By Luis Soler, October 27th, 200

Hey hey hey, everybody, welcome back to Live @ B.B. King’s. Winter came and I had to fatten up and get in a hole in the ground, like the squirrels and the bears in hibernation. So I apologize if you haven’t seen anything in this column for a while. Thankfully, spring is upon us again, and as the world emerges through the thaw, I wipe the webs and the dew from my eyes and think back to the shows that nourished me throughout these long, cold months.

The election drama had been in the air for far too long, making the city tenser than the usual, so it’s no surprise that B.B.’s played host to a fun, funky crowd of old schoolers, newbies and all shades in between, everyone there with one thing on there mind: soul smashing rhymes on top of booty rocking rhythms. And who better to deliver the goods than those perennial purveyors of head-nodding happiness than De La Soul, lords of the not-so-underground. This highly influential group, who released their first album 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989, is still out there rockin’ the decks and burning up the mike, bringing you the kind of intimate but high voltage show that keeps the people banging their heads and shaking their rumps. Always playing devil’s advocate to the current state of hip hop, these cats do what they do best when they’re having fun, and they don’t even need to shoot anyone outside of the Hot 97 studio.

To get the party started, Maceo, De La’s DJ, came out to share a few choice words with us, spreading positivity and good vibes as only he can. He reminded us about De La Soul’s long history, to which this crowd was no stranger. He sent all the requisite shout-outs, and also spoke about the election, reminding us to exercise our right. He went on to introduce Butta Verses, an up and coming MC hailing out of the south Florida area (though he claims the Bronx as his birthplace). Butta, who recently signed to Bear Mountain Entertainment (Maseo’s label), appeared on a couple of tracks from De La’s most recent release The Grind Date. He showcased some of his own banging tracks, and the crowd embraced him like an old favorite, throwing their hands up and making noise in all the right places as he worked the crowd like an old pro. At one point, he stopped to ask us “Am I doing these guys justice?” You tell me. Check out www.buttav.com for info and news on this soon to be exploding mc.

Next on the mic was Masta Ace, aka the Music Man, an able MC out of Brownsville, Brooklyn. A 15 year veteran of the rap game, who has collaborated with other luminaries as Biz Markie, Marley Marl, and Big Daddy Kane, he’s been touring in support of his most recent release, Long Hot Summer. Matsa’s unmistakable flow was, like always, as smooth as silk, and the crowd showed him the love he so rightfully deserved (don’t forget folks, this is the guy some people claim Eminem is ripping off). Go to www.mastaace.com for more on this tried and true hip hop slinger. He may or may not be retiring from hip hop, so if you get the chance, check him out and remind him of why he started in this game.

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