Photos by Matt O Instagram.com/BoardinOgilvie

Last night (4-14-16) I attended Royce 5'9's album release show for his latest project, Layers. As I headed to the show from Queens, I knew I would expect a few special guests and a room full of hip-hop heads. And was I ever right. From the second I walked in to the second the show ended, the night was full of HIP-HOP. And when I say hip-hop, I mean old-school beats with endless bars. If you are a fan of Royce 5'9 you know he can tell a story so you will be happy to hear his new album is packed heavy with them. I forgot who the first opener was but the second was Queens rapper, Grafh. It was actually the first hip-hop show that I have been to in years that started early. After the short opening sets, Royce didn't waste any time getting to the stage. Kid Vishis performed alongside Royce 5'9 all night and they brought out legends like Smoke DZA, WestSideGunn, Conway, Styles P, and more. Although, Joe Budden, Joel Ortiz, Raekwon, and others were in the building they didn't bless the stage. If you consider yourself a true hip-hop fan, you gotta support real hip-hop artists. Last night proved that hip-hop is alive and well in New York City.