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Unlike his predecessors Young MC and MC Hammer, Combs has managed to pump out watered-down hip-hop and still receive props from the hip-hop community. His success is derived from the videos his label, Bad Boy, produces; his fondness for sampling hits from the 1980s; and the fact that he was a close friend of the late Notorious B.I.G. On Thursday, Puff Daddy happily showcased the whole package. The debauchery that Lil' Kim, Mase, Junior M.A.F.I.A and Combs generally communicate through their videos, shown constantly on MTV and BET, easily transferred itself to the stage. The artists' flashiness appeals to the most impressionable of pop fans: the teenyboppers. When Puff appeared on a raised platform that lowered him to the stage to perform the silly little dance steps he does in every video, their screams went up. Beautiful, gyrating back-up dancers sliding across the floor and booming explosions that occurred at Puffy's cue furthered the hype. This intro, as well as Lil' Kim's entrance on a red satin heart-shaped bed, differed vastly from the majority of hip-hop concerts. But the effect of such pageantry was quickly diminished by the brevity of each act's performance. Puff Daddy is extremely annoying for a variety of reasons, but most of all for his pillaging of '80s hits. He has perverted the art of sampling by appropriating classic material by Kool and the Gang, Diana Ross, Sting and whoever else was pumping out jams in the last decade. His tackiness was on full display when he introduced the set's lineup as the band blared Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" in the background. Yet this appropriation is exactly what has allowed Puff to crossover to the mainstream, and, hey, the kids love it. A great deal of Combs' success is based on his friendship with the Notorious B.I.G., and he reminded the crowd of this throughout the set by including B.I.G.'s verses either by sample or on video screens that flanked the stage. Puff is able to capitalize on the respect that B.I.G. commanded in the hip-hop community--which turned out to be a good thing for this show, because it allowed him to treat the audience to the turntable wizardry of Kid Capri, recently declared best DJ by The Source. Capri's veteran hands worked magic between sets, flipping old-school records with new ones, prolonging break beats and displaying scratching skills that aren't often heard in Portland. But the crowd's silence indicated its lack of hip-hop knowledge, and Capri didn't receive the props that he deserved. Busta Rhymes, another seasoned hip-hop icon, electrified the Rose Garden during his opening act with the same maniacal, spastic, animated style seen on his video for "Dangerous." He excited the lusty youth with a carnal rhyme about what he does to women's genitalia. Then he went off tha hook, pulling his jeans down to his ankles and standing in the middle of the stage in green boxers, thrusting his pelvis at the ladies. His arousing "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" concluded what turned out to be the most entertaining set of the evening. Overall, though, Puff Daddy and the Family was a wack show that wasn't worth the ticket price ($32.50-$42.50). But it did present the full spectrum of hip-hop to an area that isn't too familiar with the music, and Puffy Combs is the only one capable of making that happen. Puff, Mase, Lil'Kim and to a lesser extent Usher represented the rap'n'bullshit exceptionally well. Busta Rhymes, Kid Capri and DJ Clark Kent rocked it for the headz. Puff can be commended for maintaining this balance and providing an evening's enjoyment, but he is clearly a one-night stand. |
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