In town for an MTV Music Awards special promotion, New York Hip Hop group Mobb Deep made their first appearance ever in Hong Kong. Without Prodigy, the group’s main M.C., the crew was comprised of Havoc (the other founding member,) in addition to Big Noyd, D.C. and The Alchemist (a top Hip Hop producer.)
The venue for the evening was RED on the rooftop of the IFC shopping center. The night started off with a fashion show, followed by Hong Kong pop star Andy Hui, and local Hip Hop group 24 Herbs, before Mobb Deep took the stage.
Hardcore Hip Hop heads who rarely go to this type of event could be spotted milling around waiting for Mobb Deep to start. Mingling in the crowd during their performance, I was somewhat surprised to hear people – even a few girls – rapping the lyrics along with the M.C.s on stage! Mobb Deep is a type of New York Hip Hop that seldom gets played in Hong Kong. The majority of “Hip Hop” here is unfortunately of the commercial R&B variety.
[photopress:Havoc_Mobb_Deep_IFC.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Mobb_Deep_Crowd_IFC.jpg,full,pp_image]The performance at IFC was lively, with the crowd moving to the music. However, the best Mobb Deep performance took place at the after-party at Racks, where the group performed for half an hour in the midst of the crowd. The vibe was more like an underground event, which suited the raw lyrics and energy of the New York crew.
[photopress:Mobb_Deep_Hong_Kong.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Big_Shug_HK_Mobb.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Crowd_Racks_MDB_HK.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Mobb_Deep_performing.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Racks_Alchemist_Havoc_Mobb.jpg,full,pp_image]
