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The Passion of Dance - Pier Two - Chaguaramas - October 17 2004

MC Slick Rick, ?The Ruler,? had a short but brilliant reign over the audience at The Passion of Dance at Pier Two, Chaguaramas, on Saturday night.

The British-born, US-based rapper, who was charged under the name Ricky Walters when he went to jail in 1991 for attempted murder, had the crowd eating out of his bejewelled hands.

With his partner in rhyme Doug E Fresh, the headline acts in the party?s concert segment opened with their smash hit The Show and didn?t lose momentum during their short stint on stage together.

Fans packed the western venue for the highly-anticipated event.

There was a string of red tail lights along the Western Main Road stretching from the venue to beyond the Tembladora station.

Scalpers hustled last-minute ticket sales to drivers stuck in their cars for an hour-long wait.

The patrons needn?t have rushed; it was nearly 1 am when the first act of the night came on stage.

Lloyd E Stiff, a Jamaican dub artiste?who, like the other performers on the night?s bill, had his heyday in the 1980s?opened the show.

He was followed by singer Shannon, who was enthusiastically greeted but lost the attention of her fans when she segued from her old school song My Heart?s Divided into new material from her upcoming album. She got the hint from the stony crowd and quickly switched back to her biggest hit, Let the Music Play.

The title track of her 1984 album?which sold eight million discs, she said?had them singing along and dancing enthusiastically.

DJs took back the stage during the wait for the top-billed artistes. The patient crowd danced peacefully.

Then Doug E Fresh came on. Known as a master human beat box, Fresh led the audience through a maze of old school rap, TV-show themes and trivia before bringing on Rick.

?My man had bling bling before it was bling bling,? Fresh observed at around 3.20 am, just before Rick came on stage in satin shirt, baggy three-quarter tailored pants, waistcoat and pork pie hat?all white?accented with lime green socks, tie and hat band.

The eyepatch he?s worn since losing his eye as a child was part of the bling effect; it, like the large rings, sported pav? diamond-like stones.

In front of a uniformly joyous crowd, they performed only the biggest hits?including LaDiDaDi, the B-side of The Show; Mona Lisa and Children?s Story?before clearing out. Patrons didn?t linger. By 3.55 am the venue was half-deserted.

The unusually short performances seemed not to have dimmed the shine of the evening. Overheard: ?At least I could get to say I see Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh live.?