Bow Wow will always be called Lil Bow Wow, Jeezy will always be referred to as "Young Jeezy," and, despite a
valiant effort to change his stage name, Jamaican dancehall artist Cham
will forever be known as Baby Cham.
Cham ditched the "Baby" back in 2005, prior to the release of his 2006 major label debut, "Ghetto
Story," but fans refuse to let go of the moniker he took back when he
was the sweet-faced teenage sensation with a deep voice, flipping back
and forth between hard-core dancehall, political statement and raunchy
bedroom antics It's easy to see why it's so hard to shake the "Baby":
At the Crossroads on Saturday night, both the music and youthful visage of
Cham appeared untouched by the years.
The dancehall deejay, who appeared with Tessanne Chin and special guest
Serani, started off with some of his early hits, many of which were
compiled on the 2000 release "Wow . . . The Story." "Lemme see the
original Baby Cham fans . . . remember Baby Cham from 15, 16 years
old," he said before launching into "Many, Many" and "Man & Man."
He also gave an extended version of "Vitamin S," complete with instructions for prepping for a night of
romance. ("Take a shower: Use shower gel -- NO dishwashing liquid!")
It's hard to overstate the frenzy that
occurred when Cham dropped the hard-knock-life anthem "Ghetto Story,"
back in 2006, and he made sure to give it its proper due, performing
the album version, the Alicia Keys-aided remix and an a cappella
version. But rather than ending on that note, Cham/Baby Cham closed the
show with a very appropriate reggae cover of Alphaville's "Forever
Young."