performances.

The nightclub walls of the first floor were lined with sneakers. Displayed at the main attraction, Sneaker Pimps went above and beyond in their choice of sneakers.  Co-sponsor EA Sports set up a live demo for guests to play their new NBA Jam videogame. Apparel tables decorated the second floor with a variety of items that would enhance any sneakerhead look. Bryan and Bryan’s WHOAMI table was one of the freshest apparel tables at the event. Apparel for men and women, my two favorites tees were the Quiet Storm tee and the Sneaka’ Addict America runs on dunks’ tee.

Hosts Va$htie and Dave Jeff did an amazing job at keeping the crowd’s energy high. The low stage and tight space created an intimate feel for the event. It didn’t matter if you were on the second floor looking down, in the back holding up the wall, or in front braving the crowd, every spot was a good.

In the midst of all the great talent, there was a constant flood of giveaways. Sneakers, headphones, g-shock watches, and t-shirt after t-shirt were tossed into the crowd and kept the crow engaged in between performances. Kydd was the first performer to grace the stage followed by a rambunctious performance from Rocky Business. Va$htie introduced the only female performer of the night, Jasmine Solano who held it down with her single “That’s Not It.”

The crowd roared with excitement when Diggy Simmons made came out. Performing his well-known “Made You Look Freestyle,” “Great Expectations,” and “Superhero Music,” Diggy hushed the crowd when he went a capella for a freestlye. The Noise level erupted as Rick Ross stepped on stage. Performing in front of his Source Magazine cover, Rick Ross put on a show as the crowd followed him as he performed “Teflon Don,” “B.M.F.” and “Ashton Martin,” and thus sealed the night. Keeping the party going until two in the morning, Sneaker Pimps did not disappoint New York City.

Concert pictures after the jump…

Take some time and visit:
Toysldrs.com
Fearmusik.com
WHOAMIClothingBrand.com

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All Photos By: Joseph Williams

Recap: NYC Heineken Inspire Encore Show with Nas, J. Cole and Cee-Lo Green

November 16, 2010 By Ashley Nuñez 5 Comments

Set under the Manhattan Bridge, Pier 36 hosted New York’s Heineken Inspire Encore concert this past Saturday. Similar to the concert setting of July’s West Side event, Heineken put together another great night. The domino and card tables were a plus for friends and newly made friends to kill time. No Rolling Stone photo shoot but the Heineken Inspire Red, and Green scale pictures were a great take away for guests who manned the long line.

With two beer stations (one bottle, one tap) to wash down the free hot dogs, tacos, pretzels, and Jamaican Beef Patties, the festival vibe embraced the arts with sketches from Hip-Hop Artist Justin Bau (Remember Slum Village’s “Tainted” Video? Yeah…Bau sketched it). An entire wall was dedicated to his drawings of Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie and Slick Rick. And yes the venue even held a recording booth where the brave stepped up to the mic and got a chance to record a few bars.

Roxy Cottontail was the first to touch the turntables, giving background music to the arriving guests at Heineken Inspire Encore concert. Spinning mostly house music, at times her selections seemed ill fitted for an event featuring Nas and Cee-Lo. Diplo eventually relieved her, playing more Hip-Hop and setting the mood for the first performance of the night.

J. Cole kicked off the event, performing “Higher” off his new Mixtape Friday Night Lights, bringing North Carolina to Manhattan. He engaged his real fans with “Who Dat” and his radio fans with his “All I Want is You,” J. Cole did an amazing job at setting the tone for those who followed. Ending with his verse on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 “A Star is Born,” J. Cole easily showed why the St. John’s graduate will be successful.

Pete Rock continued the wave of energy, spinning a few of his featured records and calling to stage Dres from Black sheep. Hyping he crowd with his performance of “This or That,” Dres also performed Forever Luvlee, one of his most recent releases. Shocking the stage, The Godfather of Hip-Hop, DJ Kool Herc, awed attendees with a brief catwalk entrance. Taking the time to shake hands with fans, Herc grabbed the mic and spoke a few words about Hip-Hop. Breaking up the music vibe, Amber Rose popped up on a corner of the stage and chatted with a few fans before retiring to the VIP section.

Cee-Lo Green walked onto the catwalk stage in an all white outfit that matched his lacey all girl band. Playing the longest set of the night, there was an imbalance between his music and the crowd. Playing a few songs from his latest album The Lady Killer, he ended his set with his latest single “F*ck You.” Maybe it was the Lady Killer tunes or the fact that Cee-Lo said he was bored on stage. but the crowd grew weary for what seemed to go on forever.

The crowd grew more restless as it took stagehands over an hour to break down the stage from Cee-Lo’s performances and set it up for the main attraction. Nas jumped on stage in all black attire rocking out most of his songs with a live band. Very much the performer, Nas captivated the audience with his hits “One Mic,” “Hip-Hop is Dead,” “Got Yourself a Gun,” “NY State of Mind,” and “If I Ruled the World.” After jumping in the crowd and being saved by his bodyguards, Nas brought out his drummer and did an acoustic rendition of One Mic inviting audience participation for the chorus.

The house lights turned on quickly after Nas left the stage and a dazed crowd was forced to leave the vent space. Contrary to what the event originally promised, there was no Ryan Lesile or Special Guest. Heineken Inspire Encore concert goers were given posters as they exited the Pier and walked out into the night.

Video and Pictures of Heineken Inspire Encore will soon follow…