Lets be real, most of us can't even afford to buy CDs at retail value. At least that's what we tell ourselves as we pirate just about every record we can get our hands on. That being said, there are some things in life that just aren't accessible for free on the internet no matter how badly we want them to be. One of those things is food. Another is live performances. "Bullshit! 50 is streaming his SXSW performance for free on March 11th," you might say. Well, first off, stop being a smart ass. Second, while it's true you might be able to "see" Mr. Cent perform as an independent artist for the first time since 2001 from the comfort of your own home, trust me, you won't be able to "feel" it. Not the way you would in person at least. Maybe one day we can all stream hologram performances from our couches. Until that day, this is what we're stuck with. Sorry.
The following are five tours--some mainstream and others I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T (welcome home, Boosie)--that every hip-hop head should at least consider purchasing a ticket for. They're in alphabetical order so don't go freaking out about rankings. Time to break the bank.