Jay-Z
Electric Factory
Seventh and Willow streets
8 p.m. $40 (SOLD OUT!!!)
(215) 627-1332
There's no doubt that Jay-Z stands alone atop the rap game right now. Plenty of whack MCs like Nelly will lay down a hot joint here and there, but everyone knows they're not here to stay. Although he was entirely under-appreciated at first, Jay-Z and his Roc-a-fella dynasty are in complete control now. That's not to say he didn't stumble a bit, such as on his two previous somewhat sub-par releases, but tracks from his latest album, The Blueprint, that just dropped this week, sound like a return to form. As the title suggests, Jay-Z is about to show the world how the game is played and bring some attention back to East Coast Rap. Master P and Cash Money, amongst others, have for so long gotten away with bringing us a flood of second-rate, untalented rappers that I think we forgot how true hip-hop should sound. What we need are some tight rhymes and sick beats and that's exactly what Jay-Z delivers. His output is never going to approach the conscious hip-hop of Mos Def and Common, but as long you're going to dish out the party jams, you better do it right.
Moulin Rouge
Trocadero
1003 Arch St.
free, 8:00 p.m., 21+
(215) 922- LIVE
Colorful, innovative, and filled with prostitutes, Moulin Rouge was the film of the summer that had everyone singing, "Voulez vous coucher avec moi?" Director Baz Luhrmann attempts resurrecting the lollipop musical with a post-millennial twist--he features cast members singing famed pop songs by artists as diverse as T-Rex, Dolly Parton and Nat "King" Cole. Self-consciously over-the-top, Moulin Rouge uses MTV-influenced editing and special effects in presenting the singing-boy-meets-dancing-girl-who-just-so-happens-to-be-the-most-sought-aft er-hooker-in-all-of-France love story. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this past May, stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor wowed audiences and critics alike with their singing and dancing abilities. A film best seen on the big screen, the Troc provides you one last opportunity. Best of all, here, it's FREE OF CHARGE, before Blockbuster can charge you an arm, a leg and a six-pack's worth. For all you technically non-legals, you're gonna have to use your fake for a place other than Smoke's, cause it's 21 and over only. Yeah, we know, it sucks to be under 21, but damn the man, it's a great movie.
