Hip Hop was in the building on Friday night (January 18). EPMD, Rakim, The LOX, Brand Nubian, Black Moon and Funk Flex were all on deck for a sold out show at New York City’s famed Apollo Theater.
Hip Hop royalty such as General Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, DJ Red Alert, Keith Murray and A Tribe Called Quest’s Jarobi White were also in attendance.
“Last night’s show at the Apollo Theater was incredible, classic Hip Hop,” EPMD’s Parish Smith tells HipHopDX. “I was happy to see golden era legends come around full circle and get their just due. The last time I was in the Apollo in front of a sold out crowd with energy like that was in 1992 with the Hit Squad. New York City definitely came out to represent and show love to the golden era legends of Hip Hop.”
During EPMD’s performance, Parish (yes, Parish with one ‘R’) and his partner-in-rhyme Erick Sermon erupted into a cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” in honor of the late Phife Dawg. Jarobi shared a clip of the duo spitting the Five-Foot Assassin’s verse on Instagram.
“This really warms my heart!” he wrote in the caption. “Y’all know EPMD was Phifey’s favorite! Shit mine too! Lol.”
The legendary Phife Dawg passed away in March 2016 from complications stemming from diabetes. During Tribe’s final Denver show in August 2017, Q-Tip teared up on stage talking about his late bandmate.
“I know that when Phife and I first started rhyming we were like 9 [years-old] and we heard ‘Rapper’s Delight,’ and he was the one who encouraged me,” he said. “When Run-DMC came out, because they were from our neighborhood, he was like, ‘So we can do it, too.’ You know, I know my man is here enjoying this, so we just wanted to play one of our favorites [‘Butter’].”
Phife was 45 at the time of his death.
Check out more photos and video of the event below.
How many of these trash bag rappers today will still sell out shows when they’re this age? None! That’s how many! They’ll all be old men with Instagram pages. New rappers suck!
You realize this was a one off show not a tour right? They couldnt sell out again outside of nyc. Secondly this shit sold out because old heads cant let go of their youth. Youth is a strange thing in the black community. Thats why you see 55 year old men on 125th right by the popeyes dressed like 25 year olds from 1998.
Wrong knucklehead!
That was for dumbfuck Yall aint got no style
OK here is a question…when classic Rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s do shows and tours like this is because old rock dudes can’t let go of their youth?
Dope! RIP Phife
Mad respect. And those EPMD/Lakai shoes (Google em) are dope as hell can’t wait to get those
Ok so in the back of his solo cds where it says executive produce PARRISH Smith. I guess he spells his own name wrong, right? Smh
He changed it a long ass time ago. Hence why his website is with ONE R, his IG is with ONE R, his Twitter is with one R. Get over it loser. Why do you care!? So desperate to “be right” meanwhile the author clearly spoke to the guy and got the correct spelling ages ago.
Hip Hop Culture still asking ” You On Point Phife ” ?
Still waiting on that solo Phife joint for like 3 years now!
Great point I’m one of those old heads, still got my polo gear and Clarks shoes to match. They would sell out many places with that line up. Any place with a large black community it will sell. Trying to hate on classic artists, that made HipHop what is was and that was Underground.