LL Cool J, The Roots Lead Joyous Celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Saturday night at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was a hip-hop masterclass, led by some of the most talented veterans in the business.

Seriously, how’s this for a lineup: LL Cool J, Common, Method Man and Redman, MC Lyte and Jadakiss? Oh, and I forgot to mention that The Roots served as master of ceremonies.

All gave powerful performances – including LL Cool J, who hasn’t toured arenas in three decades – that added up to a joyous show, one of the best Cleveland has seen this year.

Billed as The F.O.R.C.E. Tour (which stands for “frequencies of real creative energy”) and featuring rotating lineups as it makes its way across North America, the show was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop and the careers of its performers. Most of them are now in their 50s or close to it, and the concert showed their continued vitality in a genre that is often positioned as a young person’s game.

The music began shortly after 8 p.m. and didn’t let up for nearly three hours. The show operated like a mixtape, with the rappers mostly performing truncated versions of their songs, one quickly after another. A verse or two, a chorus and onto the next one.

The Roots, joined by DJs Jazzy Jeff and Z-Trip, were onstage the entire night, ably backing each rapper when they weren’t tackling their own songs or various covers.
Led by tireless drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, the band started off the night with a medley of funk songs frequently used as samples. From there came Common, who performed some of his best-known songs in an all-too-short set. The joy the rapper had was palpable as he took a break from his acting career to indulge in what he does best.

Then came the first of two sets done by LL Cool J (short for “Ladies Love Cool James.” Pat yourself on the back if you knew that). After emerging from white light and smoke, he came swinging right out of the gate with “I’m Bad” and “Doin’ It.”

Buttressed by his versatile voice and flow, which vacillates between smooth and booming, his set flowed from there. “4,3,2,1,” “Big Ole Butt,” “Going Back to Cali.” LL Cool J seemed tireless but hard-working, evidenced by how he sweated through his shirt.

He would reappear later, but only after appearances by MC Lyte, Jadakiss and Method Man and Redman. Of all the remaining sets, Method and Red’s was the most powerful, as the tag team delivered hard-hitting versions of songs like “Da Rockwilder.”

Redman also introduced “How High” as the song that “united marijuana smokers across the planet.”

LL Cool J concluded the night with powerful renditions of “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Rock the Bells.” Those tunes, like the ones that preceded it, were like the best parts of a great college class. One that is educational, engaging and a whole lot of fun.

Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.

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