Summer Stage was lit up with Latin flavor at Crotona Park.
RSVB and Joell Ortiz both graced the stage and delivered high-spirited performances on July 10th. Crotona Park had a special feel to it. Groups of motorcycle dudes intermingled easily with children running around. An old man played maracas the whole night through. People were loud and happy.
RSVB is compromised of Latin Bitman and Dj Raff’s. Originating from Chile both dj’s did a superb job of mixing electronic dance music, trap, hip-hop juke and futuristic house. Even though it sounds like an awkward mélange, this group was able to go smoothly from one song to another.
A personal favorite was their remix of Missy Elliot’s “Let me Work it”. It took every single ounce of self–control in me to not start dancing like a crazed maniac.
Joell Ortiz crashed the party with pure unhinged aggression. Out of nowhere bodies were pressed against the barricade. This performance was pure hip-hop. There were no hooks, only realness wrapped up in words. Ortiz was nasty, gritty and burning hot in his delivery.
Ortiz though aggressive was also extremely open with the audience; often times engaging in banter. “If you don’t know me-” Ortiz started saying to the crowd, only to be cut off by a bystander who shouted, “Who don’t know you!”
At another point in the show a man in the audience handed Ortiz a Nutcracker. Ortiz gladly took it and referenced later in the show how Nutcrackers make him want to bust a, well, you get the idea.
Jokes aside though Ortiz was a show of what authenticity is all about. It didn’t really seem like a concert. It just seemed as if Ortiz was telling us a string of stories about his life. Stories that seemed to resonate deeply with the crowd.
It was not just his stories but also his skill that wowed the crowd. Dropping into a sick freestyle Ortiz killed every line he delivered. It was full of that New York wit and grit. He dropped lines such as “My 16’s free call it Abe Lincoln.”
Ortiz has reunited with his Slaughter House crew and announced that they had just wrapped up their album.
New Ortiz? Yes please.