The past few weeks have marked the seventh annual series of Rock The Bells festivals, hip-hop’s answer to Lollapalooza, where diehard fans come out in droves to pay homage to the authenticity of days past. While prior years have found the tour reaching destinations as far as Europe and various spots around our nation, this year’s festivities were more intimate, with shows only taking place in California, New York and Maryland, forcing people to travel from all over to attend.
 
Thousands of hip-hop’s most staunch proponents converged on New York’s Governor’s Island on a warm day in late August, and they may as well have been transported back to a time where original aesthetics were lauded in favor of modern day tawdry trends. No two acts were the same, as Slick Rick’s gaudy charisma kicked off the show, only to be followed by Rakim’s serious command as he ran through a decade worth of his classics including the ladies anthem “Mahogany” and the tough as nails theme from the classic urban film Juice, “Know The Ledge." Rakim, in turn, preceded KRS-One who gave the crowd lessons on the longevity, relevance, and importance of his Boogie Down Productions crew and all of their affiliates, interspersed with performing fan favorites of his. Never one to hold his tongue, KRS also made sure to decry mainstream radio’s ills so as to represent the ideals of “keeping it real” that he holds most dear.

Bohemian muse Lauryn Hill was amongst the main draws for people springing upwards of $150 for the concert’s tickets to have a firsthand viewing of her long awaited return. Lauryn’s set was eclectic (some might describe it as weird and not very polished) as her live band placed a rock 'n' roll sort of spin on some of her most beloved songs from The Miseducation… and The Fugees’ The Score. Initial excitement became confusion and disorientation that finally led to frenzy towards the end of her set as she brought A-list celebrities on stage to greet the crowd that included Chris Rock, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Swizz Beatz.

A major drawback of the afternoon was the lull between sets as there wasn’t a DJ on stage to keep the crowd entertained. This forced people to make the friendly acquaintance of those standing near them, increasing the passion shared by all once performances were underway, and this unity was most evident with the next two sets, A Tribe Called Quest and the infamous Wu-Tang Clan.

Though Tribe’s foray into our hearts was short lived as they disbanded before the '90s ended, their musical impact was certainly not forgotten by this crowd. While the main scope of their time was dedicated to 1993’s seminal Midnight Marauders, the crew covered other crucial material of theirs and proved their wide reach, bringing out both underground veteran Large Professor to represent his former group Main Source, and Busta Rhymes, who was true to his typical live wire act on stage.

Not much longer after calming down from ATCQ’s bonanza came Wu-Tang, who took the energy to even greater heights as all of their living members (with the late Ol Dirty Bastard’s son, Boy Jones, playing the part of his pops, his father’s mannerisms down to a tee) ran through what seemed like an endless barrage of hits with razor sharp precision. During both sets the ante was upped for crowd participation as Q-Tip, Method Man and Boy Jones came off stage to show love and perform amongst spectators.

After Wu-Tang closed shop, around 11 PM, a fair portion of the crowd noticeably faded, not so much a withering statement to the day’s headliner, Snoop Dogg, but a sign that the crowd itself, after delirious hours amongst their heroes, had themselves withered. Unfortunately, the only way home was a mile long walk to a ferry after having stood most of the day, but there remained a magical afterglow despite the weary-bodied trek back into Manhattan. All in all, 2010’s edition served as a beauteous reminder of the potential for a now wounded culture that once thrived on positivity, creative ingenuity and soulful rhythm.