The first was Lloyd, a hip hop/ rapper, who surprisingly could actually sing. He had a nice voice and mixed it up between singing and rapping throughout his 20 minute set. I may not have understood most of the rap but the audience seemed to get it.  He was obviously no rookie to the stage and had no problem performing while looking into a very warm Texas setting sun.

Next up was Far East Movement, a quartet of electro hoppers. Their Far East roots and lively energy made them very entertaining. Their singing was not as impressive as Lloyd’s, but their musicianship was another surprise. Instead of relying on a back up band, they all played instruments.

Keri Hilson was third up and I would have been happy if she’d stayed on stage the rest of the night.  This girl is HOT – oh my!   She wore a pink jumpsuit with a large patch on the back stating, No Boys Allowed, the title of her new album. And although dressed in pink, don’t be fooled. Hilson is way more electric and fierce than frilly and feminine.  She had two terrific lady dancers/singers up on stage with her and they were having fun strutting their stuff and not holding back. I had the opportunity to photograph Beyonce, The Queen of body movement, a few years ago. Keri Hilson is the closest thing I’ve seen to that kind of moving and shaking. Surprise number three for the evening!

An interesting note: Keri Hilson and one of my top country favorites, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (both Georgia girls) performed the Aretha Franklin hit Think together for VH 1’s Divas Salute the Troops Concert last year. Way to go ladies!

Floridian Rick Ross, a giant of a man and former jock, was the last of the four openers for Lil Wayne. It seemed like the ushers and I were the only ones in the house who didn’t know every word of his music. As soon as he came on stage and began singing, the audience stood up and took over. They sang lyric after lyric, song after song, and loudly!  The full house, including the SRO lawn, were an energetic  group of diverse individuals from 16 to 60 who did all the singing while recording  the show on their cell phones.  Big Guy Ross must be doing something right to have this kind of wide appeal and to land this gig.

A standout feature of his show was his use of the F Bomb. He used it so many times it lost any meaning of vulgarity for me by the time Lil Wayne arrived on stage. I tried counting how many times in 60 seconds he, along with the audience, said F#@* and quickly determined I can’t count that high that fast. His buddy, Ace Hood, also from the Miami area, joined him on stage for a song and collectively they doubled the count in short order!

I’d also like to share with you that at this event, I ran into my young friends and photo clients, members of the group Savvy. Savvy, a terrific new pop group from right here in The Woodlands, were there as guests of the headliner, Lil Wayne.   They recently signed with his record label, Cash Money Records. They also star in their own TV show, The Wannabes, which just premiered on the Starz Network. The show has been airing on a number of networks for the past couple of years worldwide. I am really excited for what lies ahead for them. Check them out at www.savvymusic.biz

Lil Wayne is a childlike character and I found him fun and entertaining.  Besides enjoying his energetic persona he provided me the first opportunity ever to photograph a performer with a skateboard on stage. He also allowed me to witness seemingly every person in the Pavilion flip each other off and say, in unison, “I don’t give a fyuck”.   Kinda the way I feel about our current administration (Rolling Stone … take note- not everyone who writes about music supports the liberal left). Anyway, I guess that makes Lil Wayne the David Allan Coe of Rap.

His music? In a word… interesting is all I can say.

Wayne said there were three things that the crowd should know about him. “One, I believe in God. Two, I ain’t shit without you, and Three, I ain’t shit without you!”

Glad he believes in God…and recognizes the importance of the consumer. I think many of today’s performers, across all genres, have forgotten who is responsible with them getting to where they have gotten!   Until next time hope you keep it between the navigational beacons.