There’s no mistaking that Ladies still Love Cool James. The evening had already produced 3 solid acts, yet LL succeeded in delivering the most entertaining and polished set of the show. DJ Z-Trip was really impressive, rocking 2 turntables old school consisting of real live spinning and scratching. In dramatic fashion, LL rose up from a raised platform dressed in a red tour t-shirt, red Yankees ball cap worn backwards, jeans sagging and a sparkling gold microphone fit for a king. With his natural charm, LL put forth a kind of smooth criminal vibe, and quickly demonstrated his street cred with “Jack the Ripper”. As he’s touring in support of the new album “Authentic”, Chuck D joined LL on stage for a ferocious exchange on “Whaddup”. Speaking of the new album, LL said “it’s been so long since I’ve been here, too long I know, too long between albums.” LL connected with all parts of the room effectively stopping often to lick his lips and pay extra attention to the ladies. The crowd was having fun taking a trip down memory lane with some early standouts like “Headsprung”, “Jiggling Baby”, “Momma Said Knock You Out” and “Going Back to Cali”. An added nice touch, LL said the Minneapolis scene needed to be recognized and invited Atmosphere up for a playful version of “Big Ole Butt”. It was good to see Brother Ali and family in the house as well. Of course, LL carried out his usual ritual of handing out red roses and towels during more sensitive tracks like “I Need Love”. To round out the celebration of Old School, LL creatively mixed in tracks like Biggie’s “Big Poppa” and finish out the hour plus set with his biggest hits including “Around the Way Girl.”