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TRUTH BE TOLD June 21 2011
Last night, some of us went to the Blu show at Little Temple. Straight up, it was a bust. But it didn’t start off like that.
The support included Cool Roy, Marz Lovejoy, Polyester, and Stevie Crooks. In my opinion, all were great. They each did their thing for 20 minutes or so, and the transition from artist to artist was seamless. I’ve been to a lot of shows – as a fan, as a manager, and even as a producer – and that already makes for a good night.
Until the headliner was up.
I like Blu. I like his music, especially his Lifted EP and his collaborative work with Exile. Needless to say, I expected something good. Polyester introduced him on stage, and when Blu came out he immediately went to his computer and started playing some beats. I thought, ok, maybe he’s just soundchecking or something. But that lasted for a half hour with little crowd interaction in between. Anxiety settled, enthusiasm narrowed. And then the promoter interrupted and made an apology announcement that went something like “You came here to see a show”, “Blu was supposed to perform”, “This is whack”, etc. Blu’s response? “I knew I wasn’t gonna perform tonight, I was just gonna play tracks”, “I’m a rapper, but I don’t perform”. WHAT??
I don’t consider myself being part of the “music industry” as most people understand it. I generally work with independent artists; those that are often overlooked, those that are playing at small venues, those that are handing out CDs from the trunks of their cars. Being in that environment has allowed me learning experiences that always goes back to the fan – the true foundation of any artist’s career. They make sure you don’t get overlooked, they pack those small venues, they buy the CDs you’re slangin’.
I know Blu doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. There may be a good reason behind this, after all. I’m just saying that for an artist that has since relied on every other resource besides huge corporate backing to get his message out, he could’ve at least made some kind of fan connection to ease the angst.
Ironically, this is the only picture I have from his “performance”. A blur.
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