May 3–10, 2001

scene and heard

Microphone Battle

After the Penn Relays Hip-Hop Resurrection show (April 27, Wynn Commons) started an hour late, kicked off by a bevy of Philly groups without enough mic control to enunciate their own names, Talib Kweli bounded on stage. Sporting an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt — oh wait, in true rebel fashion it read "Pimpercrombie & Bitch" — Kweli led off his set with a freestyle and jumped right into "Move Somethin’." After kicking Blackstar’s "Definition" Kweli gave daps to Philly: "This is one of the most musical cities I’ve ever been to." But it wouldn’t be a hip-hop show without some drama, right? During "K.O.S. (Determination)," a fight broke out by the stage and Kweli halted mid-rhyme and asked the wanna-be boxers why they were acting like assholes. With the beef settled, the next act, Windy City MC Common, proved to still be sweatin’ "faggots" in his rhymes. Within seconds of hitting the stage, the word had already crossed his lips. He considers himself progressive, but Common’s lyrics are permeated by a nasty case of homophobia. The energetic MC, with Brooklyn-bred DJ Dummy, ripped through hits like "The Light" and "Funky For You," then brought Kweli back for "Respiration." The incredible DJ Hi-Tek was on the bill but didn’t show. Where you at Tek?

—Ainè Ardron-Doley