With special live performances by Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, Fearless 4, Furious Five, Spoonie Gee and Cold Crush Brothers. Can you say classic? link

The Video Music Box 25th Anniversary Show was a historic event. The artists either performing or in attendance was a virtual who’s who of Hip-Hop aristocracy (partial list below). The whole concert lasted about three hours with 10-15 minute sets for each act, which meant a steady stream of classic material. If you couldn’t make it to the show and want to get a sense of what tracks were performed, just throw on your best of 80s and 90s hip-hop mixtapes.

I gotta give props to Ralph McDaniels and crew for a few things that added to the show’s success. One is keeping the event so organized. Even with the hustle and bustle of artists continuously going on and off stage, everything ran smoothly. Also, the set lengths. There was always enough entertainment throughout the night to keep the crowd involved and on their toes. Of course, major props are due for the line up. Honestly, when was the last time you heard Spoonie Gee, Schoolly D or Milk Dee rock the mic? Let alone at the same free event! Throw on the fact that none of the artists who hit the stage got paid a cent. They all did it out of love and respect for Uncle Ralph and Video Music Box. Hip-Hop unity at its finest.

Obviously, there are plenty of highlights I could run through like Ralph showing off his DJ Clark Kent designed Air Force One’s made specifically for the anniversary. Or July 18th being officially declared Video Music Box Day by Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson. However, the livest part of the whole show was when the Sugar Hill Gang hit the stage to the tune of Rapper’s Delight. By now, most of us should know the back story behind Big Hank’s verse. After Wonder Mike finished up, I wondered how the crowd would react to Hank’s part of the song. The answer was that they didn’t get a chance to because Grandmaster Caz suddenly ran onto the stage and started spitting the rhymes! The icing on the cake was when Rahiem and Mele Mel of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five joined everybody up there. Amazing.

Big ups to Ralph for being the first and putting in 25 years of hard work. And here’s to another 25+! I got video footage for most of the sets but until those are edited and uploaded onto our youtube channel, check out some pictures I snapped in between recordings (after the jump).

Sugar Hill Gang
Grandmaster Caz
Rahiem
Mele Mel
Lovebug Starski
Crash Crew
Chubb Rock
Naughty By Nature
Nice & Smooth
Special Ed
Milk Dee
Spoonie Gee
Schoolly D
Dana Dane
DJ Jazzy Joyce
O.C.
A.G.
Fab 5 Freddy
Kool Herc
Awesome 2
Mr. Cheeks
Kool DJ Red Alert
Large Professor
Dres
Hakim (of Channel Live)

Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Caz, Rahiem and Mele Mel

Special K

Smooth B

Ralph McDaniels and Kool Herc

Ralph McDaniels

Rahiem

Naughty By Nature

Mele Mel

Kool DJ Red Alert

Greg Nice

Greg Nice

Grandmaster Caz and Rahiem

DJ Jazzy Joyce

Dana Dane

Chubb Rock

Performers include Force MDs, T-Ski Valley, Spoonie Gee, Kool DJ AJ, Prince Whipper Whip & Waterbed Kev, DJ Red Alert and more! Be sure to come out and support!

The Kennedy Center
34 West 134th Street
New York, NY 10037

Not sure what to make of this release but it screams bootleg. And I didn’t even mention the misleading title. You don’t actually get a DVD filled with videos from these shows. Rather, you’re paying for a data disc containing mp3s of these performances. Still nice to have depending on the quality of the audio. Wonder who these cats are. Link

Over 1 full day (33 live performances) of vintage and official live throwdowns, spanning from 1979 to 1985. New York City’s original school together in one complete set. This collector’s set includes one data DVD containing 3.5 GB of high quality (320 Bit Rate) mp3s (26 hours of music – all 25 volumes). Each show is ID’d and sequenced, resulting in convenient use and enjoyment, as opposed to each show being one thirty to ninety minute-long continuous track. No collection is complete without the infamous Kool Moe Dee / Busy Bee scuffle, or the notorious routines of the Force MCs, Treacherous Three, and Cold Crush 4 MCs. The list of essentials on this disc is endless. Includes a 24 page full color booklet of vintage NYC show flyers and artwork.

Track Listings
01. Flash On The Beat Box
02. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Funhouse 6-18-1982 (Live)
03. Christmas Rappers Convention – 1981 (Live)
04. Cold Crush Battle The Fantastic Five – Harlem World 1981 (Live)
05. Cold Crush vs. Force MCs – Paterson, NJ 1983 (Live)
06. Cosmic Force, Afrika Bambaataa, Devastating 4, Soulsonic Force, Original Jazzy Five – T-Connection 1980 (Live)
07. Cosmic Force, Devastating 4, Original Jazzy Five, Afrika Bambaataa, Red Alert, Whiz Kid – T-Connection 1980 (Live)
08. Devastating 3 MCs: Kid West, Magic Dee & Barry Bee – House Tape 1983 (Live)
09. DJ Breakout, DJ Barren, Funky 4+1, DJ Whiz Kid, Harmonizing 4 – T-Connection 1980 (Live)
10. DJ Jazzy Jay & The Jazzy Five MCs – Paterson NJ 1981 (Live)
11. The Fantastic 5, Jazzy 5 – Dota Rock’s Birthday Party (Live)
12. Doug E. Fresh, Barry Bee, Chuck A Luck, Sweet Slick & Sly, Tranquilizing 3 – Unknown Date & Location (Live)
13. Ecstasy Garage All Stars: Grandmaster Caz, JDL, Whipper Whip, K-Gee, Ruby Dee, Theodore, Soul Sonic Force, Nice & Nasty Four – Ecstasy Garage 1980 (Live)
14. Fantastic Five, Grandmaster Caz, Busy Bee, Whiz kid, Treacherous Three, Spoonie Gee – T-Connection 1981 (Live)
15. Force MCs – Broadway International 1983 (Live)
16. Funky 4 + 1 – Unknown Date & Location (Live)
17. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 – T-Connection 1980 (Live)
18. Grandmixer DST & The Cold Crush Brothers – Unknown Date & Location (Live)
19. Imperial JayCee, Grand Wizard Theodore, Fantastic Five, Touch Of Class – T-Connection 1980 (Live)
20. Busy Bee & The Cold Crush Brothers – Kevie Kev & Rubie Dee’s Birthday Party, Ecstasy Garage 1980 (Live)
21. Grandmaster Flash, Disco Bee, Busy Bee, Melle Mel, E-Man – Live Convention (Live)
22. L-Brothers, Treacherous 3, Busy Bee, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, Theodore, E-man, Smiley – Live Convention, Celebrity Club 1980 (Live)
23. Phase 3, Cool AJ, Rapper Wise, Ultimate 3 MCs, DJ Disco, Quick, Sweet Slick and Sly – MC Battle, Harlem World 1982 (Live)
24. Rodney C’s Birthday Party – Zulu Nation 1980 (Live)
25. Super Sonic 4 MCs, DJ Cisco, Cool Clyde – Ecstasy Garage 12-26-80 (Live)
26. Rat Ski, DJ Kevin Kanyeah, Emcee SPUD – Sweet G’s Birthday Party (Live)
27. T La Rock & The Treacherous Three – Hempstead, Long Island 1985 (Live)
28. The Incredible 3 MCs: Tech Ski, Destiny, Chucky Chuck & DJ Lil Chase – Unknown Date & Location (Live)
29. Lovebug Starski, Treacherous Three, Spoonie Gee – Treacherous 3 First Anniversary, Disco Fever 1981 (Live)
30. Treacherous 3 – Club Negril 2-18-82 (Live)
31. Jazzy Jay, Smitty Dee, Kid Vicious, Tricky Tee, Malibu, Pow Wow, Nae Nae – Troy Troy’s Birthday, T-Connection 1980 (Live)
32. Cosmic Force, Sha Rock Lisa Lee, L-Brothers – Zulu Nation 6th Anniversary, Unknown Date & Location (Live)
33. Zulu Nation, Jazzy Jay, Hutch Hutch, Pow Wow – 123 Park 1979 (Live)