Godfathers of Rap Churn Out Boogity Beat for Willing Crowd

Hip-hop has now matured to the point where it can support its own oldies circuit, complete with paunchy, middle-aged rappers invoking former glory to a new generation of fans willing to overlook any glaring deficiencies for the sake of good, clean fun. That was the scenario at the Dragonfly on Saturday, as rap godfathers Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Sugarhill Gang charmed a sweat-drenched, hand-flailing mob with tired, tedious hokum.

Things started promisingly enough. The Sugarhill Gang came on like three old-schoolers with something to prove to the young’uns, delivering its party manifestoes with flair and finesse.

Once Melle Mel hit the stage, however, the show took an ugly turn into banality. Clumsily rapping over the original versions of “The Message” and “White Lines (Don’t Do It),” Melle Mel was all bluster and no brawn.

The show went rapidly downhill from there. The Sugarhill Gang followed Melle Mel’s lead with a quasi-karaoke “Rapper’s Delight” as a gaggle of girls jumped on stage and began bumping and grinding to the rhythm of the boogity beat. The crowd ate it up, proof that cheesy production values are never a deterrent when there’s serious dancing to be done.