To cap off Day 3 of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, hip-hop fans had the pleasure of seeing rap god Ghostface Killah take over the 8 p.m. slot on the Black Sheep Stage.
With a larger crowd than most performers that day, the Wu-Tang lyricist brought out super-fans and casuals alike. The start of the show was quite slow with GFK’s DJ providing some ‘warm up’ rock songs that energized the crowd. Momentum shifted when Killah Priest walked on stage to accompany the legendary MC. The crowd felt electric as they rapped familiar hits like “C.R.E.A.M.” and the fire verse from “New God Flow 1.”
KIllah Priest & Ghostface Killah
Crowd work was the strongest part of the show with the DJ and Ghostface transitioning from new age Wu and old school classics. The also did a great job engaging the crowd; pulling two fans on stage to see who could spit Method Man and ODB’s “Protect Ya Neck” verses the best. The crowd cheered on both men, with one of them standing out a bit more than the other. It turned out to be familiar face from Ottawa’s battle scene.
“Stand-in ODB absolutely mastered the lyrics, compelling the packed pit to bounce on beat, which was impressive since there was a heap of pressure on the guy — Ghostface told the packed bowl to boo him off stage if he screwed up.” – Ottawa Citizen
The audience started to get younger towards the end of Ghostface’s set, as teens and pre-teens made their way to the stage for Shawn Mendes’ 9:30 show.
Check out more photos of the show below and stay tuned for more of our Bluesfest coverage.
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Written by Sean Jean (@SeanJeann) & Nate G for HipHopCanada & CapCityHipHop
Photography by Sean Jean for HipHopCanada & CapCityHipHop
Our 2018 Bluesfest coverage is brought to you in partnership with our friends at CapCityHipHop.
