Live review: Nas and Damian Marley

Nas and Damian Marley w/ Gyptian, Dow Jones, A.Moss and Deniro

The Fillmore Charlotte

Aug. 24, 2010

The Deal: Nas and Damian Marley fuse hip-hop and reggae in support of their Distant Relatives album.

The Good: The show started off with a 30-minute set by Charlotte hip-hop fixture Dow Jones. Jones has opened a number of shows in the city and he worked hard to try and get the crowd ready. It was a tough sell to most as they were eagerly anticipating the headliners.

Halfway through his set, he was joined by other local rappers A.Moss and Deniro, who had a slightly stronger flow, but, at times, with three people on stage, it was difficult to discern what was being said.

Next up was reggae singer Gyptian whose music leans more toward the dancehall style. While the crowd was just starting to get into his music a few songs into the night, he was gone in roughly 15-20 minutes. I don’t think anyone would complain as they were primed and ready for the main event.

Showing they meant business but were also there to have a good time, Nas and Damian Marley hit the stage and erupted into a brief intro of the lead track from their album, Distant Relatives, “As We Enter.” I say erupted because the song’s energy was ten times as strong as it is on the album. The groove of the music hit the audience like a tidal wave that didn’t let up until the last notes rang out that night.

The duo spent a good bit of time performing tracks from the album, but each left the stage at different times to allow the other to shine in a solo spotlight. Nas tore through some of his own tracks like “Hip Hop is Dead” and was by himself with a drum for “One Mic.”

Marley got the groove going with full band behind him for a number of reggae tunes that got the crowd going. With his calf-length hair swinging behind him, Marley did his best to get the crowd jumping and grooving. It helped that he brought along a few of his dad’s songs — the

The Bad: While “Hate Me Now” was on the setlist, Nas didn’t perform it. Bad that the venue was only about half-full.

The Verdict: Damian Marley’s performance was the strongest of the night — the energy he put forth, the riddim he was spitting out lyrics left and right and his mere presence nearly overshadowed Nas. That’s not to say Nas wasn’t front and center — his laid back demeanor worked well with the “son of Bob.”

Setlist as it was on stage (Not exact as the duo strayed from it often)

As We Enter (short version)

Tribal War

Nah Mean

Nas Is Like

Represent

Hip Hop Is Dead

Street Dreams

If I Ruled the World

Leaders

Count Your Blessings

Dispear

Promised Land

Mission

War/No More Trouble

Exodus

Move

Sabali

Strong Will Continue

Hate Me Now (not played)

Got Yourself a Gun

Made You Look

Welcome to Jamrock

Road to Zion

Africa Must Wake Up

Encore

As We Enter

One Mic

Could You Be Loved

This article appears in Aug 24-30, 2010.