Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
VARIOUS ARTISTS | Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
Geffen (2006)
Selected by Daryl McIntosh
A short trip down memory lane takes hip-hop fans of the pre-millennial era back to when Dave Chappelle was just about the coolest man on the planet. Everyone had a copy of his hysterical sketch comedy series The Chappelle Show right next to their DVD player, and famous lines from the show had become a part of the daily American lexicon.
The old adage of being as good as the company you keep rang true for Mr. Chappelle as well, as rapper/actor/singer Mos Def seemed to be his closest compadre. Whether Mos Def was the musical plug that linked Chappelle to the rest of the super conglomerate known as the Soulquarians, Dave’s idea to throw a Block Party in the middle of Brooklyn was about as close as hip-hop had ever gotten to duplicating Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack.
Live performances from Mos Def, his partner Talib Kweli, the incomparable Jill Scott, and the amazing Erykah Badu, had enough star-power to summon a short-lived Fugees reunion, which altogether made this fun-filled concert one of the most pleasurable musical experiences of 2006.
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