Charisma of Fiasco, Cole is missing from Artscape stage

The Baltimore Sun

It was an interesting choice to have Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco and Oakland, Calif., soul singer Keyshia Cole share the main stage Saturday night at Artscape. Just two years ago, both generated almost deafening buzz before their debuts hit the streets. And each delivered albums that were refreshingly assured and focused.

With Food & Liquor, Fiasco's critically acclaimed 2006 CD, the rapper brought a soulful flair to his wordy narratives, which delved into such varied topics as skateboarding and growing up without a dad. And on The Way It Is, Cole's platinum-selling 2005 CD, the singer-songwriter infused her brokenhearted soul ballads with no-nonsense hip-hop swagger, recalling early Mary J. Blige.

Although Fiasco and Cole are talented and charismatic in the studio, that same magnetism didn't translate to the stage Saturday night. Both performed rote sets whose pacing mostly puttered along.

Backed by a DJ and a "hype man" to echo his rhymes, Fiasco rushed through choice cuts from Food & Liquor, including "I Gotcha," "The Cool" and the hip-hop skateboard anthem "Kick, Push," which he introduced by gliding across the stage on a skateboard.

But throughout his hourlong set, Fiasco seemed to be more engaged with himself and the DJ than the audience. The wiry singer moved a lot - bouncing around the stage and pulling up his low-hanging pants. But most of the time, he was seemingly in his own world of beats and rhymes.

The same more or less can be said about Cole, who seemed more interested in plugging the September release of her new album, the second season of her BET reality show and her first cover of Essence magazine than delivering a fluid performance. But she gets kudos for making a star entrance: A police motorcade surrounded her limo as it pulled up to the left of the main stage on Cathedral Street.

Decked in white and backed by a flavorless four-piece band and two shrill back-up singers, Cole half-heartedly sang tunes from The Way It Is, including "I Should Have Cheated" and the overwrought hit ballad "Love."

As she performed "Never," her first hit single from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, Cole abruptly stopped the band midway, telling the musicians to go to the next tune because she had forgotten the words.

Like Fiasco, Cole has talent by the pound. But both could use pointers in polishing up their stage acts.

rashod.ollison@baltsun.com

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