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Rock the Bells tour kicks off in Chicago
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The Rock the Bells tour kicked off in Chicago this weekend at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater. The lineup is a who's who in underground Hip-Hop music. On the Chicago leg of the tour there were two stages, the Main Stage and the Paid Dues Stage.
The Main Stage featured Nas & Damian Marley, Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Big Boi, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek), Tech N9ne, K'naan, Chali 2na, and The Knux. The Main Stage was hosted by Supernatural and KRS-One.
The Paid Dues Stage featured GZA, Raekwon, Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Royce da 5'9", Joel Ortiz, and Crooked I), Slum Village, Sage Francis, B. Dolan, M.O.P, Buckshot, Necro, Eyedea & Abilities, Psycho Realm, Mystik Journeymen, Mickey Factz, and Tabi Bonney. The host was California MC, Murs.
Both stages having acts perform at the same time made for a Sophie's Choice-like scenario for rap fans. I personally had to make a decision between some of my favorite artists--Buckshot vs. Chali 2na, Raekwon vs. Reflection Eternal, and GZA vs.Big Boi.
On the smaller Paid Dues stage I witnessed Bronx MC, Mickey Factz give a glimpse into the future of Hip-Hop. Factz displayed golden era lyricism over modern hipster beats. His stage presence was impressive as well as his rhymes.
The Knux kicked off the festivities on the Main Stage drawing a somber reaction from the audience. Their music is a rock n' rap fusion that fell flat with the Chicago crowd. The lead MC, Krispy Kream showed disdain for the crowd yelling, "Y'all ain't never heard nothing like this!"
After the disaster that was The Knux I made a pilgrimage back to the little stage to witness one of the biggest surprises of the day. Buckshot of Duck Down Records took the stage and proceeded to tear the place to shreds. Buckshot took listeners through a journey of 1993's classic Enta Da Stage performing songs like Who Got Da Props?, Buck Em Down, How Many MC's, and I Got Cha Opin. Buck threw the crowd in a frenzy by inviting label mates Kidz in the Hall and KRS-One on stage to perform.
Brooklyn MC's M.O.P equalled the energy displayed by Buckshot causing a small riot during the performance of their 2000 hit Ante Up. Seeing Buckshot and M.O.P do 30 minute sets was well worth the price of admission to Rock the Bells.
Detroit's Slum Village are a trio once again as Baatin is back performing with the group six years after being given the boot. In 2003 Baatin suffered from schizophrenia and his behavior prompted group members T3 and Elzhi to relieve Baatin of his duties. SV has not missed a step as they tore through classics like Raise It Up, Fall In Love, Tainted, and Selfish.
And then the wheels fell off...
Rap super-group Slaughterhouse took the Paid Dues stage with a confusing performance. Joel Ortiz performed with great energy and enthusiasm. The Puerto Rican MC was genuinely happy to be there, as he could not wipe the smile off of his face. West Coast MC Crooked I shared Joel's excitement but the other half of the group seemed totally disinterested. Super MC's Joe Budden and Royce da 5'9" were too cool for the room and appeared to be going through the motions. Budden casually smoked cigarettes and lazily recited the lyrics to his hit Pump it Up.
Life was pumped back into the crowd as Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and the GZA performed in back to back sets. Fans were taken on a nostalgic ride as both lyricist's performed hits from the Clan's heyday like, Liquid Swords, Shadowboxin', Rainy Dayz, and C.R.E.A.M to name a few.
Back on the big stage artists were pressed for time and forced to shorten their sets. The Roots were a victim of someones poor planning as they performed a hand full of songs and walked off the stage seemingly angry.
Busta Rhymes was also forced to shorten his set but made the most of the opportunity. For years Busta has been given the title as the best live performer in Hip-Hop, at Rock the Bells he lived up to the billing. After sitting through a melancholy set by The Roots, Hip-Hop fans were brought back to life by Busta Rhymes. Busta ran through several hits such as, Woo Hah!!, Break Ya Neck, Pass the Courvoisier, Touch it, and Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See. Busta Rhymes gave a performance that was impossible to follow.
Damian Marley and Nas were give the task of trying to follow Busta as they performed songs from each of their catalogs. The duo also performed new tracks from their upcoming CD Distant Relatives. This performance was a joy for fans of Reggae, Dance Hall, and Hip-Hop alike. It represented a bridging of the gaps in musical genre's and nationalities for the remembrance and betterment of Africa.
Overall, the Rock the Bells tour was enjoyable. It's a showcase of many different styles and era's of rap all under one roof. If you are a fan of Hip-Hop music don't cheat yourself by missing this tour.
Rock the Bells 2009 tour dates:
- Sunday June 28th Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
- Sunday July 5th.Toronto, ON, CAN - Molson Amphitheatre
- Sunday July 12th. Washington, DC - Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Saturday July 18th Boston, MA - Comcast Center -
- Sunday July 19th New York, NY - Jones Beach Theater
- Saturday August 1st Vancouver, BC, CAN -Deer Lake Park
- Sunday August 2nd Calgary, AB, CAN - Shaw Millennium Park
- Thursday August 6th Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Saturday August 8th Los Angeles, CA - San Manuel Amphitheatre
- Sunday August 9th San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
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