Ruff Ryder show's a rough ride

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Concert review

Cash Money, Ruff Ryder tour, Thursday night, KeyArena

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The Lox, DMX, Drag-On and Cash Money stole the show at KeyArena Thursday night. Well maybe not the show, but at least the outrageous $42.50 minimum ticket price. Although the event lasted until nearly 1 a.m. from its 7 p.m. supposed start, the actual performance lasted only about two hours.

Even then, T.K. Kirkland, the host for the night, asked a very appropriate question - "Where my real hip-(hoppas)?" Simply put, they decided to stay home and skipped out on the commercially exploited mainstream version of rap music.

And for good reason.

Cash Money, consisting of Juvenile, B.G., Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne (Turk didn't make it), came the closest to representing with an energetic presence on the last set of the night. Despite gimmicks and tricks like a giant platinum watch in the background and a prop helicopter that delivered B.G. and Juve to the stage, the crew had some substance behind it.

Lil Wayne, the youngest member, showed a youthful enthusiasm and fire while rapping across the entire stage. At one point Mannie Fresh even let a young turntablist cut it up with a quality juggle of Rob Base's classic "It Takes Two," to the befuddlement of the crowd. But, naturally, they responded to the grand finale and booty-shakin' anthem, "Back That Thang Up."

Before the Hot Boyz came on, the crowd sat listless for an hour after an uninspiring performance by DMX. The self-proclaimed dog had little bark in his rhymes and seemingly lip-synched at times. Only during the hooks did he show any life, and had the crowd robotically chanting along to the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem." At one point he whined about how nobody felt him. Perhaps they found out the image on TV and records doesn't quite match the real DMX. Only by taking off his clothes could DMX elicit screams from the ladies.

Minus the no-show Eve, the Lox and Drag-On rounded out the Ruff Ryder lineup. Drag-On hit the stage first in an unmoving 15-minute set. Even with his "hot" new single, "Spit These Bars," Drag-On had no idea how to perform live.

The Lox didn't help matters, since the group doesn't really have any bona fide hits to move the crowd. Apparently by claiming and playing Puff Daddy's "It's All About The Benjamins," they dissed their former boss on Bad Boy Records.

All of this happened in between down times, the main attraction for the night. With CDs skipping, technical difficulties and tardy performers, T.K. Kirkland made the mistake of allowing audience members to rap. Bad idea. Basically he just shot them down with tiresome gun sound effects. By the time things wrapped up, the revealingly clad women and geared-out fellas left, relieved that it was all over.