Biz Markie and Masta Ace played Herbert Von King Park
June 21st, 2015 by chocko
Biz Markie at Herbert Von King Park
Masta Ace at Herbert Von King Park
Old school hip hop was in the house at Herbert Von King Park last Wednesday night with a free Summerstage show featuring Biz Markie and Masta Ace. After driving around Bed Stuy like Mr. Magoo and finally parking in a spot near the park, Chocko followed the booming sounds, skipped down the steps of the crowded, outdoor amphitheater and made my way to the front. Masta Ace had just begun his set and the lyrically gifted, Brooklyn native entertained the crowd with mostly old songs from deep in the catalog including his verses from “Crooklyn” and “Symphony.” Kind of fitting for the show, Masta Ace also performed a 1990 track titled “Me & The Biz” where Ace does his best Biz Markie impersonation. Was this track a homage to Biz or done out of necessity because Biz couldn’t make it to the studio to perform on the song? This song always confused me…I hope one day they just record this properly with both Ace and Biz together on a track. Somebody make it happen!
Ace also got the crowd participation going by performing snippets of some well known hip hop songs by other artists and letting the audience fill in the blanks. He finished off his set with “Good Ol’ Love” from his 2004 album, A Long Hot Summer. Check out some videos below!
Danny Castro of Lyricist Lounge killed some time between sets by talking with the crowd and asking the audience questions like “Who’s better, Mobb Deep or Smif N Wesun?” or “Who’s better, Jay-Z or Nas?” or “Mos Def or Q-Tip?” You get the picture…Hip Hop fans could sit around and debate these type of questions to the break of dawn, but at the show it was decided by how loud the crowd cheered. Believe it or not, Nas won over the Brooklyn crowd. I demand a recount! It was a relief to see DJ Cool V, Biz’s long time DJ and cousin behind the turntables which meant that the show was about to get bonkers. Biz Markie did not disappoint!
DJ Cool V
The Diabolical Biz Markie started off the show with a showcase of his beatboxing skills. “The Clown Prince of Hip Hop” perfectly mimicked the beatboxing of some of his peers including Doug E. Fresh and Buffy of the Fat Boys. Biz proceeded to entertain by performing tracks from his debut album Goin’ Off including “Goin’ Off,” “Pickin’ Boogers” and “Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz.” Songs by Rick James and Michael Jackson were also performed. Uncle Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box was standing in the back of the stage but grinning along with the audience to Biz mumbling the lyrics and singing out of tune renditions of “Mary Jane” and “I Want You Back.” Biz closed out the show with “The Vapors” and his monster hit “Just A Friend” which got everybody in the park singing along. Check out more videos below and be on the look out for the next free Lyricist Lounge show featuring The Jungle Brothers and Kool DJ Red Alert at Crotona Park on June 25 at 7:00 pm. See you in The Bronx!
Tags: bed stuy, biz markie, free show, herbert von king park, hip hop, masta ace, new york city, old school, summerstage
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