Comments on: Are Live Cover Versions Just Filler?

By: DUNC4N

DUNC4N — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:07:25 +0000

I love it when they do that shit, it’s one of the things you only get live so I reckon it’s a bonus.

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:43:02 +0000

I went to a Ghost show about a month ago and it was a real disapointment. I seen the Wu about two years ago and it was a legendary night with the whole crowd hyped but Ghost solo was the complete opposite. I seemed to be the only one in the crowd enjoying it and rapping along, like everyone there was someone’s friend who’d been dragged along. Ghost was tight on the mic but letting one of your weedcarriers rap to ‘If I Rule the World’ is the complete opposite to what the crowd want to see. It’s nice to pay homage and obviously ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ is a necessity but when someone’s got such a vast catalogue why do so much of other people’s shit?

By: gstatty

gstatty — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:19:27 +0000

uhh, yeah the roots get a pass, shit el michels would get a pass, and so would the heiruspecs, but most emcees that do cover songs get a fail because at least with the aforementioned they all play instruments and it takes a lot of ability to cover someone else’s song well, with hip hop its just a dj who puts on a record, not to diss djs cause they are the backbone of hip hop, the only real hip hop covers that get a pass would be really old school stuff like the message or the roll call from wildstyle, you know the classics, if they covered an old school little known to unknown classic, they would get even more cred in my book

By: spotrusherz

spotrusherz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:46:34 +0000

playing covers is acceptable in every musical genre, why would it be any different for hiphop shows? assuming they’re well done of course, i’m kind of on the edge about ghost’s off key emotional outbursts sometimes.

By: reiser

reiser — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:22:02 +0000

Rap covers? Getthefuckouttahere, what’s the next step gonna be, karaoke? Kenny G overdubs?

I recently saw EPMD and finally, after five years, I’ve managed to enjoy a live show. Erick, Parrish, the DJ. Period.
The only Ghostface show I’ve seen was between barely tolerable and pathetic. I think he pulled the same call and response routine for over five minutes, it was like taking a collective English lesson. but at least he didn’t any of that cover nonsense, which seems to be a great feat nowadays

By: PR2

PR2 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:52:55 +0000

also j love is wak as fk.
dude cant even hit go on his cart machine on time.
worst ever.

By: A to the L

A to the L — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:58:11 +0000

Why does the weedcarrier in the above video keep offering the mic out to the crowd in the middle of verses? I can listen to myself rap lyrics to my favorite songs anytime… I’m paying you guys to do it, dummy.

By: HipHopHistorian

HipHopHistorian — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:26:26 +0000

I am going to the Rock The Bells in Maryland, but I plan on leaving before Nas, The Roots, and any of the more mainstream headliners.

By: Robbie

Robbie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:06:09 +0000

The Roots get a pass, obviously.

By: BIGSPICE

BIGSPICE — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:04:53 +0000

The Roots are probably the only ones talented enough to pull that shit off every time.

By: dirtykics

dirtykics — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:21:24 +0000

yeah yesterday @ the Rock the Bells Detroit nas/ damien marley did it but the crowd had no problem, probably due to the roots doin it a few sets b4 them

By: jjhobo

jjhobo — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:20:28 +0000

Seen him in Bristol in May of this year and it was a good show, but he did something similar. Half way through his set he just got his DJ to play classic Hip-Hop songs whilst he just shouted over them. When the Aint no half steppin beat came on I thought i was ready to witness something truely special, only for Ghost to just listen to the music.

I can listen to all those songs at home for free and without Ghost asking if I love real Hip-hop over the top. It wasnt a bad show, it was pretty good but we in the UK dont get many shows a year by these sort of artists so I wish he had performed more of his tracks.

At least after the gig he did come into the entrance and sign stuff and talk to people.

By: End Level Boss

End Level Boss — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:50:28 +0000

Went to see Ghost and Rae in London last year performing OB4CL. It was fuckin’ great!

By: The Octacat

The Octacat — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:28:07 +0000

I saw him in Hamburg (I think that was the day after he did the show in Berlin) with the Dilated Peoples as the opening act and god, they killed it.

Ghost set was solid, basically the same as the one you can see on the bonus DVD from the “Put It On The Line”. Whatever, show was pretty nice but I was surprised to suddenly hear Passing Me By lol.

By: HipHopHistorian

HipHopHistorian — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:20:22 +0000

As a whole, rappers bringing terrible crews with them ruins the whole experience. The Theodore Unit qualifies as a terrible crew. It is all downhill from there as far as I’m concerned. I saw him last year, and he was great, but the unit were shouting all over his verses.

Now to answer your question, yes cover tracks are lame and weak. The only group in hip-hop who has ever done them proper justice are the Roots.