Kings of the Mic starring LL Cool J/Ice Cube/De La Soul/Public Enemy

It’s been hard to miss LL Cool J in the headlines this year after hosting the 2013 Grammys and stirring up controversy with his ironically insensitive verse on Brad Paisley's new song “Accidental Racist.” Now, he returns to Cleveland with a new album, Authentic, and a crew of old-school hip-hop artists to back him. The new album is fairly unremarkable but its supported by a stellar cast of featured artists from Snoop Dogg to Fitz and The Tantrums as well as some killer beats. Songs like “Bath Salt” are simply repetitive and unimaginative to the point of cringing. Nonetheless, this old-school concert will bring Cleveland back to the golden days of rap when Public Enemy shocked the world with “Fight The Power.” And despite blockbuster flops like Are We There Yet?, Ice Cube can still lay down some of the best lines in the game. The beat on Ice Cube’s “Down For Whatever” will forever be remembered for it’s use in Office Space as the ’90s office nerds pass a floppy disk around the office in order to perpetrate financial fraud to the line “Pimpin ain't easy but it’s necessary.” This jam-packed show is filled with killer acts from beginning to end. (William Hoffman)