Slick Rick Brightest in Lyricist Lounge Spectrum

The idea of filling a hip-hop bill with several unknown acts, a famous headliner and legendary hosts seems ill-fated. After all, most rap fans attend concerts to hear today’s stars perform today’s hits. But for the capacity audience Thursday evening at the House of Blues stop of the Lyricist Lounge tour, witnessing tomorrow’s rhyme heroes proved well worth the price of admission.

Nonetheless, headliner Slick Rick was the highlight of the show. Greeted by a deafening ovation from the packed house, Rick continued to enjoy the crowd’s adulation as he performed his classics “The Show” and “La Di Da Di,” which the fans rapped word for word. Far from a dynamic performer, Rick benefits from a recording career than spans 13 years and is replete with undeniable smash hits. The New York resident included a dance step or two in his routine, but the fans were so delighted to see the reclusive icon that his presence alone would have likely wooed them.

Host act De La Soul, labeled hip-hop hippies after releasing their landmark 1989 debut, “3 Feet High and Rising,” hyped the crowd with brief routines before introducing each act.

Infamous Syndicate, a female duo from Chicago, proved the most entertaining of the lesser-known artists. A winning combination of a wide range of beats and continuous animation anchored their 20-minute set. Storming across the stage and feverishly interacting with the crowd during choruses kept the patrons enraptured and excited.

The Last Emperor earned oohs and ahs as he delivered a story rap about rappers battling comic-book characters. Of course, in the Philadelphia native’s tale the rappers emerged victorious from every encounter. To avoid heavy bass drowning out his lyrics, the Emperor had his instrumental backing reduced to a minimum--a tactic other rappers would do well to employ.

Los Angeles’ Defari attempted to hype the crowd by jumping up and down during his brief set, but he failed to elicit the response of some of the other performers. When fellow City of Angels resident Xzibit rushed the stage to join his rhyme associate during the conclusion of his set, the energy level increased exponentially.