Stars participating in the charity concert Tidal X 2018 gave very a clear message about the need to reform while also keeping the party lasting all night. Lil Wayne headlined a roster that included fellow legends such as Lauryn Hill, The Lox, Black Thought and Lil Kim, while rising superstars such as Normani and Teyana Taylor also joined the fray.
Normani performed both of her new songs produced by Calvin Harris, “Check List” and “Slow Down,” while Lil Tunechi kept his foot on the pedal with a furious set that changed lanes in and out of Tha Carter V territory and his catalog classics.
Weezy lit his starter pistol with “Goin’ In,” then trekked to Swizz Beatz’s “Pistol On My Side” which the former Birdman Jr. steers with words. After “John,” it was a heavy focus on C5 with “Let It Fly,” “Open Safe,” “Dedicate” and “Mona Lisa.”
The iconic MC then encouraged the fans to celebrate life and not take their existence for granted. He stood still, holding his mic in the stand during “Don’t Cry,” which features fallen hip-hop soldier XXXtentacion.
“Staring into the clouds./ Am I rising or they comin’ down?” he rapped.
“I see death around the corner./ And the U-turn sign's lookin' like a smile./
What do I do now? Who gon' find me, how?/ Nowhere to turn but around and round./ Just another n*** that done lost his head./ No, a f***ing king that forgot his crown.”
Sobering tone turned to intoxicated bliss with “The Motto” and one of Weezy’s blockbusters “A Milli.” Before “Uproar,” Wayne told everyone that the song was “liked everywhere, loved everywhere but no more than it is here.”
When you think about all the horror stories of mass incarceration and police brutality and judicial bias that were told during the night, one important thing to factor is that the victims and the oppressed, no matter how difficult their circumstances, never lost their humanity. Never become the monster. Now whether or not you pray for the oppressors or not, is a discussion for another time, but Lauryn Hill was very clear about the purpose of the night.
“We’re here for a very important reason,” she said. “Broken systems… We have the power to change them, we have the power to do something about it… Please support the initiatives connected to this event... Help the people who are out there supporting change.”
Aside from her political messages, Hill came to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her timeless and universally lauded LP The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. L Boogie mostly performed the songs with her and her band’s remix versions of the original beats.
“Lost Ones,” “Everything is Everything,” and “X Factor” all came in the set and she even made her own new freestyle song over “Drake’s “Nice For What Beat.” Drizzy as you know, sampled Hill’s “X Factor” for the record.
“I wear a short natural like Lola Felana,” she rapped. “This is ‘X Factor,’ he took the sample./ My shit is classic./Here’s an example./ See how we, nice it up on the riddim…”
Meek Mill enjoyed himself, even telling the audience him and Drake were back to being cool again. A year ago, Meek was in jail like so many of the people today to whom Tidal X is trying to bring awareness and resolution. Meek’s story of having to deal with the system all of his adult life, despite only getting criminal charges when he was a minor, has been a rallying point for not just the hip-hop community but a groundswell of people who have experienced unfair treatment in the criminal system personally, via loved ones or even just by people that they have heard about.
Meek started with his “Dreams and Nightmares” intro then went into “Like a Boss.”
“I wanna do this s**t tonight for all the ones we lost to the system,” The Philadelphia King told the spectators.
Meek ran through some his catalog with heartfelt words for his slain friend and Dream Chaser artist Lil Snupe, as well as stories about people want to see him “fall. “He then shifted towards the ladies with his new single “Dangerous” and platinum record “All Eyes on Me.”
“Litty Again” closed it out.
“Every artist came to New York to perform for free tonight,” he divulged to the crowd. “I need you to get out there and vote.”
Earlier in the night, legendary guitar player and political activist Tom Morello had poignant words for the Barclays faithful.
“Racial injustice isn’t an accident, nor is it ordained by God,” he testified. “Racial injustice is man-made. If it created by human beings, it can be destroyed by human beings. Police brutality stops when we stop it.”
The Lox, who unwrapped a gaggle of their street gems, had the harshest words of the night for this country’s Commander In Chief yelling “F**k Trump” and “F**k 45” right before and during “F**k You.”
“This is for Criminal Justice reform,” Styles P exclaimed. “We are all one.”
Lil Kim joined her long time collaborators for the classic “All About The Benjamins.”
Fat Joe and Black Thought also made for an inspired tandem with Thought rapping Big Pun’s rhymes on “Twinz” with Joe. The Roots’ frontman also rifled off a flurry of freetyles as well as his powerful and timely Rest In Power.”
“In America, one tradition that lasts./Is black blood woven into the fibers o' the flag,” he lamented in rhyme. “Not addressing the problems of the past
To nowhere fast, but following the path./So called ‘leaders’ on hire for the Klan…”I feel like in fatherhood we are connected./ Too long before the shooter was arrested./ So wrong, worldwide, we've been affected
To them it's real, sins of the father remembered still./ For every Trayvon Martin, there was an Emmett Till.”
Director and Producer Ava Duvernay brought out former Olympian Tommie Smith, who 50 years ago stood in solidarity with Black fists raised with fellow American Jean Carlos. Duvernay reflected on how their powerful and historic actions are appreciated today, but back then the two were treated as “Social pariahs” upon returning to America for their act of resistance.
“He is the best of us” she described. Smith came out wearing his Olympic number 307.
“Reform, reform. All of my people how you feeling tonight? I was there. This was me,” he said. “I love all of you. Reformation is what we have to do.”
He also called for “Togetherness” and “Equality.”
“We cannot do without it,” he said.
