Public Enemy – X-Clan – Monie Love – at Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA

On a chilly and slightly rainy Thursday expecting a typical show—you know, where a band comes out, there’s a short break while the next band sets up, next band plays, and repeat until it’s time for the headlining act. The Hiphop Gods Tour was not your typical show! As I walked through the doors, classic hip-hop was playing through the venues speakers and many of the fans (a great mix of older and younger) were already dancing along and boozing it up and would continue to do so during the 4 hour show.


Throughout the 14-day tour, each show would open up with a locally based artist. Kid Jones was that artist for Los Angeles. As soon as the trio hit the stage, they did not stop moving! DJ Johnny Juice was their DJ for the set, and for most of the rest of the night. Their performance was energetic and worked to get the audience primed for the rest of the evening. When their set ended, who should walk onto the stage but none other than the man himself—Chuck D! He conducted a short interview with the group, iPad in hand, asking for their Twitter and contact information. This is something Chuck D did with every artist of the evening as he acted as emcee, with his questions focusing on connecting fans and performers together via social media.

Next up was Detroit rapper Awesome Dre. Continually moving around stage and keeping the energy level high, Dre’s set included songs from “A.D.’s Revenge” and “You Can’t Hold Me Back”. At the end of his short set, he treated the audience to some dance moves before his Q & A with Chuck D. Immediately following Dre on the stage was Long Island’s Son of Bazerk. Tony Allen (aka, Bazerk) started the show wearing a super sparkly cape with Son of Bazerk emblazoned across the back whilst Half Pint and Almighty Jawhel broke out some dance moves. Their set was upbeat and energetic and I will definitely download their new single “On the Verge of an AssWhippin’”.

Wise Intelligent (of Poor Righteous Teachers) was next on the line-up. He came out on stage carrying a handful of posters that he tossed into the audience during his first song. His set was one of the highlights of the evening for me--he alternated between his solo work, random a capella rhymes, hawking his merchandise, and making (funny) social commentary. Wise Intelligent is a performer that I would readily see again. “Illuminati” and “I Said It” were the standout songs of his performance.

Dinco D was the sole representative for Leaders of the New School as Charlie Brown, who was set to perform as well, was ill. DJ Johnny Juice stepped in for the absent Charlie, and Chuck D himself took over DJ duty for this set! (He looked like he was having a blast at the table.) Though this portion of the showwasn’t as crazy-energetic as the rest of the night, Dinco D brought out some old favourites such as “Case of the P.T.A.”and “Scenario”.

Face covered with a handkerchief, Schoolly D bounced his way onto a red-lit stage. In between songs, he harangued the crowd about pot, more to the point, about the lack of it. That oversight fixed shortly thereafter and soon Club Nokia was filled to the rafters with smoke. (Any smoke you see in the photos is not from a machine—it’s pot smoke from the crowd.) At some point during his set, he asked for the “bitches to show me sometitties”. (Really? Ugh!) Someone did, and she and her friend came on stage after his performance so that Schoolly could lead them backstage to lord knows what. At least he did “P.S.K., What Does It Mean?” during his set.

Another highlight of the night for me was Monie Love. She too was sick, but if she had not mentioned it we would be none the wiser. Monie, and her set, kicked ass! She performed “Ladies First” and awesomely covered “U.N.I.T.Y.”, which flowed straight into “It’s a Shame (She’s My Sister)”. She mentioned the evolving roles of women in hip-hop, and later in the evening came back on stage with MC Lyte to boost the signal about a Hip Hop Sisters event promoting female emcees. Throughout the set, Monie was full of energy and humour. I felt that her time was super short when she closed out with “Monie in the Middle”.

Brother J of X-Clan was next to pick up the mic. Joining him onstage was a young woman who, we come to find out at the end of the set, is his daughter. I have no idea what her name is, but she had some mad stage presence, so much so I found myself paying more attention to her, than her father.  That’s not to say that Brother J was bad, quite the opposite! Though there was some newer material performed, the audience really perked up when he would do songs off of their first album, “To the East, Blackwards”. There was a huge surge of energy from the audience when he broke out “Grand Verbalizer, What Time isIt?” At the end of the set he called for the audience to raise their fists in unity, and that’s what we did.

Before Public Enemy took the stage, Davy DMX spun a short set before strapping on his bass for PE’s set. And what a set it was! Even though the group has been around for 25 years (and recently inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame), as soon as they hit the stage they do not stop! The air-raid horns were sounding as S1W came on the stage, mixing up military moves and dance steps.

Opening with “Public Enemy #1”, Chuck D’s voice and lyrics made the crowd go apeshit. About halfway through the song, America’s favourite reality TV star, FlavorFlav, came onstage bundled up in a huge hoodie. His iconic clock was nowhere to be seen. That changed as soon as he stripped off the jacket and brought out the clock, just in time for “911 is a Joke”. For over an hour, Chuck D and Flav played off each other, the antics of Flav balanced by the vocal ferocity of Chuck D. (Though Chuck D did let his playful side out, at one point doing a do-si-do type spin with one of the guys.)

It was nearing 12:30 and the group kept playing hit after hit (“Terrordome”, “Bring tha Noize”, Don’t Believe the Hype”, “By the Time I Get to Arizona”).

Guess Club Nokia needed to shut the venue down by a certain time, because shortly after 12:30 they closed out their set with “Fight the Power”. This was the song the audience was waiting to hear, because as soon as the first notes came on over the sound system, fists were pumping and bodies were jumping. This was one of the best shows of the year, and even though it was already 4 hours long, I didn’t want it to end!

This show is billed as the first annual Hiphop Gods Tour. I hope that is true, because I can’t wait to see the line-up for next year!

                             More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Anni Thyme-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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