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Last year around this time marked the start of an annual event between the highest grossing underground rap labels of this world, Strange Music and Suburban Noize Records. There’s been a year of marinating and album releases from both record labels, which only made for a better, faster, and more intense show. It was a show that pretty much anyone could go to, if you wanted to hear punk-rock, hip-hop, Tech shit, or whatever you would have definitely heard something you like if you go. Filling the bill was a line-up similar, yet an upgraded version: Strange Noize Tour V.2. Performing last night was The Dirtball, Prozak, Brotha J (of the X-Clan), Hed (PE), Tech N9ne, and The Kottonmouth Kings.

First to strike the crowd quick and swiftly was The Dirtball, stretching his tounge and briefly showing the group of Technico-Ratz what Crook County has to offer. His set was shorter than last year by far, but he made up for it by spitting tracks that have lasting value and get you moving; Swing Batter, Night Shade, Just Me, and a few others that escape my memory. There was only one track that I wish could have been added to the set, Mora Kyrkogarden. I dig the track and what it’s about and it also happens to be like the only song from Crook County that he hasn’t done live, at least in Cleveland.

After Sub. Noize’s crack at showing the crowd what was up Strange Music decided it would be their turn to strike quick with a guerilla like attack by sending The Hitchcock of Hip-Hop out to demonstrate how Saginaw, Mich. Brings the wicked shit. He brought it as hard as he could, without being a Bedlamite or PDM representative. Just Prozak. He did ‘Corporate Genocide’, ‘Go To Hell’, ‘Keep Grinding’, ‘Scapegoat’, and one or two other tracks; because like the Dirtball’s set Prozak was gone before you knew he was there it seemed.

The crowd was starting to get more and more pumped up from the two sets of random pits and cranial splits the Suburban camp was up yet again. This time they had sent out the living legend in the hip-hop game, Brotha J of the X-Clan. The Grand Verbalizer was in the building bringing the essence of ‘old school’ to the table for the crowd to tap their feet to. I liked his set, I actually got ‘Return to Mecca’ and dig X-Clan. The only thing I didn’t like about his set was the fact that it was just Brotha J. The last time I’d seen him the whole group was touring with ICP on the Tempest Tour and the set was all live, not just him alone on stage standing there gripping the mic. I know if given the time he could win you over lyrically, yet I felt that set could’ve been more then what it was.

Strange Music only has three more people they can send out on stage and it is not yet their time to grace the light. So Sub sent out another act to fill the time slot, Hed (PE). It seemed that when these dudes came out that’s what set the crowd off and got them bouncing off the walls trying to get hurt. When first coming out the band looked straight nutty, all five of them did something to alter their appearance this time. When Jared came out the crowd went utterly insane, as he cracked his devilish grin. Then you notice something is wrong with it, he was dripping blood from mouth. It was awesome as fuck. That’s how I can sum their set up easiest. FUCKIN AWESOME. I love the energy they bring the to table and how much they interact with the crowd no matter how big the venue.

Now it was Strange’s turn again, with only one act left up their sleeve they pulled out the stops and have brought out the one, the only TECH N9NE! With the backdrop to the stage looking like a scene from within a cell in an insane asylum N9ne came out stumbling around in a straight jacket looking bonkers as fuck. His hair’s grown back for the most part with it braided back, his face paint was awesome like always with “DRUGS” etched out on his forehead this time through. Scenario came out and grabbed the jacket off of him and handed the WMD to Tech, the microphone. He then proceeded to slam it off the ground, re-assemble, and kill your eardrums with his KC crew, Big Krizz and Kutt. For as good as their show was, there was one serious note that left me fucked up during it. The fact that they only did two tracks from Killer during the set; ‘Psycho Bitch2’ and ‘The Freak Extraction Technique’ left me pissed off seeing as that is the album he dropped. Oh well he still rocked it like the Agora was a pipe and he was the crack.

Once the tongue-twisting gymnast was done it was time for the final act, the bong toking, Buddha smoking, never choking, Kottonmouth Kings ambushed the set and then forcibly fed song after song to the crowd. They did a lot of songs that have made them what they are today. ‘Rest of My Life’, ‘Proud to be a Stoner’, ‘Litas’, ‘So High’, ‘Bump’, and many other classics concocted by the Kings. It seemed that once the show had started that this was going to be a non-smoking show by the crowd, but once KMK reached the stage everyone whipped out a blunt with a few joints on the side. Everyone in that place was getting high it seemed, and you could definitely smell it.

The show had its ups and downs as every one does. Go see it if you liked last year, or even if you missed last year still go, faggot. In my opinion there would only be two different groups that could have been added to the line-up to make it that much better; Potluck and/or Twiztid, to connect all three top grossing independent labels again.

Websites

KottonmouthKings.com
TheRealTechN9ne.com
StrangeMusic.com
SuburbanNoizeRecords.com

Location:

• Agora Theater & Ballroom
• Ohio
• United States

Guests:

• Hed PE, Brotha J, Prozak & The Dirtball

Tour:

• Strange Noize Tour 2008

Review Date:

• 08/23/2008