As the sun burned down on San Bernardino, California, the 9th annual Rock the Bells festival kicked off the first of two nights. Organized and executed by Guerrilla Union (GU), the festival has been a summer staple for Hip Hop aficionados thirsty for a notable Rap lineup. This year, GU hoped to quench that with a double dose.
The first day of two saw a fair share of intriguing acts on the three festival stages. Early on, 2 Chainz followed Future to applause from a sunburned audience. Savvy with marketing, fans were given hand fans that read, “I’m a T.R.U. Fan.” Dancing (and teaching his dance moves), Chainz ran through his hits as fans chanted along to songs like “Mercy,” “Beez in the Trap” and “No Lie.”
Perhaps energized by Chainz, the crowd appeared amped as Travis Barker (of Blink 182 fame) began to set the stage for his Psycho White comrade Yelawolf. Backed by Barker, Yelawolf had additional enthusiasm, raising middle fingers in the air while wearing an American flag bandana under his cap. If nothing else, the performance raised anticipation for the Barker/Yela collaboration.
While Tyga continued the surge of what one fan referred to as “new swag” to the lineup, Common balanced it out with his seasoned performance. In the scorching afternoon, Common came out in shorts and a tee, ready to launch into his own batch of hits and album cuts. While he rocked “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” the Chi City wordsmith also brought “Be (Intro)” and “Testify” with him. This veteran brought forth a change in the dynamics provided by the younger/newer acts. But this may have been beneficial for a festival offering something for various ages while also trying to please them all.
A balance of old soul with new bravado came in the form of Black Hippy. Jay Rock entered the main stage first, a potent entrance with “I’m Thuggin.” Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q followed, both maintaining the energy established by Jay. Together or solo, each emcee held their own. Next came Kendrick Lamar, who came out, hugged ScHoolboy and proceeded to entertain with hits like “A.D.H.D.” and “The Recipe” (sans Dr. Dre). Kendrick also performed his “Swimming Pools (Drank)” single while fans helped with the chorus.
The Black Hippy spirit made way for that of the Ruff Ryders. Reenergized, Jadakiss took over. Going through his catalogue, ‘Kiss’ raspy voice served as a reminder of what he could do and what he might do with his next offering. Next, the growl set it all up. DMX began doing this before his set with Eve, letting fans know he had arrived. Eve’s touch certainly balanced this set but the set being split in two also shortened each emcee’s time. Once X finished his passionate prayer, Eve entered with a much different vibe, making some wonder why they shared a set billed as “DMX + Eve” when they pretty much had separate shows. Still, it was refreshing to see them at the show, adding more veteran seasoning to the festival’s flavor. One young lady said she’d faint when Eve appeared as she was “still” her favorite, showing what the veteran acts also mean to the young audience members.
However, after that, the night on the main stage belonged to the younger generation of performers. J. Cole started this off with his band, accompanied by a potent sound. Going from riding those drums to dropping the beat for a passionate a capella, Cole showed why he felt he deserved being one of the night’s closers. A definite highlight was his a cappella performance of a new cut, “I’m a Fool,” where he discusses many personal topics including education, debt and his mother’s opinion of his rhymes. Later, Kid Cudi appeared to close the show. Apologizing for his “tardiness,” Cudi blasted off into “Down & Out” and “Soundtrack 2 My Life” to start his set. The latter had him (seemingly) forgetting his lines but the crowd didn’t seem to mind, filling in the gaps while Cudi held his mic out.
On the other stages, Killer Mike, Prodigy, Dipset, El-P and Naughty by Nature had fans waving their hands like the electrical fans placed around the venue. Through the heat, acts like Curren$y and Z&G&E (Zion I, The Grouch and Eligh) pushed up and on. A bit later, Immortal Technique followed with his pleas for the crowd to emphatically yell along to “Harlem Streets.” RZA, who hosted his 36 Chambers Stage, would then praise Tech as a “smart” rapper. Soon, this would make way for Wu-Block to join forces before Method Man and Redman closed out.
A telling moment at the show took place as Wu-Block prepared to take the stage. Before the set, their deejay asked how much Hip Hop history the crowd knew. The crowd, many of whom were teenagers, sang along to many of the songs played, including hits by The Pharcyde and Onyx. They sang along like those songs came out last month. This blending of youth and history within the culture shows just how much a festival like Rock the Bells can bring forth such unity (among races, ages and more). It also shows how Rock the Bells continues to highlight a respect for the past in the present. It has been said that the culture must preserve the roots that have helped it grow, while still respecting the need for expansion and change. In that regard, with day one now gone, Rock the Bells showed that it can be a vessel for preservation as well as change.
Photography by Andres Vasquez.
RELATED: Rock The Bells To Kick Off This Weekend, More Special Guests Announced
dope no rappers invited from that wack poprap label YMCMB
IT’S BECAUSE WE RUN THIS GAY-HIP-HOP SHIT!! NIGGAS DISCRIMINATING!!
YESSIR admits he is gay. finally!!!!
Cole World. I’m A Fool sounds dope as f
That sounds extra dope
that second verse from cole was the truth..
Yelawolf way to flip of the crowd… ur such a rebel… this guy is suck a pozer, he tries to hard to be MGK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You mean the opposite way? MGK trying to be like Yelawolf.
I think MGK and YELA are both trying to be something they are not
Where were the real bosses? Drake. Ja Rule. Hollow Tip.
DMX only one that knows how to dress. Almost like he stuck in the 90’s but always keeps it real.
Jeans and a shirt = Stuck in the 90’s? You fucking cornball ass lame.
real hiphop is coming back Fuck that dirty south shit!
The Dog is Back!! Nice prayer at the end!!!
Rock the bells 2012 without Ja Rule? The fuck!?
And where the fuck is Ja Rule here? Jesus christ, bringin’ out wack ass rappers and not a real nigga like Ja. Wow.
Bubba takin good care of Mr Atkins
There’s lack of realness here… Ja Rule could fill that gap.
Ja Rule would have killed this.
pls ja rule is dead and gone his not even close to being relevant i’m suprised anybody still remembers him
X is cool, but Ja Rule is where it’s at.
Ja Rule should have performed here, the fuck is this shit?
I’m flattered but my ass ain’t coming out of jail until a few months later. Coachella 2013 awaits
Yeah Nigga Ja, is THAT NIGGA
Ja Rule the king.
Thanks but I ain’t da king. 2Pac is.
jefferey is gay
All these rappers here, pray to ja rule every night so they could become better rappers.
God damn Common got some bushy beard. Ja Rule could grow it thicker.
My pubes thick too nigga
Ain’t with that gay shit homie, but you Ja Rule, so it’s cool.
The only thing that lacks here is Ja Rule.
WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOUUUUUUUU (to keep promoting me)
Nowhere my nigga, I’m that nigga!
You know what’s funny? Ja sold 6 mil with his last album and they ain’t invitin’ him to these kind of events. Tryin’ to keep a good nigga down.
Thanks G. PiL 3 coming out next year
Can’t wait to hear it nigga. Gotta sell 10 mil with that shit.
will pil3 go double wood?
Ja Rule, 6 mil sold with his last album. 100 mil total. Nigga is the hottest nigga in the world. Surprised he wasn’t invited to this shit.
WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT THIS NIGGA
BUT EVERY THUG NEEDS A NIGGA
Got you my nigga… Every homie needs a homie like me to promote him.
Ja Rule makes events like this hot.
Nigga I appreciate all this promotion
No problem nigga, we here to help our MESSIAH the JA RULE.
Ja Rule could kill all these niggaz in a beef. Tho, he a good nigga so he won’t. He would kill this event with his voice tho.
I killed Eminem though
Murked him
Remember the Hail Mary remake with Eminem, 50, and Busta Rhymes? Bodied Murder Inc.
This even needs some thug lovin’ from Ja Rule.
Just wait till I can get dat 2Pac hologram for some real thug love
This nigga is trash. Ja ain’t.
and i’m reeaal! i luv the way u walk
Ja Rule rips snitches like 50 cent in half.
Naw mang I clearly won that shit with Back Down
Nigga I crushed you with Loose Change
You and Feminem
BAWSE.
Nigga wtf I though we were cool and shit
AHAAAAAAAAAA! GOT YOU FEMINEM, I’M TAKING THIS SHIT STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE TO REVEAL YOU AS THE RACIST HINKY YOU ARE
Hasbeenzino, that’s just wrong on one level too many.
1) You’re half white.
2) No one respects your ass anymore.
3) The Source doesn’t want you back.
Haha.
Objectively, we killed niggaz with our music.
Stfu Officer Ricky
I fucked your baby momma.
Irv you look like Larry Holmes, flabby and sick
TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
I’m hot like dogs
u fools need to stop blogging here, get outta yo house and go grab a copy of my classic album that has ALREADY gone gold!
#RED ALBUM
Ja Rule is the hottest nigga in the universe.
Trash. Ja Rule ain’t.
mURDER iNC= hot garbage
It’s a good thing Ja wasn’t there, cause if he had been, X would have been put in a choke hold and humbled.
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does anybody have the to j cole’s “i’m a fool”
eminem TALKS ABOUT KILLING HIMSELF and RAPING WOMEN and killing chopping up woman AND KIDS and BEING A PEDOPHILE, EMINEM is trash just like CHUCK NORRIS IS TRASH but the white population refuse’s to let them go trying to make them more than what they are… All he does is goes to the studio makes songs and dissing people from his studio then cries about how people hate him because he is white…He is trash just like his label…And trust me im far from a “hater’….
Preach.
fuck off with your 2pac
^^ Fuck off with your Feminem
I heard Eminem learned from Ja Rule in terms of writing good rap music and producing a good hit. Ja Rule teaches niggaz how to be street niggaz. He even taught Eminem a white boy, to be a real nigga.
AFTERMATH/SHADY/GGGGGGGG UNIT
Ja Rule is a true Boss of the game. Boss of all bosses.
fuck jeffery
most of these rappers aint real niggas. Word, Nas bankrupt never was a drug runner, Lil Wayne aint no blood, Jeezy aint no BMF, 50 a snitch, Game a stripper. None of these niggas real you guys. If they was all real they all be dead now. Like it or not Ross is the new biggie.
#BAWSE!!!!!
Ross is the new Carl Winslow
@Ricky Rozay:
You’re obvioulsy a young fuck and know nothing about music and real niqqaz.. you’re saying rick ross is the new biggie? stop it and punch yourself for even thinking that. Ross has had more songs and more albums that biggie has and will never come close to biggie in the short career he had. Offier Richard is an informant for the feds. Feds planted his ass in the rap game to sniff out the big boys and weight pushers cause thats where all the money’s at. I swear, some of these rappers are dumb as shit. If you’re really doing what you’re sayng on record, as far as selling dope and money laundering, check out why young buck was always chased by the feds, dude would talk about slanggin all day on record…
Rick Ross is a fake ass rapper, all his shit sounds the same and needs to pick up a thesaurus and learn some actual words and rhyme that, rather that huff and gruff like a fuckin sea lion. You’re a dumb bastard for even putting officer ricky and BIG in the same convo… slap yourself !
Ok let’s face it, DMX back in the day had a few good songs, but come on dude just admit that your shit ain’t saying shit. I still believe Ja rule is a better rapper, performer and business man than DMX.
go 2 sleep bitch! die muthafucka die! ja got bodied on that one
man this site is corrupted
I don’t get why on here people somehow praise Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Common, or Nas but hate on Jay-Z, Eminem or Drake? My theory is this: Jay-Z is hated because of the “feud” with Nas which btw is OVER, so they associate Jay-Z with the illuminati and Nas as a hero. BTW Nas has dissed Jesus and belongs to the same satanic 5 Percenters group that is no different from other racist groups. Drake is a Jew. Not only that, he’s from Canada and is labeled soft. Drake is talented and Kid Cudi while I like him more than Drake does come off even softer than Drake imo. Eminem is hated cuz of his skin color. Nuff said.
“to the same satanic 5 Percenters group that is no different from other racist groups”
^ lol, who TOLD you that?
Your theory is asinine BS. And NO, I will not waste my time trying to un-brainwash youd
* you>>>>youd
dont talk shit about dmx,he struggled hard and come back,ja rule is his copie and rick ross is a piece of shit,biggie was a god,like 2pac
rap changed and the fakes get a lot of respekt cause many wannabes like u buy the fake shit………thats some real niggaz-big crit,termanology,freddie gibbs,black hippie……
so many wannabes know nothing about good and real music!!!who the fuck is ja rule?rick ross drake and all of them fake too,
fuck the baphomet
All black folks should listen to Khalid Muhammad. He’s the wisest person ever.
“I still believe Ja rule is a better rapper, performer and business man than DMX”
And actor. The Cookout trumps Belly anyday.
GO TO SLEEP BITCH! DIE MUTHAFUCKA DIE!
All artists have niches. What intellegent individual would have anything more than a first impression of an emcee he doesn’t care for is beyond me…change the channel. Artistry is an expo of one’s self…so if an emcee is fake and still successful…it says more about the generation of “hip hop fans” than it does “hip hop”
Method man and red man where hands down the best closers. Jay cole had a weak crowd. Kid cudi was alright but the best that day where naughty by nature which had everybody goin crazy to those oldschool joints and method man and red man for having the craziest and loudest fans. 2chainz and Tyra were cool too. The best performances from both days were naughty by nature, method man and red man, dj quick, and ice cube.