By Jim Harrington
It worked.
Many believed that the pairing of controversial rapper Nas and reggae star Damian “Junior Gong” Marley had potential. Yet, only a true Pollyanna, one without much experience with these types of cross-genre collaborations, could’ve predicted that the result would turn out as satisfying as what was witnessed on Tuesday night at the Fox Theater.
It was especially impressive given that this co-headlining tour, which features both men onstage at the same time, is only a few shows old. The Oakland gig was really only the fourth date on the trek, yet the duo has already managed to strike a near seamless blend of hip-hop and reggae that honors both genres. It’s probably safe to say that the 36-year-old rapper and the 31-year-old son of Bob Marley put in plenty of time in rehearsals before taking the show on the road.
Plus, one got the feeling at the Fox that this show will only get better down the line. Locals will have the chance to find out if that’s indeed the case when Nas and Marley return to perform at the Outside Lands festival, set for Aug. 14 and 15 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. (The festival’s complete lineup will be announced June 1 at www.sfoutsidelands.com.
The pair has already proved a formidable draw at the gate, although in a quite noteworthy fashion. The Fox show only sold out one day prior to the event, yet there were dozens of people trying to buy tickets outside the venue. Scalpers were having a field day, demanding (and getting) nearly four times the original ticket price of $39.50.
Chalk up part of the late, but substantial demand for tickets as standard operating procedure for these two genres – both hip-hop and reggae are known to sell good numbers as the show date approaches. Also credit it to the recent release of the duo’s album, “Distant Relatives,” which hit stores last week.
The 2,800 that managed to score admission – a colorful mix of hip-hop fans in heavy sports gear, wannabe Rastafarians wearing Marley shirts and other music lovers – were sure glad they did.
After a few opening acts – including a DJ set that went on so long that I nearly got carpal tunnel simply from watching the guy work – Marley and Nas took the stage 45 minutes late and proceeded to deliver a nearly two-hour set of mostly killer tunes.
Junior Gong, sporting a bundle of dreadlocks that hung below his knees, and Nas, looking super fly in dark sunglasses and a black Oakland A’s cap, nicely blended their distinctive voices as they rocked out in front of a full stage. They were accompanied by a nine-piece band, plus (at times) two dancers and (always) a tenacious dude waving a huge Jamaican flag.
Marley, a three-time Grammy winner best known musically for his 2005 smash single “Welcome to Jamrock,” provided plenty of sun-splashed moments on the microphone. His sweet delivery found an unlikely complement in Nas’ harder-edged, often quite dark raps. Together, they drove home a sense of urgency to “Africa Must Wake Up,” “Leaders” and “Dispear.”
Nas – who proclaimed that “Hip Hop is Dead” with the title of his 2006 album, and then went on to do everything in his power to prove himself wrong – had some deliriously good solo moments in concert. The tongue twisters that he spit at the microphone, in such tracks as “Hate Me Now” and “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” showed precisely why he’s considered such a force in hip-hop.
The duo closed out the main set with a tremendous take on “Welcome to Jamrock,” then put an exclamation point on the evening with an uplifting encore of Bob Marley’s great “Could You Be Loved.”
Nas and Junior Gong may be “Distant Relatives,” but this is one family get-together that both hip-hop heads and reggae fans won’t want to miss.
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