|
 |
Browse Bands by Name
|
|
Or enter a band name below to search:
|
 Bands Main
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The first show, unfortunately, whatever city that is ... you kind of cheat them," Mannie Fresh explained. "You gotta work the kinks out. ... We gave it 100%, even though it had little kinks.
"It's the technology of it," Fresh continued. "I hate that sh--, I'm gonna put it point blank. I'd rather do it off two turntables and some microphones and leave all that other sh-- out of it. But everybody wants a better quality sound. 'We could do it better this way.' You've got DATs. You've got all that kind of stuff. Your show is computerized from beginning to end."
The mood was looser backstage at Philadelphia's First Union Center. The Cash Money crew yukked it up while Fabolous was onstage rocking the crowd. Baby's young children, Bryan Jr. and Briana, were playing with some of the guys.
Some of the camp were eating. "I just want food, man," Baby said of his dressing-room requirements. "I ain't trippin' off that extra sh--."
Others were just clowning. Big Mike, a member of CMR's entourage, was busy ribbing the label's resident loverman crooner. "He said TQ was doing the cha-cha slide!" Lil' Wayne yelled to Gotti, laughing hysterically.
But it was the bling-bling grins — Baby with his platinum grill, and Nelly with his gold tooth — that dominated the attention in the hallways. Nelly, who was making his way from his dressing room to another part of the backstage area, stopped by to give dap to the whole crew before jaw-jacking with the Birdman about facing off in a game of "Madden."
"I need to get with you on that," Nelly said to Baby with a smile.
"Well, that sounds like a invitation to play, then," Baby retorted.
"Nah, I heard you didn't want to see me," Nelly came back. "I heard [Jermaine Dupri] already beat you."
"He won, he won, but that was the setup," Baby said, laughing. "That was to set you up."
"Fo' sho', we gonna get it going," Nelly responded before breaking out to do a quick photo shoot before his performance.
After their show that night, Cash Money displayed few signs of being weary. The crowd was amped all the way through their stage time, and the few problems they had — like TQ's mic not coming on on time — had been shaken off. Next up was a small meet-and-greet with a lucky family who must have been friends of somebody important.
"Hey, what are you guys' names?" a close-to-middle-aged woman asked Fresh. "The 'Old Tymers'?"
Amused by her ignorance, Fresh good-naturedly corrected her. "The Old Tymers? Nah, we're the Big Tymers.' "
"Look, honey, his earrings are bigger than my engagement ring," the overzealous lady said, turning her attention to another member of CMR's troop. She was fixated on the huge tones in his platinum cross. "Are those real?" she asked. "How come you won't let me take a picture wearing it? You don't trust me?"
|
|
|
|
Photo: Epic
|
|
|
|
