Rap-Up.com || Kelis Wins ‘Hearts’ on NYC Tour Stop

No one could tell it was a Wednesday evening inside Webster Hall, as a massive crowd gathered for the New York City stop on the “All Hearts” tour, co-headlined by singers Kelis and Robyn.

As show openers, hip-house group Far East Movement yelled, “Make some noise for Brass Monkey,” and proceeded to make one of their crew members dance around wearing a monkey head. Concertgoers also couldn’t tell it was a pop-dance concert as Englishman Dan Black prepped the crowd for a session of melodramatic electro, wearing a black skeletal shirt and gold skinny jeans. Swedish pop star Robyn would later close out the night with an amazing performance, which proved why she’s been going strong for almost 15 years.

Hitting the stage wearing a multi-colored, patterned bodysuit and a silver platinum wig, it was hard to imagine that Kelis’ fit frame expelled a baby a year ago. While a heartbeat blared through the speakers on the stage, Kelis made the audience, predominantly male, put their hands over their hearts and pledge the following: “I came here for one purpose. I came to dance. I will not stare. I will not judge. I will participate. Because we control the dance floor.” As soon as the audience was done with their induction, “Emancipate,” a track off her new album Flesh Tone, kicked off the night with volcanic percussion and thumping beats that would last well into midnight.

The Harlem native performed some of her classic records by mashing them up and jumping from one back-in-the-day song to the next including “Caught Out There” and “Got Your Money.” Always the candid entertainer, Kelis stopped the band mid-set and revealed to the audience, “This is as real as it gets. My kid got a cold this week, so I got one too. And I’m a fu**ing disaster right now.” No one could really tell, even when she screamed over the bass. “I started antibiotics yesterday,” she confessed before plunging into a near-flawless performance of “Get Along With You.”

After closing out with “Acapella,” Kelis, 30 years old and 10 years into her career, not once showed signs of wavering despite being ill. Instead, she pulled out all the stops for Flesh Tone‘s homecoming in the city that raised her.

–Jonathan Reyes

Photos by Cassidy Maldonado for Rap-Up

Posted in Kelis, Photos, Reviews | Permalink

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24 Comments

Nina
August 5th, 2010 at 10:35 am
you couldn’t have picked a more un-flattering photo of Kelis could you.

Why you dis-like her that much RapUp?!?

Kelis you rock!!!!

[Reply]
BossyBitch
August 5th, 2010 at 10:38 am
@Nina, Did you read what they wrote??? Stop whining! They gave her a glowing review.

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Nina
August 5th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Who’s asking you BossyBitch?!?

You don’t have to put a @ I’m the only comment

so far..

Who ever put that main pick up I hope someone

will tag them on FB with a pic like that too..

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BossyBitch
August 5th, 2010 at 10:59 am
@Nina, Would you prefer they wrote shit about her??? Most of the blogs do.

Kelis looks beautiful in all her photos.

You’ve turned something positive into a negative.

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TJ
August 5th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Ummm…I don’t see nothing wrong with that photo. Nina need to calm her crazy ass down.

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Nina
August 5th, 2010 at 11:31 am
STFU TJ. :)

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WhatTheF
August 5th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I love Kelis even though she looks stupid.

#TeamKelis

[Reply]
Kyle
August 5th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I would definitely go to that show. I am so happy that Kelis is as underrated as she is because I don’t want her to sell-out. “Flesh Tone” is probably my favorite album so far this year. I love the direction of it and it flows perfectly from one song to the next. “Emancipate” seems like a good way to start off her show. TEAM KELIS ALL THE WAY.

[Reply]
piper
August 5th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Kelis looks a mess, but no surprise’s there. And her voice is not great live, too raspy & dry she struggle’s. I wldn’t waste money to see her perform.

[Reply]
kani k.
August 5th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
kelis is just a voice-deliverer for the neptunes. such persona-lacking so-called artist on the scene, can’t wait to see her getting eliminated. game is fun. she has doughs from nas. oh snap.

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yes!
August 5th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Kelis reviews from her concerts have not been that great…Robyn has been getting the most praise for her great vocals and incredible energy! Rap-up did her a favor!

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Bijan
August 5th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
loved the article
nina go home

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mackey
August 5th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
i love me some Robyn

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tell'em
August 5th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
@mackey, I like Robyn too. For anyone unfamiliar with her, youtube “None Of Dem” from her current EP “Body Talk.” She’s cool…

I wish someone recorded Kelis performing “Get Along With You.” Thats one of my favorite Kelis tracks.

[Reply]
Nina
August 5th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
FU Bijan. You work for RapUp. I love Robyn too! :)))

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canisay
August 5th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Kelis is horrible live and she has been looking weird lately. I’m starting to think she had some plastic surgery gone wrong because her face looks very different and not in a good way…she used to be gorgeous.

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ponyo
August 5th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
poor kelis still a fan though don’t let baby daddy get to ya

[Reply]
Emancipation
August 5th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Why the haters so mad, yet you queers never seen her live, yet y’all want to state your irrelevant opinion. I’ve seen Kelis live and she was truly FLIPPING AMAZING! She had the whole crowd moving the whole time she performed.

@yes!
Kelis has been getting GREAT reviews. I don’t know what reviews you are reading, but Rolling Stone, Spin and etc has been raving for her.
Robyn has been getting good reviews as well, but I seen alot of bad reviews for her too. Especially people who were her fans. I think Robyn & Kelis are great together. Hopefully they make some hot music together in the future.

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harvey
August 6th, 2010 at 8:39 am
how the fuck is kelis gonna have plastic surgry she looks like that because shes mixed chinese puerter-rican jamaican epic right,I like kelis because her voice is husky-beautiful and her music gets stuck in your head.but she needa take it easy live she be two hype you when kelis was on BBC and sang sweet dreams acapella, she was really good and had the most smooth balleds.robyn is amazing to hang with me needs to be on the hot 100 chart.

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harvey
August 6th, 2010 at 8:45 am
@WhatTheF me to.people needa stop hating fleshtone best album I ever heard emancipate reminds me of bob marley remdemption song.

[Reply]
» Blog Archive » Robyn and Kelis’ All Hearts Tour Packs Webster Hall With Smoke Machines And … - Huffington Post (blog)
August 6th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
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August 6th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
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Ruffeo
August 16th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
So honored that Kelis wore our bodysuit for her homecoming show! Ruffeo Hearts Lil’ Snotty hearts Kelis, Forever and ever.

[Reply]
Ruffeo
August 16th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Oh btw if you want to check the bodysuit out visit Patricia Field Store or go to rhls.com

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