Ghostface Killah wows students at free show

It’s a little past 7 p.m. on a Saturday
night and a sold-out crowd of about 600
people is funneling to the front of the
Commons Ballroom stage.

The idle crowd comes to life at the
sound of an announcer who welcomes
all to the free concert. The audience
cheers as if the main event has already
started.

Atlanta rapper Witchdoctor is introduced
and emerges alone on the
stage. He is dressed in brown slacks,
a thin button-up shirt and open-toed
sandals. The screams slowly fade in
anticipation.

This was the scene Saturday, Oct. 6,
at the Adult Swim Presents Ghostface
Killah featuring Witchdoctor show at
the University Student Commons.
Witchdoctor’s energy was consistent
and rubbed off on the crowd when
he performed a song that seemed to
slow down time – “Feel Low.” He even
asked an audience member to recite the
repetitious chorus. “Make me feel low!”
the crowd member emulated into the
microphone.

“Where my ladies at?” Witchdoctor
asked, receiving a thunderous reaction
from the females in attendance. The
short-stature “ATLien” – Witchdoctor
claims he came off a spaceship in Atlanta
– moved his hips to the beat of “Spell on
Them .” as if he were Marvin Gaye.

Before closing out his hour-long set
with the thought-provoking “King of
the Beasts,” he allowed Khujo Goodie
of the Dungeon Family and duo Willa
Boys to perform.

The crowd was then treated to the
main event, Wu-Tang Clan’s own
Ghostface Killah. But they had to wait
more than an hour before he even came
out.

As the crowd grew restless and the
chants of “Wu-Tang” faded, some in the
audience kept themselves entertained by
rapping their own lyrics over the tracks
by the late J. Dilla and Ghostface himself
that thundered from massive speakers.

It was shortly after 9 p.m. when
Ghostface’s DJ and entourage finally got
on stage and set up equipment.
The crowd erupted when they heard
the music and finally saw Ghostface
Killah make his way on stage dressed in
blue jeans, white Mitchell & Ness T-shirt
and a blue Yankees fitted cap.

Ghostface opened with “Uh-Oh,” then
went straight into the Wu-Tang classic
“Ice Cream.” The crowd was hanging on
every word as members of his rap crew,
Theodore Unit, delivered Wu-member
Method Man’s verses.

Many of the new and relatively
unknown members of Theodore Unit
also performed.

Along with members of his own faction,
Ghostface Killah allowed members
of the audience to show off their skills
on the microphone. Seven VCU students
were brought on stage for an Amateur
Night at the Apollo-style hip-hop battle
to see who was the best on campus.

Five of the seven – six male, one
female – were booed off stage. The two
remaining emcees – one of which was
Ghostface’s nephew – were rated based
on the audience’s response.

In the end, it was R.J., 18, who
Ghostface and the audience deemed
as the rapper that best “held it down”
for VCU.

After overseeing the rap battle and
comically demanding a change of lighting,
Ghostface delivered one Wu-Tang
Clan classic after another.

Every hand was rhythmically waving
in the air when Ghostface and company
shook the ballroom with hits, such as
“Tribute,” the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s
“Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Ain’t Nothing
Ta (.) Wit.”

The crowd was going wild. “When
I say ‘Wu,’ you say ‘Tang!’ ” Ghostface
said.

“Wu!” “Tang,” the crowd replied back
and forth with him.

“Cash rules everything around me,
C.R.E.A.M, get the money. Dollar, dollar
bill ya’ll,” the crowd sang as Ghostface
held the microphone to the ecstatic sea
of fans.

Then, the mood changed from
hardcore to smooth, geared toward the
females in attendance.

The most beautiful ladies in the crowd
were called to the stage, as Ghostface
assured them that they didn’t have to
do anything “crazy.”

Among playing soulful hits, such as
Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I
Let You Go,” Ghostface performed his
own lady-friendly hits, such as “Pretty
Toney.”

Crowd interaction played a big part
in the night as the last song performed
was with a female audience member
dancing on stage.

Dressed in a turquoise top and jeans,
she interacted well with Ghostface, as
if the performance of “Back Like That”
were rehearsed.

After letting his crew perform a few
freestyles that were well received by the
crowd, Ghostface had one more interactive
message for the highly energetic
audience. With the crowd joining in, he
ended the night demanding, “One, two,
three, peace!” — giving the audience a
free show and a priceless experience.

Editor’s note:
The CT had plans
to photograph the
performance, but the
event organizers said
once tickets were sold
out, not even the press
would be allowed entry.