“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. It’s good to see Chuck D. and Public Enemy on the bill; if there’s a voice we need to hear right now, it’s Chuck D.’s.
Public Enemy played the House of Blues in March and if it was any indication of what to expect, he and Flavor Flav are still unafraid to Bring the Noise. Professor Griff and the S1Ws were part of the show, but instead of Terminator X, they had live musicians. That change made songs such as “Fight the Power” and “Welcome to the Terrordome” all the more intense. It was a little disappointing that they did medleys of many of their best known songs – I was ready for a full length “911 is a Joke” and so was the crowd - but it was hard find fault with what they actually played.
It was also reassuring to see that Chuck D. has continued to put his money where his mouth is. He was outspoken in his criticism of the federal response, and you had to be deaf and close-minded after the Katrina tribute “Hell NO, We Ain’t Alright” not feel smarter, angrier and ready to roll up your sleeves and get down to the business of rebuilding New Orleans. The next day, he visited the Lower Ninth Ward and a high school class, where he shared insight into the rap business (there’s too much money involved to call it a game) then asked the students to tell him their Katrina-related experiences. "I could never play New Orleans and see it as a regular date," Chuck D. says. "It's impossible for me to go there, get paid and leave."
If Public Enemy’s performance in the Budweiser Superlounge Saturday night and Chuck D.’s appearance as part of the “Voice of God” panel discussion late Saturday afternoon at the Convention Center are anything like his last visit to town, they should give people a lot to think about.
Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.
I'm looking forward to seeing Chuck D and others at the festival. What time does it begin. I see Susan L. Taylor is doing the Opening Remarks and I don't want to miss that.
Posted by: NEWRAWMOM | June 26, 2007 at 06:02 PM
We are still fighting the power:
All of the convent corner stores you paid 3X as much for items such as water. Essence is trying to help the people from New Orleans, why are they charging us 3X higher prices for water and ECT..?
Why are we fighting the power, if we are trying to help them by bringing our business to New Orleans? This is not Black Beach in Daytona FL then I would understand. As educated people I didn't feel educated paying $3.20 for a 16oz water......
Next year for Essence: Should be about Our Rights for Darker skin. Our kids see this and think it's O.K. we are being over charged. Please make something our youth could carry on them at all times about THERE RIGHTS. So our youth can FIGHT THE POWER WHEN A STRONG ADULT IS NOT AROUND.....
We have came a long way but, still have a longer way to go. Chuck D has made a difference and I hope he continues to speak his mind.....
Posted by: Gwen | July 10, 2007 at 06:57 AM