Hip-hop’s new direction is West

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Oct. 18, 2004 | 8:19 a.m.

Over the past few years, the producer has lent a guiding hand to such popular singles as Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and Ludacris' "Stand Up," rapidly becoming one of the genre's most sought-after studio impresarios.

Now the Atlanta-born, Chicago-bred West has stepped out from behind his mixing boards and into the spotlight, determined to prove his abilities as a lead MC.

So far, so good.

West's debut album, February's "College Dropout," ranks as one of the year's most inventive and wide-ranging hip-hop discs.

And as the opening act on megastar Usher's summer tour, the 27-year-old West also earned consistently solid reviews as a performer.

Sunday night at Rain at the Palms, West took yet another key step, demonstrating he has the stuff to make it on his own as a concert headliner.

West didn't quite fill the club, but a crowd of 1,200 is a relatively strong draw for a Sunday performance in Las Vegas.

Most of those who did turn out were not just casual fans. Many showed up early, then packed the area around the stage and sang along with every cut off "College Dropout," from the radio singles on down.

Rushing to the front for opening number "Get Em High," West radiated confidence throughout his set. Gripping his microphone in one hand, he gestured with the other as he shuffled around the stage.

West's lyrics were surprisingly easy to make out for most of the night, accompanied only by John Legend's keyboards and backing vocals and DJ A-Trak's collection of samples and backbeats.

Of course, the many guests who helped make "College Dropout" a success (Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Common, Ludacris, Syleena Johnson) were not present, making it difficult for West to re-create many of his best tunes in their familiar form.

The absence of comedian/vocalist Jamie Foxx and rapper Twista dulled the impact of soul tribute "Slow Jamz," though West's rhymes -- including the line "Got a light-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson/Got a dark-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson" -- kept the audience smiling.

The single "Through the Wire" hardly resembled its album version, with the song's sampled Chaka Khan vocal nearly inaudible.

But on the flipside, current hit "Jesus Walks" boiled with an intensity missing from West's rendition at last month's World Music Awards show at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Clocking in at one hour, Sunday's show felt a tad short, particularly since West opted against utilizing a support act.

Also, some of the time he did spend onstage was misspent bringing women up from the crowd for an overly long dance segment that left the rest of the audience on the outside looking in.

On the whole, though, West showed significant skills as a showman, showing that he feels just as comfortable with the curtain drawn as he ever did behind it.