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REHAB in Los Angeles, CA / Saturday February 26th,
2005
Cormega
in Los Angeles? That’s something you don’t see everyday, not even
every year, but this past Saturday it happened, and one of the
most diverse crowds I’ve ever seen at an L.A. Hip-Hop show came out
from as far as Seattle and Sacramento to witness Tha Realness live on
stage.
The
Venue was R.E.H.A.B. Records, large for a record
store, but small and intimate as a show venue with an
ill stage that gave everyone an up close view of the
show. Before ‘Mega rocked the stage some of L.A.’s
most respected DJ’s set it off. DJ Maskilz set the
evening off with a fresh set and DJ Lord Ron (Zulu)
spun beats for an open mic hosted by Spitfiya,
Showtime’s “The Next” battle champion. Spitfiya
showed everyone that the title was well deserved,
dropping freestyle after freestyle, rhyming about
records on the wall behind him about the night’s
performers. MC’s Willmatic and Free Speech appeared
to be the crowd favorites of the dozen or so MC’s
that rhymed.
As
anticipation for Mega built, DJ C-Los (Stacks Vinyl) came on next,
spun a quick set and then backed Virginia’s J. Sands (Lone
Catalysts/Buka Entertainment) who dropped some of his classics and
some fresh out of the lab material. (He also who got his Madden 2005
hustle on at ThaFormula.Com gaming center outside.)
The
nights host, Fidel Rodriguez of Divine Forces Radio
(Seditious Beats) came out and dropped some knowledge
about Mario Rocha, a teenager imprisoned for 2 life
sentences for a crime he didn’t commit, and a
documentary about his story. Then he kept the Hip-Hop
coming and brought on John Robinson (aka Lil' Sci of
Scienz of Life and Sol Uprising) who debuted exclusive
material from his upcoming LP produced by MF Doom. For
someone who never could get into a lot of Doom’s
material, these beats knocked! John Robinson has some
heat for y’all. DJ Mark Luv (Zulu) followed
him and dropped his flawless cuts and mixes for a
quick set as the Mega fans began to grow restless. 
As
Curtis Mayfield began pouring out the speakers Cormega made his
entrance like a boxer. Mega didn’t come from backstage, come out
behind some guardrails, or roll deep with security. Like Muhammad Ali
he made his way right through a sea of fans that dapped him up, and
gave him props all the way up to the stage like a people’s champion.
Mega immediately ripped into his verse from “Three”
on Prodigy’s solo album and fans rhymed back word for word as Mega
shared the mic with them, and that’s the way it went all night. Mega
and the people went line for line as he dropped nearly 30 joints.
Sometimes, he’d perform a verse from a song then move on, sometimes
he’d drop every verse and he even started a couple all over again
because he was feelin’ the reaction from the crowd.
When
the unmistakable bass line for “American Beauty”
dropped, the spot erupted and began moving like an ocean, and center
stage almost turned into a mosh pit. When the beat dropped for “Get
Out My Way” Cormega climbed onto the stage railing as he began
his rhyme and then came down and hit center stage amidst his people,
once again sharing the mic back and forth with his fans who may have
been one of the strongest group of fans of an artist I’ve ever seen.
Every note that dropped from every song drew an “ooooooooh” louder
than the previous one, and Mega’s lyrics were recited line for line
by most of the fans.
Cormega
did more than just bounce through song to song. He stopped the show a
couple times, dropped freestyles (not writtens), and had words for a
former Likwit MC in one of his rhymes. Mega even
had venom for heads on the Internet who disrespect him and his hustle
and tossed hundred of dollars into the crowd to spite them. Mega also
stopped the show for a minute with an emotional intro to “Fallen
Soldiers” that moved everyone in the place.
He
closed out the night with “Killaz
Theme II,” dropped the mic and raised his arms triumphantly
after having rocked the crowd non-stop for over an hour. In all the
events I’ve ever been too, I’ve never seen L.A. give an East Coast
(maybe even West Coast) artist as much love as they gave Mega. Like I
said, Mega’s only been out in LA a handful of times, but he blew up
the spot like he was born and raised here.
Words by
JtothaI@thaformula.com
"Cormega
Encore Performance"
Saturday
April 30th, 2005 - Location: R.E.H.A.B.
2324 Cotner Avenue Los Angeles, Ca. 90064 (310) 231 -
8627 - Doors Open at: 9:30pm - PRE-SALE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT R.E.H.A.B FOR ONLY $10 -
Special Guest DJ'S: The Orator & DJ
Counterstryke (DFR Radio) - FEATURING THAFORMULA.COM
WORLD FAMOUS OPEN MIC @ 10PM Hosted By Willmatic
WITH BEATS PROVIDED BY: DJ Hectik - Special Guest
Performance: Lake (The 41st Side) - Show Hosted By:
Fidel (Divine Forces Radio) - SOUNDS PROVIDED BY: DJ
Lord Ron (Zulu Nation), C-Los (Stacks) - For More
Info: WWW.THAFORMULA.COM & (310) 946 - 7054 - ALL
AGES WELCOMED!!!...
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