Upon heading out for an annual hip hop fest quest to San Bernadino, the San Manuel Amphitheater proved to be more temperate than usual – a welcomed surprise to backdrop the scintillating artists on 2009’s Rock the Bells lineup.
Jeremiah and I made it in time to catch Sage Francis and B. Dolan perform “Sea Lion” and the haunting, Bowie-infused “Strange Fame” on the Paid Dues stage. The duo offered a pitch perfect performance, something the two MC’s deliver with any time slot they are allocated. In waiting for Eyedea and Abilities, we unfortunately missed the Irish-American 1990’s rappers House of Pain, which was rumored to have been a triumphant act on the festival tour.
One of my favorite elements of the Guerilla Union shows is the opportunity for independent artists to perform between larger acts. Whether it be MC’s spitting on the mic or a Michael Jackson dance tribute from b-boys, Supercrew. Amidst the MC talent of KRS-One and Pete Rock was my favorite fixture at these events, Supernatural. Free-styling and wit-wheeling, Supernatural stuns an enture crowd with his impressive talent for on-the-fly, situational humor. These interludes offer a feeling of spontaneity that most other festivals stay away from.
After Reflection Eternal kicked off with “Down for the Count” from their first album and offered a few samples from their upcoming release, second member of the duo, Talib Kweli, closed out the performance with the anthem, “Get By”. This zealous sentiment lingered for the big band shakedown of The Roots. Taking brief leave from “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”, Philadelphia’s seven-piece-jazz-jam masters were sonically explosive and visually engaging on a larger stage. While Tuba Gooding Jr. wailed on the sousaphone, MC Black Thought put on a show filled with the compulsory gestures of a bandstand leader. However, in order to get our exclusive interview with DJ Hi-Tek (of Reflection Eternal), my time witnessing The Roots was minimal.
Busta Rhymes was a brief yet fully charged manifestation of the festival as well. The great feats of the rapper’s “twenty year” career were showcased through abridged versions of hits like “Break Ya Neck” and “Touch It”. A performer of undeniable grit, the edge and craftiness of Busta Rhymes catalogue filled the arena.
However, one of the most warmly nostalgic and ebullient shows of the day came from none other than Big Boi. Touring independently from his longtime colleague Andre 3000, Big Boi’s performance was largely comprised of Outkast tracks such as “So Fresh and So Clean”, “Rosa Parks”, and “Ms. Jackson” that ushered Big Boi into hip hop stardom. His solo compositions from (the underrated) Speakerboxx were lightly sprinkled into the set as Big Boi brought a characteristically relaxed funk and swagger that eased into the evening.
A novel addition to the festival was the pairing of Damien Marley and Nas, as Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley brought a calm, yet spiritually empowering energy to Rock the Bells. The two shared a lengthy set, each artist taking the stage solo before joining forces. Their performance offered new material from their upcoming collaborative release, Distant Relatives. Nas, looking fit after his recent split with wife Kelis, dispensed a lengthy overture of jams like “Got Yourself a Gun” for his second consecutive tour with RtB. However, Damien Marley proved to be the significant crowd-draw as well as provide an unprecedented sense of unification for this hip hop fest.
Abound with “HELL YEAH’s” a plenty, Ice Cube took the last position of the evening and reminded Southern California why he was one of it’s kings. Escorted by Westside Connection cohort, WC, Cube roused a fatigued audience with his collection of gangster rap hits. Considering Ice Cube’s prolific contribution to the blueprint of hip hop culture, the throwback that poignantly encapsulated this year’s hip hop celebration was “It Was a Good Day”. And that it was.
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Thank you to Shazila at Guerilla Union for affording us the pleasure to cover this festival.
