Rock the Bells 2009, Chicago

Jul 1, 2009 5:39 PM Max Herman (Writer)

Beats, rhymes, and heat

Rock the Bells, hip-hop’s noted North American festival series, once again kicked off in Chicago’s southwest suburbs at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre—this year on a particularly sweltering Saturday (June 27). The fest didn’t quite draw a sell-out crowd, but those who were willing to put up with the sun and the sweat were treated to a full day of sets from some of today’s most respected MCs.

If last year’s Rock the Bells was most memorable for its headline reunions (A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde), this year was more of a free-for-all. For the first time, the Chicago stop of the fest featured two performance areas—the smaller “Paid Dues” stage designated mostly for underground hip-hop acts, and the main stage set aside for the bigger names such as Nas and Damian Marley.

Respect is due to the festival organizers for giving attendees options with the two stages. However, the new setup and incorrect set times also made it impossible to see everyone you would want. And so the day turned into a mad dash back and forth on the concert grounds to catch pieces of whatever performances you could. The lineup at the Paid Dues stage was nothing short of random, ranging from Psycho Realm to Sage Francis. Still, some of the day’s liveliest moments went down here thanks to a brief set by host KRS-One as well as Buckshot’s rousing renditions of Black Moon classics like “I Got Cha Open.”

Back at the main stage, the energy really picked up with animated rapper Tech N9ne who, along with his crew, wore bright red hospital scrubs as he stomped around stage with fervor. While more mellow, Big Boi was another great performer, who moved the crowd with both Outkast hits and his own solo shots. The Roots were the only big act to disappoint as they suffered from audio issues, not to mention a lack of overall cohesion.

Thanks to Busta Rhymes and DJ Roc Raida, the main stage was reignited—especially when the growling rapper brought out M.O.P for an unforeseen performance of the rowdy club cut “Ante Up.” Moments like this will be talked about among hip-hoppers for a long time. On the same note, headliners Nas and Damian Marley left Rock the Bells goers with a lot to appreciate. The two expectedly shared some new material from their forthcoming collaborative effort, Distant Relatives, which was well received. Yet it was when Nas performed his Q-Tip-produced single “One Love,” followed by Marley’s take on his father’s hit of the same name, that really sparked a reaction from the audience. Despite the heat and disorganized feel of the day, it was set portions like this that won’t be forgotten.

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