Musical fare anything but traditional at lu'au

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Rap artist Stagga Lee, whose "Roll Wit M.V.P." has been a modest hit, is among the performers at the "End of Summer Luau." He borrows his name from "Stagger Lee," a Lloyd Price tune he digs. 'End of Summer Luau' Featuring Frankie J, Stagga Lee, Zacc Kekona, The Next Generation 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. (mainstage events start at noon; evening concert starts at 6) Saturday Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park $33.99 for all-day pass; $7 for evening concert only 275-1043, www.1043xme.com

That's why KXME 104.3 FM's appropriately monikered "End of Summer Luau" Saturday at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park will offer both, as well as a daylong schedule of live entertainment, games, prizes and, of course, posterior waxing on The Big Kahuna ride. Live local sounds provided by, among others, The Next Generation and Zacc Kekona will open an evening of a "parental guidance suggested" show headlined by Frankie J (the Tijuana-born guy) and Stagga Lee (the Stetson dude).

Frankie J and Stagga Lee are still on the periphery of music stardom. (No one plays a water park gig unless they're as big as, say, Naughty by Nature.) But both are up-and-comers.

San Diego-based Frankie J's first big break was singing lead in Los Kumbia Kings, a Grammy-nominated Latin pop-group formed in 1999 by A.B. Quintanilla (yup, the brother of Tejano superstar Selena). He called himself "Cisko" then, and the break came after years of struggle with bad label deals and general music biz discouragement.

The singer embarked on a ballsy three-step program for going solo earlier this year by departing the Kumbia Kings, turning his attention toward solo R&B balladry, and suing Quintanilla to win publishing rights to his composition "Don't Wanna Try." An overdramatic love ballad so ready-made for prom season that it should've come with a tux rental discount coupon, "Don't Wanna Try" crossed briefly into the Billboard Hot 100's top 40 this summer.

And Stagga Lee's story? Well, he's never killed anyone over a knit skull cap, but he must know something about rolling dice.

For the sampled hook of his biggest hit thus far "Roll Wit M.V.P.," Stagga went along with co-producer Robert Clivilles' suggestion to nix already overused funk and rock snippets and opt for the chirpy "la-la-la-la-la's" of the late Minnie Ripperton's 1974 hit ballad "Lovin' You." Somehow, it worked. While never a huge hit, "Roll Wit M.V.P." made the top 20 of Billboard's Rhythmic Top 40 chart earlier this year.

As for his name — borrowed from Lloyd Price's No. 1 hit "Stagger Lee" — Stagga just loved the story, the moniker and the overall bad-ness both celebrated. Both men struggled on the road to fame — Stagga (for years) to get his first record deal; and the real-life "Stagger Lee" Sheldon (for minutes) to run home and get the shotgun he used to kill the unfortunate soul who won his hat.

Is there any poi at this lu'au?

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.