D A Y O N E . . .
The morning was hectic from the get go: I was tired from getting everything together to do makeup for Locksmith's first song/video off his upcoming album. I felt bad because I had to leave, only doing some of the actors' makeup, but at least I got to play a part in helping out Locksmith; he's a very nice, humble guy, he deserves the support. They were understanding of me going to Rock the Bells & Locksmith's friend joked around saying, "How they gonna have Rock the Bells in the Bay without Locksmith?" True story. Then again, they had Too $hort & E-40 at RTB in SoCal, but not in the Bay, sooo...?
Anywho, as soon as we hit the parking lot, I couldn't wait, I was too excited!! Got in a bit late since I left the video set a bit later than expected. We got there right when Yelawolf began his performance.
We only caught two songs as we were excited to see where our seats were: 3rd row middle section, SWEET ass seats! After we got all our things together, we left to the Wu Block stage to get a decent spot for Naughty by Nature. On the way to the 36 Chambers, we're looking around, our eyes are wondering, then I hear, "Hey Ruby, how you doing?" My friend taps my shoulder to look, & I turn around & yell, "OMG hi!" It was Immortal Technique. I gave him the biggest hug ever. It was nice of him to acknowledge me & say hello. I'm telling you people, he's a great guy. So we say bye to Tech & make our way to the 36 Chambers stage.
We get there & catch the end of Pusha T's set.
We caught his last song, which was his verse on "Mercy"...and this was the first out of all 500 times I heard it that day. That damn song was EVERYWHERE!! He then leaves the stage, everybody & their auntie leave to go see Tyga (boooo).
They had a party flow going on, showing the West some love & playing some Bay classics from the Luniz, Tupac, E-40, & Too $hort. They definitely brought the party to the stage.
Next up was the HNIC himself, Prodigy.
in the words of Ab-Soul, "CARSON IN THE HOOOUSE!" I love Kass, he always brings the right energy to get the crowd moving. He then had to call out Rock the Bells on their move though:
"Yo, we're grom the South & we out here. How they hell are they gonna have RTB in the Bay & not have E-40 & Too $hort perform??"Everyone highly agreed & cheered his words on. After his moment of shining, the spotlight is back on Prodigy, only to pass the light onto another special guest, ALCHEMIST!!
That guy is so energetic, it's amazing. Once he hit the stage, they did all the classics.
"Hold You Down"
"Shook Ones Part 2"
"Quiet Storm"
Soon after that set was done, it was time to hit the main stage for some BLACK HIPPY!!!
You don't even KNOOOW how hyped up I was for the TDE crew. I spot me some Dee Ali.
and then he starts the countdown...5, 4, 3, 2, 1!! Jay Rock comes out strong, getting us in the mood for some more TDE shit.
Despite the fact that almosts nobody in that crowd knew who Jay Rock was, he was still vibing off the excitement the audience had for what was to come. Jay Rock definitely has stage presence.
Then Ab-Soul came on & I just went APE SHIT!
He came out yelling, "HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!" full force energy & all, beginning his 3 song set with "Gone Insane." After, he did "Pineal Gland" which merged smoothly into "Terrorist Threats". The mid-level TDE fans started getting pumped when he hit us with "Terrorist Threats," Ab-Soul's most popular track off his latest release "Control System."
This was my third time seeing Ab-Soul, the previous two being in small, intimate venues, and even in an amphitheater, performing to people who didn't even know who he was, he brought the heat full force, performing like it was his last day on earth. He believes in himself & know that RTB is great exposure & an opportunity to make people fall in love with his music.
Soon after, Schoolboy Q comes out ready to murder that stage.
He was joined by Ab-Soul to do some "Druggies Wit Hoes Again."
He then ended his set with "Hands on the Wheel" & I was hoping that A$AP Rocky would come out & perform with him, since he was set to perform after Black Hippy, but nah...Schoolboy Q performed it solo, and raw, too!
Then, everybody got out their seat & went stupid crazy for Kendrick Lamar.
He blessed us with some "ADHD", "The Recipe" & his current radio hit, "Swimming Pools (Drank)."
The audience was the hypest during "The Recipe," though.
This was my 2nd time seeing Kendrick, & honestly, since the audience was a bit scattered (mostly because everybody was at the other stage watching Dipset), the energy wasn't as intense as when I saw him at Paid Dues 2012. He still delivered a good performance, but I've seen better out of Kendrick.
We were going to head to the 36 Chambers stage to catch Salt-N-Peppa & Jadakiss, but we were just so exhausted & needed some "sit down" time, so we stuck around to catch A$AP Rocky's set.
The A$AP crew came out, and honestly, it seemed like they were out a bit too long; it was like a long drum roll waiting for the final rift to start the music. When he finally came out, he was joined on the stage with Yelawolf, who was just stage crashing lol.
After his intro performance of "Goldie", he gave a speech about how he doesn't see skin color, how everyone is beautiful & that we are all purple people. He then went on to perform "Purple Swag", " Trilla", "Peso", & many other songs off of LongLiveA$AP. During all this, the Black Hippy crew (minus Kedrick) come out & join the party on stage.
They came out when Rocky was performing "Brand New Guy" & Schoolboy Q surprised everybody by spitting his verse from the A$AP/TDE collabo track.
\Right when Schoolboy Q was ready to make his way off of the stage, A$AP Rocky calls him back, & the two bless us with a COMPLETE performance of "Hands on the Wheel".
A$AP kept the energy going, even after the TDE crew left the stage. And RIGHT when A$AP Rocky starts to perfrom my favorite track off of LongLiveA$AP, "Kissin' Pink," MY CAMERA DIES!!! And I am so sad because not only is that my fav A$AP track (mostly because A$AP Ferg's verse is THEE BEST), but it was the highlight of his whole performance! When Ferg's verse hit, he goes into the ochrestra section of the audience, then blessing us in the middle section, and as he's walking through the middle section passing the lawn audience, females were LITERALLY running after Rocky! After the song ends, he goes back on stage & does "Peso," the song that put him on the map.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from A$AP Rocky because I heard he sucks live, but he REALLY impressed me. More respect to him for giving people their money's worth.
We then hit the 36 chambers stage to check out DMX.
We were so tired, we watched from the grass area, but even as we laid under the trees, we felt the excitement that the audience emitted. He did all the classics, EVERY DMX classic you can think of, the man performed it. I just found it funny, though, how one minute he was talking about the pussy he got in France, & the next minute he was preaching about God to audience. Gotta love DMX though. I just hope he finds a dope ass producer that can help him come back strong like he did in his prime; he's got it still, it's just his choice of beats that are what's holding him back from coming back full force. Btw, not fair that SoCal's Rock the Bells got to see DMX & Eve perform together lol.
Next up was Wu-Block.
Wu Block did everything from their personal hits to some stuff off of the new album. Everyone was mellow, nodding their head, but feeling it for sure. It really went down when Ghostface Killah did "Cherchez Laghost." I wasn't around for the whole performance, though overall, it a mellow but strong performance.
As everyone was making their way to the Rock the Bells stage to check out J.Cole, all the OG rap fans stuck around to get a glimpse of Ice Cube.
Honestly, a person with an iconic status such as Ice Cube deserved to be on the main stage, fuck a J.Cole lol. As I stood in the audience & looked around, I thought to myself, "Wow...I never knew so many white college boys loved them some Ice Cube." They ADORE him. They were constantly yelling, "Yay YAYEEE!" He was raw though, did everything from "Bop Gun," "You Can Do It," & the all time classic "It Was a Good Day." In the middle of all that, WC (who was his hype man for the night) is called out by Ice Cube to bust a C.Walk. After all that, WC calls Cube out & gets him to Crip Walk, and I must say, it was quite sick...Cube had (for lack of a better term) swag wit it. Everyone thinks it's time for the set to end, since Cube went a little over the time; he surprised us by bringing out his sons OMG & Doughboy. All 3 of them perform a new track.
All those white college boys stuck around, as everyone else left to see Kid Cudi, skipping out on Redman & Method Man.
I swear, no matter how two these old get, they will NEVER lose their energy. I can see them being 80 years old & still giving their all. Marijuana smoke filled their air, they did their well known songs, as well a few songs from their first album, Blackout, that they had never performed live before. I was sad because we had to leave that stage early, & I REALLY wanted to see Red & Meth do "Da Rockwilder."
A little bummed, we went to the main stage to check out a little bit of Kid Cudi's set...I really, REALLY miss MGMT & was hoping to see Cudi perform "Pursuit of Happiness." As I walk to the main stage, I get a glimpse of the magical outer space set as he performed "Man on the Moon." I swear, it looked like something out of Disneyland, so magical & so beautiful.
Unfortunately, right when I got there & he finished performing "Man on the Moon," he brings out 2 Chainz.
(photo from http://www.purevolume.com/)
When Cudi came back, he did a little "Mr. Rager," some "Erase Me," & to my wonderful surprise, he announces:
"This is my favorite song, & I hope it's your favorite, too"He hit us with "Pursuit of Happiness"!! My heart was so happy, it was just so amazing.
after doing the original version, it segues into the Steve Aoki remix, merging into his track with David Guetta "Memories." Cudi seriously brought the rave to Rock the Bells & it was one of the most amazing ways to end the night!
One thing, though...his video graphics had a serious hypnotic quality to them. Eyes were everywhere, & subliminal messages were sent to the high & drunk for sure!
Day one was a complete success & the excitement for day 2 was felt!
D A Y T W O . . .
The next morning as I woke up, I felt a positivity inside, a mood that made me feel as if something amazing was to come later in the day. No feelings of tiredness, just sheer joy & excitement.
Having gone through the search procedure the day before, we were ready to get through security & got through ASAP. Everything about day 2 was just chill & easy.
I started my day off by getting a good spot for Zion I + Grouch +Eligh. This time, the Paid Dues Stage (the 36 Chambers stage the day before) had a center divider added, which I love because it gives artists the freedom to have more interaction with the audience, if they chose to (many, unfortunately, didn't). The center divider also give more people a chance to see the stage better, versus having to look over a sea of people's heads.
I see Apm Live setting up on stage & excitement fills the air.
We were ready for Zion I + The Grouch + Eligh! They come out & their fellow Bay Area supporters were ready to show the local rappers an immense amount of love. Eligh's flow has always been sick, & at one point, he shitted on Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" instrumental.
After, The Grouch hit us with some "Artsy," which truly speaks to us urban folk who have a little hood in us, but aren't seen as artsy because we're not the typical hipster type.
Zion I hit us with some of their classics: "Birds Eye View," "The Bay," "Don't Lose Your Head," amongst others.
Zumbi is such a wonderful, energetic & theatrical performer, I could watch him perform all day!
It was then Amp Live's time to shine. He had this crazy guitar-like contraption & struck us with a dubstep-like beat.
it was the SICKEST! Amp got bars for sure.
Zion I then blesses us with some "Coastin'"
After that, Zion I & The Grouch performed "Silly Puddy." I left a bit after they started "Silly Puddy" to go catch some Slick Rick. Over all, they were just amaaaazing & put out such a positive vibe. I mean peep this little guy here, he was going hella ham throughout Zion I + The Grouch + Eligh's performance.
When I got to the Rock the Bells stage, Mix Master Mike was still doing his set.
I'm glad I got to see a bit of his set, the man is talented! He mixed a bit of Beastie Boys (as a tribute to MCA [RIP]) with some Prodigy (the British rock group) with some System of a Down. His set had the stragest back drop images, though lol.
Shortly after Mix Master Mike's set, Slick Rick, in his bright tangerine 'fit, hit the stage.
Like the last time I saw him perform at Rock the Bells 2010, he basically stood there. He's a legend & has more than paid his dues, but I feel like Slick Rick should move around the stage more versus sticking to the same spot the whole time. He did well regardless, the man will never lose his couth flow & style.
He performed everything from "Children's Story" to "Street Talkin'," "Auditorium" to "Mona Lisa."
I then headed to the Paid Dues stage to get a good spot for Immortal Technique's set.I caught Hit Squad's set, & I'm so glad that I did!
I was sad Erick Sermon wasn't there (wishing him the best after the heart attack), but this was legendary to watch! They had not performed for a good minute. PMD held it DOWN for sure, man has not lost his finesse.
During the performance, we get a surprise, & Keith Murray pops out! Man, oh man, I was flipping out. THEN...RED & METH HIT THE STAGE! I went complete ape shit.
I was so emo that I couldn't even see them perform over people's heads, & this was my second chance. Not just that, THEY DID "DA ROCKWILDER"!!!
It was so amazing. And just when you thought it couldn't get better, they bring out Slick Rick!
Slick Rick hit us with some "La-Di-Da-Di"
Rick is definitely a better small stage performer. He redeemed himself, in my opinion, with this one.
Right when we think all the excitement is over, the whole crew comes back out & brings out Chang Weisberg, the organizer of Rock the Bells.
Props & love are given to change, then the crew leaves the stage, making way for DJ Quick.
Quick comes out in a super calm demeanor, in his red ass Adidas 'fit.
he fa sure showed the audience lots of love. He was walking around every square inch of barricaded space, giving fans high-fives, walking all over the place. He even, at one point, did a ring-around-the-rosie record scratch with his DJ DJ Quixotic.
Very, very sick & mind blowing. The whole performance, you couldn't help but feel as if something were missing. Then he says, "I do this on my own, I don't need no hype man, though I am missing someone. Suga Free was supposed to be here, & on his way here, his car got stuck on the 101." I knew he was messing with our heads. He didn't bring him out immediately, but when he did, the crowd went BANANAS!
Everyone was excited to see Suga Free, he is the life of the party! After that, they hit us with some classics, including "Tonite."
In the end of their performance, Suga Free & DJ Quick jumped from the stage to the pavement, walked ALLLL around the Paid Dues stage vicinity, went into the crowd, showed major love, & brought the house down for sure. DJ Quick never disappoints.
Then, everything from the stage gets moved & rearranged. I was intrigued when I saw a mini-orchestra setting up.
With that, you knew Deltron 3030 was gonna do something amazing. Kid Koala sets up, Dan the Automater steps to the stage, & everyone is pumped, waiting on Del [tha Funkee Homosapien].
Oakland's own making the Bay proud for sure! The whole performance I was in awe, it was the most magical thing I have seen since I saw Arcade Fire perform last year at Outside Lands (and that shit was MAGICAL!). It was so beautiful, my soul wanted to cry. I was sad I missed Atmosphere because they're really good live, but this more than made up for that. Everyone got super excited once they blessed us with some "Mastermind."
the magic kept going, Dan, Kid Koala & Del kept it cosmic, & then it was time for the set to end. We get an uber surprise as Deltron 3030 ended the set with a Gorillaz classic, "Clint Eastwood."
Such an amazing way to end, it definitely calmed my anticipation for Immortal Technique, which quickly came back once I spotted DJ G.I. Joe setting up.
Everyone in that audience (which was scarce & few due to everyone catching the Bone Thugs set) was a loyal supporter. They were excited for the arrival of the revolutionary hip hopper. I won't lie, I was EXTREMELY heartbroken that I missed Bone Thugs because they are the first hip hop act that made me pay attention to rap, but I am loyal to Immortal Technique for the way his music has changed my mindset in a positive way. The 2 minute countdown begins, & we are taunted by an Oz-like voice, Immortal Technique's voice counting down, having the single females yell, then having the females with boyfriends yell & telling them to leave lol. Finally the clock hits zero, & the Rebel Armz crew hits the stage. After they warmed us up & had us yelling for Tech, the man hits the stage.
The Bay Area definitely has love for Tech, & vice versa. He did songs all the way from Revolutionary Vol. 1 to The Martyr. He gets his Goon squad together & hits us with some "Goonies Never Die."
Of course, it was party time, & Tech gives the light to DJ G.I. Joe to show us how a real DJ does it.
After that, it was time to switch it up to some Spanish & Tech hits us with some "Golpe de Estado."
Throughout his set, Tech is splashing water at everyone, giving away free t-shirts, CDs, etc, & at one point, G.I. Joe grabs one of his clear blue vinyls, has Tech sign it, & throws it into the audience. It was insane, at one point a beautiful Middle Eastern female throws her bra at the stage! The Energy was insane, & at this point, those who got a glimpse of Bone Thugs & wanted to catch Tech perform had already made their way to the Paid Dues stage.
After the chaos, it was time to show some respect.
Immortal Technique asks the audience to put phones, any electronics, & lighters in the sky, DJ G.I. Joe drops the Dilla beat, and we are blessed with some "Toast to the Dead."
Soon after, Tech speaks on how female rappers in the mainstream are just peacocks, objectified women whose skills are watered down. He then surprises us brings out Snow, the Product.
Apparently, she was caught off guard as well. He asks her to spit a little something for us, & give us this little tongue twisting flow entitiled "Holy Shit".
Everyone was deeply impressed, she made many new fans that night. Once everyone got back onto Tech mode, he asks "Who out there has The Martyr? The 3rd World? How about Revolutionary Vol. 2? Who here has been loyal since the beginning, since Revolutionary Vol. 1?" He hits us with the classic that had the whole world paying attention to him, "Dance with the Devil."
Tech & the goon squad enacted the kidnapping, the beating, the shocking reveal, sending chills throughout the Paid Dues stage. He tells us, "This story may not be my story, but it's something that happens everyday. Women are strong & hold secrets you don't know about. Your mom, your girl, your future wife could've been a victim of rape & you might never know it. Respect your women, cherish your women, because without women we have no revolution." Amen.
After that, I leave the stage to get to the meet & greet line, which already had a good amount of people already waiting. I stood in line watching Akir & Tech perform my favorite, "One."
It was just so beautiful to see the unity from a distance. Soon after that was done, the crew walks to the meet & greet area. I love the Rebel Armz crew, they are the nicest people in hip hop. I was happy that they were the last ones to bless me with their presence before leaving.
Rock the Bells was so amazing this year. As soon as I hit the parking lot, my high came down & I was getting sad. I cannot wait until next year, which I hear is the 10 year anniversary. Save your dollars, I'm sure it's going to be an amazing one.
Over all, this year definitely felt like it was new skool vs. old skool, especially on their first day. Kids who really hadn't paid their dues in time & experience were headlining, while there were some acts that top them that were performing at the 36 Chambers stage. I guess they were just trying to cater to the younger audience. Day two was definitely my favorite, though. If there were two of me, I would've been at both the whole time. Just plan your day(s) accordingly & charge your camera/phone batteries, so many moments you do not want to miss.
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