Rock the Bells is still going strong. While the Guerrilla Union crew seem to be improving their Rock the Bells show every year, fans keep buying tickets in large numbers. With that, a packed audience attended this weekend’s San Bernardino stop to watch Nas, Murs, Immortal Technique [click to read] and legendary groups De La Soul, Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest [click to read].
All of those artists, great as they were, had been on the bill. The real surprises came from those who weren’t slated to perform. During his old to new set, Murs decided that since they were in his home state, it’d be appropriate to bring out a West Coast rap legend. As he announced the emcee, the crowd went wild with W’s in the air. DJ Quik entered the stage, ripping through “Tonight” all while having fun on stage, even kicking a beach ball back to the crowd mid-verse.
Another west coast based act hit the stage soon after. The special guests for the evening were the Black Eyed Peas. Although they came Fergie-less for the event, the crowd had a mixed reaction to their arrival, with a Bronx cheer coming out west.
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The evening ended with a politically outspoken Nas, who added that he doesn’t “believe in politics much,” but that he does “believe in people” and felt that Obama “deserves a chance.” After the chorus to “I Want to Talk to You,” he went on to perform “Black President” and even went off on Bill O’Reilly during “Sly Fox” and before “Shoot ‘Em Up.” His stage show also included “One Love,” “New York State of Mind,” “The Message” and “One Mic.”
Tribe, assisted by Mos Def for a moment, capped the show off with their performance, ending a night that saw fellow legends Pharcyde and De La break off a piece of the old school to the mix of old and new sprinkled across San Bernardino’s venue on a hot California day.
Stay tuned for more Rock The Bells news, features and exclusive audio from the tour’s official Hip Hop media partner, HipHopDX.
