Rap Hands

Tougher Than Leather Tour

By Timothy Moriarty

We almost got whiplash, I took off so fast

The Fresh Prince

It may have been because it was my first summer with a driver’s license. Or the lazy afternoons playing tonk and weeknights playing basketball. Or it could just be that the Summer of 88 was the greatest year in rap music. Rap music discovery in the spring of 88 was much improved, partly due to the trajectory of rap. Remember, I just heard Criminal Minded the last Christmas. I was also checking releases from vererans like Boogie Boys Romeo Knight and Mantronix In Full Effect. Schoolly D also released his sophmore effort on Jive, Smoke Some Kill. Then, in late spring, before school ended, I finally got a hold of that mixtape and got caught up on the real from 87, the Colors Soundtrack dropped, and I got a dubbed copy of By All Means Necessary. Early in the summer, Indianapolis got its first rap radio station, WPZZ 95.9. I recall they played Kool Moe Dee’s Let’s Go constantly. Even though WTLC hadn’t lifted their prohibition on rap music, I was still an avid listner since their signal was stronger than WPZZ down in the ‘Ville. Anyway, even though WTLC was playing rap, they were still taking advertising dollars from rap promoters. They were advertising Run-D.M.C.’s Tougher Than Leather Tour at Market Square Arena. YO! This was going to be my first rap concert. Of course I was going to see the GODS, Run-D.M.C. Tougher Than Leather wasn’t Raising Hell, but it did have “Beats To The Rhyme”, “Radio Station”, “Mary, Mary”, “How’d Ya Do It Dee”, and we all knew MSA was going to be Run’s House for the night. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was also on the bill. In 88, they were in the process of crossing over with their hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. Even though they had mass appeal, they were hip-hop. D.J. Jazzy Jeff was producing bangers like “Brand New Funk”, “As We Go”, “Here We Go Again”, and “Time To Chill”. Also, He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper, was the first rap double lp. But the most intriguing group in the radio spot advertisment was Public Enemy. I knew of Public Enemy. I remember seeing Yo! Bum Rush The Show at Karma back when I first saw Criminal Minded. They also had a track on the mixtape, although, at the time, I didn’t realize it was them. But, I hadn’t really had the oppurtunity to listen to them. So not only did I buy a ticket to the show, I also bought It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. It’s hard to describe how groundbreaking this album was. Not only did the Bomb Squad not rely on simple loops, they introduced the precursor to the rap skit with concert audio that started, or sometimes ended, most songs. After listening to both sides of this album, the silence is disorienting.

So, July 28 arrives and Mike, Andy, and I are ready for the show. We were hoping to get there early because the seating was general admission. But, we had to drive up to 45th Street and Post Road to pick up Jason and his friend Birdman. So we were running later than expected. After standing in line, we finally made it into MSA. Our seats weren’t terrible, but if we were slightly more aggressive, we could have gotten much closer to the stage. At least we were on the side in the lower level. Before the show it was great seeing people in Adidas track suits, sneakers, and Jordan’s. It was sneaker paridise. I picked up a red Public Enemy t-shirt for the outrageous price of $20. It was the one with the logo on the front and Public Enemy on the back. Also, this is the first time I remember fanny packs being a thing. Dudes were rocking Louis Vuitton ones, probably fake.

Now, the show. The Tougher Than Leather Tour opened with EPMD. It wasn’t a suprise that they openned the show, but I know I wasn’t familiar with their music at the time. I am guessing they only did about four songs. Probably, “You Gots To Chill”, “Strictly Business”, “I’m Housing””, and “Your A Customer”. But really, I have no idea. They sound quality was such that the only thing I could make out were the eff bombs, some of which were directed to the sound man.

Next up PE, step. This was fantastic. Chuck D, Flava Flav, Terminator X, Professor Griff, and the S1W’s were all on stage. I wish I had the foresight to write down the set list, but they did all the songs you would expect. They performed “Don’t Believe The Hype”, “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos”, “Night Of The Living Baseheads”, and “Bring The Noise””. They also did the Terminator X bit to Queen’s Flash’s Theme like the concert snippet before “Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic”. I mostly remember Terminator X throwing his records behind him while changing them out. It was great. PE was in full effect, boyeeeee.

Now time for the breakout, crossover, rap group of the summer, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. They definitely did Parents Just Don’t Understand, probably ended with it. Honestly, I can’t remember what other songs they performed. I am sure they did Brand New Funk. I know the crowd said “ow and ho” and Ready Rock C gave Jeff a hand. But the highlight of the set was D.J. Jazzy Jeff’s scratch routine. INCREDIBLE. He cut up the best rap singles of the day and did the transformer scratch. Mind blowing.

Finally, it was time for the Kings from Queens, Run-D.M.C. Even though they just released their weakest album and the weakest album from 88 of the four groups performing, they were still the most popular and well known rap group at the time. And when they came on stage, Market Square Arena was Run’ house. Once again, I wish I would have wrote down the set list because I have no idea what songs they performed. I would probably have better luck ruling out songs they definitely didn’t perform. I wouldn’t be suprised if they perfomed no more than four songs from Tougher Than Leather, “Run’s House”, “Mary, Mary”, “Beats To The Rhyme”, and “I’m Not Going Out Like That”. But they knew how to entertain. Jam Master Jay was jammin’, Run did a nice freestyle, and D.M.C. did some beatboxing.

July 28, 1988 was a night to remember. It was a great mid-summer event and part of why 1988 was a special year for rap music. Little did I know that EPMD would go on to become one of the greatest rap groups. Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is one of the most critically acclaimed rap releases. The Fresh Prince would have a great career as a movie star. And most unexpectedly, DJ Run would become a reverend. And, on top of all that, I was able to drop all my friends off and make it home before curfew.

  1. Public Enemy Yo! Bum Rush The Show, February 10, 1987

  2. Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded, 1987

  3. Kool Moe Dee “Let’s Go”, 1987

  4. Boogie Boys Romeo Knight, 1988

  5. Mantronix In Full Effect, 1988

  6. Schoolly D Smoke Some Kill, 1988

  7. Boogie Down Productions By All Means Necessary, February 17, 1988

  8. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper, March 29, 1988

  9. Colors Soundtrack, April 26, 1988

  10. Run-D.M.C. Tougher Than Leather, May 16, 1988

  11. EPMD Strictly Business, May 17, 1988

  12. Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, June 24, 1988