Hip Hop Live! tour comes to Bloomington

Critically acclaimed rapper Talib Kweli and fellow emcees David Banner and Little Brother brought their signature brands of hip-hop to a raving crowd at the Bluebird on Monday night.

Headlining in 19 cities on the sophomore year of the Hip Hop Live! Tour presented by Flow TV, the three diverse artists rallied on the success and critical acclaim of the previous year’s tour that touted stars such as Ghostface Killah and Rakim.

Playing in a packed venue, despite the $28 ticket price, and backed by the tour’s returning 10-piece band, the Rhythm Roots Allstars, the rappers swept through sets filled with crowd-pleasers, chart-toppers and new numbers.

North Carolina duo Little Brother kicked off the night with a mix of material, including songs from its most recent album, 2007’s “Getback.”

The emcees, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh, wooed the crowd with their stage presence and talent, putting in extra effort to make this show a memorable one before going on a brief hiatus.

“The tour’s been going real well,” Phonte said. “But tonight was actually our last night on the tour. We pick back up in Boston (on Oct. 24). We have other solo shows to do as Little Brother.”

Next to take the stage was Banner, the Southern rapper who burned up the charts in early 2008 with his single “Get Like Me,” featuring hip-hop and R&B heavyweights Yung Joc and Chris Brown.

Hanging from the ceiling rafters and asking the crowd to chant his name, Banner took crowd interaction to a new level as he ran through live band versions of hits like “Get Down Like a Pimp,” crowd favorite “Play” and Lil Wayne collaborations “Shawty Say” and “La La.”

After Banner set the tone for the night’s final performance, the crowd was abuzz as they waited for Kweli to come on stage. Both longtime fans and new listeners awaited the respected rapper’s arrival.

Dave Kleifgen, a junior and avid Kweli fan, said he was excited the rapper made a stop in Bloomington.

“Lyrically, he’s one of the best rappers,” Kleifgen said. “It’s cool, too, because he’s not mainstream.”

Kweli soon took the stage and excited the club. Executing a set filled with new numbers off his 2007 album “Eardrum” such as “Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 (Deliver Us)” and “Say Something,” the Brooklyn rapper thrilled the audience of about 200 people.

Hearkening back to his days in the now defunct Black Star, his former collaboration with rapper Mos Def, Kweli also included a rousing rendition of the duo’s hit “Definition” that had the crowd chanting along.

Backed by the Rhythm Roots Allstars’ cohesive sound, Kweli ripped through a set of more than 15 songs that not only showed off his acclaimed emcee skills, but also pleased the ears of hip-hop enthusiasts throughout the room.

Not long after leaving the stage, Kweli returned for an encore with Little Brother and Banner, performing a multi-song medley of classics to cap off the night that included Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours,” as well as Ying Yang Twins’ “Get Low” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”

After the show, excited concertgoers spilled onto North Walnut Street as Little Brother rapper Phonte expressed his surprise at the Bloomington crowd’s response.
“Everybody was dancing,” Phonte said. “From the top of the show to the end of the show, the energy level stayed the same. It was dope!”