ghostface killah

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Source: Anthony Steverson/The Apollo / Anthony Steverson/The Apollo

On Saturday (April 26), Lyricist Lounge, the vaunted rap showcase from the ’90s—hosted one of its legendary shows at the world-famous Apollo Theater—headlined by Ghostface Killah. As per the name, Lyricist Lounge set it off in Harlem with some good ole-fashioned emceeing, deft wordplay and cool freestyling. All of that. 

As a ‘70s baby, I’m not new to this thing called Hip-Hop. It’s in my bones; my heart beats that ole boom-bap, and just so you know, my first gig in journalism was at The Source when it was still the Bible of Hip-Hop (and yes, I was at that infamous ‘95 Source Awards when Suge Knight kicked a hornet’s nest, André 3000 snapped back at the crowd, and, according to Questlove, the underground died—an amazing show by the way). In short, I am a Hip-Hop concert connoisseur.

Decades in, I still (mostly) love H.E.R. (not the singer, but Hip-Hop.) And so, when I had the chance to see a few folks from my favorite crew (Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang), in my neighborhood no less, I was all in. 

The brainchild of Danny Castro and Ant Marshall, Lyricist Lounge is one of those New York Hip-Hop institutions like The Stretch and Bobbito Show, Video Music Box or real-time Funk Flex on the wheels of steel. Throughout the night Marshall and Castro took to the stage to introduce the lineup and noted that they will “finally” be putting out a documentary about the legendary showcase, created in 1991. They also said that night’s show would be one of the last in the old Apollo, which is apparently being renovated. According to Time Out NY, the new fixings include “restored seating, updates to the iconic marquee, upgrades to backstage areas, and an expanded lobby with a cafe and bar.” 

Source: Anthony Steverson/The Apollo / Anthony Steverson/The Apollo

And onto the show. First and foremost the system in the Apollo was booming. As an ole head, this is revolutionary. I can’t count the number of Hip-Hop shows where the sound system was annoyingly garbled and distorted. Yet on Saturday, the top dawg of the Theodore Unit took to the Apollo Stage with his fellow Wu brethren—Cappadonna, Inspectah Deck—and a slew of MCs who take that moniker seriously: Math Hoffa, Grafh, Kyah Baby and Noah-O.

They tore the place up proper like. 

I’mma start with the femcee, Kyah Baby, straight outta Queens. Homegirl had a masterful command of the stage, and lyrics, too. As everyone knows, the Apollo/New York crowd can be  rough if not apathetic, but Kyah rose to the occasion. One of her songs was about her father being incarcerated, and she exhorted the crowd to put two fingers up if they knew anyone in the belly of it. Soon, she had the crowd rocking over some hard beats. 

Math Hoffa kicked a fierce freestyle when the system went bad (what can you say, it’s Hip-Hop), and then, as older Black folk tend to do, got kinda churchy…not my cup of tea unless it’s Sunday Service, but whatever. Grafh did his thing, but was conspicuously booed throughout his set, which he deftly ignored (what was that all about?) We also got some nice rhymes from Noah O from Richmond, Va., and Shooter from Harlem came through with that slick uptown gangsta ilk. Weather Park, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son, did a rendition of “Brooklyn Zoo.”

And then the real show began. Introducing Ghostface Killlaaaaaaahhhhhh!

Thirty-odd years in, Ghost knows how to rock a crowd—and not just because he got hits. Starks came through with a hoodie and red leather pants—light work for a man known for outrageous furs and thick bathrobes flanked by gold ropes. His presence? Pure Wu magic: Voice command, breath technique, literally moving the crowd. I am a Hip-Hop concert fanatic; I have probably seen Wu-Tang seven or eight times through the years, and this intimate Apollo show was just as special. 

Back story: My spine-tinglin’ love affair with the Wu began with a raved about 12-inch, “Protect Your Neck” (B-side “Method Man”), and was cemented with Enter The Wu-Tan: 36 Chambers, which I played incessantly on my yellow Sony Walkman. It lives to this day. See, the appeal of Wu-Tang (RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa and Ol’ Dirty Bastard) is that not only are they top notch MCs who have taken the genre and smacked it up, flipped it and rubbed it down in their own likeness, it is the sheer mastery, elevation and adoration of the art form that deserves a salute. And it stay fonky. The beauty—the enigma—of Wu-Tang is that they exist as a paradox, seeming opposites that go well together, like Rae and Ghost on a track. 

Okay, for one: Wu is some singing-warbling ass R&B/soul n*ggas till the end, but they also appeal to that hardcore ish. And in true form, Ghost serenaded the Apollo crowd with classics like “I’m Dreaming” by Christopher Williams cut up by his DJ Scram Jones (Ghost: “this on some mixtape sh*t”); “Outstanding” by the Gap Band, you know, some “slow dragging” music, and even the theme from “Cheers” (and he was really checking if the crowd knew the words), and yet, the Wu is so thugged out they’re a little intimidating (especially back in the day.)

Finally, Wu is crossover AF (how many white guys have a Wu tattoo?). But they are like the Blackest ever—their very love of Blackness, calling the Blackman God, keeping a foot in the dirt, but have penned and rapped some of the most intimate, vulnerable stories ever put on disc (“All I Need” and “All That I Got Is You”—both duets with Mary J. Blige). It’s that whimsical wordplay and creativity. Oh, and they ride that f*ckin’ beat like Beyoncé on a magical silver horse. They are indeed special. No one else could pull it off. 

And so Ghost and Deck and Cappadonna ran through quite a few Wu joints, each of them taking their fellow members’ parts/lyrics. When Dek and Ghost both did RZA’s intro on “Wu‐Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit” I was geeked! Of course, Cappadona dropped bars. And then Ghost had the crowd in the aisles rocking to sundry hits from the years, from the squad— “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by ODB; “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’”; “Ice Cream”; himself—“Cherchez LaGhost,” and “Apollo Kids” (how apropos) or mixes and snippets like his verse from “Freek’n You” (remix) by Jodeci, a foreverrrrrrr bop.

Also, lyrics for days. There was a moment during the show when he took a few moments to thank the crowd for its support over all these years. “N*gga we brothers, we cousins, all that shit—I’mma f*cking godfather to your f*ckin’ children,” said Pretty Toney. Ghost looked good. In all the ways. My Wu-Gambino booskis did it up, as per usual, and I’m so glad I got to experience it at a legendary Harlem venue, with Lyricist Lounge, a Hip-Hop institution.