We may be in a recession, but even in the midst of hard economic times some rappers still find it in their hearts to give the fans what they want - in the booth AND on the stage. ATL-Native Ludacris and Soulja Boy Tellem took to the stage at the Tabernacle in Atlanta for a free concert sponsored by AT&T in celebration of the SEC Football Championship game also held in ATL.




In a brief pre-performance interview, Ludacris spoke with Sound-Savvy about his plans to tour in support of his current album and his stance on lyricists versus gimmicks in hip-hop music:





He also spoke briefly about his upcoming project with Disturbin' Tha Peace artist Shawnna, a collaborative album entitled Battle of the Sexes and about his love for his music, reinforcing the fact that he really does it for hip-hop.






Now if you read Sound-Savvy regularly, you know I don't really take Soulja Boy too seriously. In short, I feel that he's nothing more than a gimmick, a fad, and the problem with gimmicks and fads is that they come with an expiration date. However, Soulja Boy is a pretty decent performer. His songs are all high-energy and moved the teenage-heavy crowd with every line. He opened with his latest jam Bird Walk, and continued with other popular jams like Get Silly, Donk, and the irritating but catchy Marco Polo. He also performed the latest single Kiss Me Through The Phone which features almost-forgotten R&B singer Sammie, who actually made a guest appearance to sing the hook alongside Soulja Boy. I didn't even realize I knew every word to Crank Dat until the closing of the 40-minute set, which left the entire venue excited and awaiting the headliner.


"Hear ye, hear ye! Disturbin' Tha Peace presents.... Theater of the Mind..."


When Ludacris calls himself "The Last of a Dying Breed" you'd better believe it! There aren't many rappers that can compete with Ludacris in the booth, but even fewer that can rock a stage like he can. The diverse crowd all let go of the troubles of the world to be entertained by an MVP, a seasoned professional. If the title MC really means "move the crowd", consider Ludacris a deity among MC's. Crunk is probably an understatement for the atmosphere - fans relentlessly chanted every word, every gesture and enjoyed the fun stroll through the past 8 years in the making of one of hip hop's elite. For the true fans like myself, Ludacris performed some of his earlier hits like Phat Rabbit, Ho, and Roll Out. To appease the ladies in attendance, he brought back jams like Freaky Girl, Splash Waterfalls, and even brought out fellow ATLien Ciara for a performance of her hit Oh (see video below). Other guest appearances during the set included DTP artists I-20 for Luda's arguably most widely recognized hit Move Bitch and Playaz Circle with their hit Duffle Bag Boy. To prove how much he's worth to the game Ludacris, flanked by longtime hypeman and collaborator Fate Wilson, performed some of his biggest featured singles including Usher's Yeah, T-Pain's Chopped N' Skrewed and DJ Khaled's So Hood (Remix). Ludacris brought the same excitement and energy to the stage that he brings to each album, which is why after 6 albums and a slew of awards (including his recent Grammy nod) he's earned the title MVP.







Related Posts:
Review: Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
Video Review: Soulja Boy - Bird Walk

Special shouts to Elizabeth and Jackie (Fleishman), Kim from Bossip.com, and Brian with News Channel 2 for partying with Sound-Savvy!!