December 14, 2024

SCENARIO: Busta Rhymes, L.O.N.S & ATCQ @ Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest

It almost didn’t happen. Due to a late start, Busta Rhymes set at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival #8 was being rushed. Buss kept doing intros and snippets of songs, teasing us and then saying “I got a lot of songs and only a little bit of time…”. He brought up Smif N Wesson. He brought up Buckshot. He brought out Slick Rick, who rocked the mic and a whole lot of gold jewelry. Reek Da Villain got his shine. Busta even did “Ante Up” with Lil Fame of M.O.P. It was past 8pm and that was when the event was supposed to end. But wait … where’s L.O.N.S?? I mean, Busta had tweeted pics of him, Charlie Brown and Dinco D chillin’ in the studio just days before the concert. That definitely was a sign that maybe something was gonna happen.

A familiar story in Hip Hop (or concerts in general). The show gets delayed, goes late, the artists and fans want more time and the venue wants to shut it down. I have seen this play out several different ways, none of them pleasant. Busta called for help from event founder, Brooklyn Bodega’s Wes Jackson, asking him to please handle that. And then …

“Where’s my two brothers at? … Whoa whoa whoa – WHERE’s my two brothers at? … My whole shit started with these two dudes right here.”

Leaders of the New School proceeded to tear down the stage with “Case of the P.T.A”, their classic first hit single, while a soundman can be heard muttering “3 minutes” in the background. After that performance 3 minutes is up, but history will not be denied. The beat to SCENARIO comes on, L.O.N.S start jumping and 2,000 people in Pier 3 jump up and down frantically, in crazed jubilation and proceed to recite every lyric along with their Leaders. Soundman did NOT want to shut it down right about now. And he didn’t even know what was about to happen… Phife & Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest hit the stage to create the first full performance of Scenario with all members on the song in 19 years! I’ll let the video tell you the rest …

More: P.T.A: Busta Rhymes + L.O.N.S (Reunion) @ BKHHF

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