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Thoughts on the Bells · by Sach O
All images by Rafi and Dallas. Except this bell.
On paper, Rock the Bells was too hot, too wet, too muddy, too expensive, padded out with corny white rappers, riddled with overly long sets from the Okayplayer contingent, lacking in time afforded to the legends, had huge lineups at the concessions and was full of drunk metalheads whose knowledge of De La Rocha far surpassed the little they knew about De La Soul.
None of that mattered.
I enjoyed every minute of it and would highly recommend the experience to anyone who remembers enjoying Hip Hop but for whom the thought of Tum Tum leads to nausea and anger. It’s simply the best time you’ll have at a rap show anytime soon.
After all, where else can you see Rakim, EPMD, Pharaohe Monch, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Wu-Tang (or some variation of that lineup) in one spot? And even if you’re like me and have little interest in Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots (in live form) or the entire independent stage, Guerilla Union are savvy promoters: all of those acts are known for strong live performances and deep catalogues which means that you’re guaranteed to at least kind of enjoy their stuff. I like to kvetch about rap as much as anybody but give me some strong timely sets, a dope ass sound system and a positive atmosphere and the hard rock façade comes off. I was too busy enjoying myself.
The highlight for me had to be Kid Capri and Rakim. Now on wax, I’ll personally take Kane, Kool G Rap, KRS-ONE and Chuck D over Rakim any day, but seeing the man live is jaw dropping. From the minute he hit the stage to the last freestyle he ripped, the God carried an aura of greatness that made every syllable a blessing. Ripping through hit after hit with Kid Capri serving as the perfect hype man, the Rakim Allah experience alone was worth the price of admission. From My Melody, to Lyrics of Fury to Kid Capri is President (oh yeah, he changed it up and Capri made us believe) it was the pinnacle of what live Hip Hop should sound like.
Public Enemy’s Sunday set came in a close second. Rushed and pressed for time on Saturday, they got to stretch out thanks to Erikah Badu’s very welcome no show and they tore the place down for their second set. Backed by a live band, the show was lacking in some of their funkier moments but given the mostly white crowd, it was probably the right move. Regardless, with damn near every hit single of theirs on the set list and a 40+ Chuck D straight up sonning the younger rappers with his energy and mic control, PE’s set proved that they could very well be the best live Hip Hop act still touring. With Flavor Flav taking America by storm and the 80’s revival slowly inching towards PE’s peak years, I could easily see these guys making some noise again if given the right platform and production.
Though Cypress Hill always got underrated by rap purists due to their pothead imagery and rock fan base, their RTB set was strictly Hip Hop. Backed by Fred Wreck and Eric Bobo (whose extra percussion really gives their dusted beats an added “kick” in conert), B-Real and Sen Dog tore through a great set of classics, drawing mostly from their first two releases. Sure the giant inflatable Buddha and “chronic break” bordered on corny but I’m sure I would have appreciated them had I smuggled a little something past the border. Incidentally, for those keeping track, Cypress’ best set was on Saturday.
And then…Wu-Tang. I expected organized chaos and that’s what I got. Saturday, Gza came on stage 20 minutes late and Sunday Ghostface was nowhere to be found, fueling speculations that he’s got beef with the rest of the clan. None of that mattered though: with Method Man leading the charge, the Wu destroyed their all too brief sets and made sure every rap fan in the place went home happy. If they could get their shit together, they could easily make millions off arenas alone. And if they can’t do that, Method Man should quit the studio and go himself. I can’t imagine too many performers bringing more energy to a stage show.
As for Rage Against the Machine, its pretty telling that despite the rise and fall of rap metal, the clusterfuck that was Audioslave, the nerdiness that is Indie rock and Zach getting abducted to Guantanamo for most of the Bush administration…their stuff still sounds fresh as hell. Personally, they were worth seeing based on high school era nostalgia alone, but with the political climate as it is, the songs also felt remarkably current despite having been written 15 years ago. And even if you hated them then, they at least bought you enough time to catch an early bus out before the end of the show.
I could keep going on about The Roots (too Jam Bandy), Sage Francis (whom I bumped into, awkwardly enough ) and EPMD (perfect but should have gotten more time) but you get the point: this was a dope show. My only regret is missing out on MF Doom and The Bootcamp Click due to time/transportation issues, but that’s life. So yeah, if you’re considering hitting this up: go for it. Easily worth the 80$.
killing myself shouldn’t be this easy
— nation Jul 31, 03:01 PM
I knew Ghost wasn’t there! I kept telling people I didn’t see him on Sunday but they was like; “Na he was totally there dude” (I’ve had tha claim from various people) That just goes to show you how hectic that show can get, plus I was kinda further back then i wanted to be.
— Incilin Jul 31, 05:33 PM
I am totally going to this show when it comes to NYC.
— Dallas Aug 1, 12:05 AM
boot camp was ill on sunday..one of my favorite moments at the show.
— strangelove Aug 1, 06:30 PM
And without Supernat, I would have never realized that Immortal Technique is the “Che Guevara of the hip-hop era.” I’m sure Che would have rocked $800 worth of clothes in Playboy if he had gotten the chance.
— Noah Aug 2, 02:39 AM
It’s amazing how simultaneously bitter and informative this concert review is.
— DJ Flash Aug 4, 05:49 AM
Bitter? Really?
I was trying to point out how much fun it was despite any flaws.
— Sach Aug 4, 11:07 AM
Anyone know if you can leave the venue and come back? There’s definitely acts I want to see, but I’m not up for hanging out in sun all day, paying $4 for water.
— Jim Aug 5, 11:32 PM
“I was trying to point out how much fun it was despite any flaws.”
— Sach
No doubt but you seemed to find no shortage of them or with Sage Francis. On behalf of corny white people I promise next time we’ll just stay home and not ruin your authentic hip-hop experience. ROCK ON DUDE!!
— DJ Flash Aug 8, 02:20 AM
Really? Cuz it’d be dope to see an outdoor rap show without a couple of thousand middle Americans jumping on port-o-potties and talking about the wicked kegger they were at least week while bumping Sublime in their I Pods to block out that “cRap music that’s on before Rage”. I’m holding you to your word that you’ll make sure your entire State refrains from attending next year and goes to The Warped Tour instead.
— Sach Aug 8, 10:22 AM
This state doesn’t even go to the Warped Tour. They go to the Garth Brooks tour.
— DJ Flash Aug 9, 04:24 AM
Never underestimate the oversensitivity of the white hip hopper.
— R.H.S. Aug 9, 10:54 AM
Sach does seem to have that I hate whitey more than you thing down pat. Being anti-Timbaland and anti-Sage Francis, that’s hardcore.
— DJ Flash Aug 9, 10:03 PM
Actually Sach, I want to apologize for getting on your case so hard. Some personal things lately have been bothering me; won’t get into it here. Anybody who reads my blog will know.
— DJ Flash Aug 10, 12:47 AM