We checked the first day of this two day festival. Which featured Rawkus Soundbombing 2, Brainpower, Too Tall & DJ TLM and Lauryn Hill. Black Eyed Peas and DJ Jazzy Jeff cancelled their shows. As an extra Black Star showed up. The food was terrible including the Surinam Sweet Mamma Mofo's pig-called-chicken-we-make-it-different. The pizza's were as tasty as bricks. But the beer was good: Grolsch!

The festival was held in the old gas plant in Amsterdam Old West. Two years ago we checked out Run DMC in an old gas storage tank. Now the main HipHop performances took place in the former machine room. Which was an unusual, but a nice place. First up was Brainpower, Too Tall and DJ TLM with a bilingual show they even did some good covers of Run DMC including their famous hats. Jeff from Fresh Wagon added a human beat box show.

DJ Spinna took the wheels of steels with a nice show with only head nodding beats. After Jig Master hyped the crowd Spinna spun some party bouncers. Shabaam Sahdeeq dropped mad rhymes. Before Hi and Mighty took over, Ray Park (Star Wars) tried to steal the show. But heads were not very impressed. Hi and Mighty rocked well with 'live' beats by Company Flow. MR Eon muttered as a routine: "Freestyle minute, Who wants to battle me...". Before peeps could even give the option to battle a thought or understood what Eon just said, the Paranoid Wizard from Northside Stylaz bounced over the corridor as a super ball and took a mic on stage. Surprised by this loose cannon on the loose. High and Mighty gave PeeWee some time. But showed that it was not something they wanted. And Company Flow, well like normal: slamming. Their song: "If my name was America" had the most dope beat. Big amounts of cash were bidden for a copy of the (illegal) video tapes that peeps were making.

At 22.15 it was time for some education by Lauryn Hill in a big circus tent. The crowd went crazy, and made more noise than the most powerful sound system on the whole plant site. The concert was good although we heard a bit too much of covers. Daniël master-of-De-Duivel asked if we could call him back as soon as it would get interesting, and disappointed returned to the machine hall to see the show of Black Star. Meanwhile 50 photographs were making pictures of Lauryn Hill. AQ and an other photo reporter noticed Zion and Lauryns husband Rohan Marley and they made some pictures of the little one playing with drumsticks. Lauryn is doing fine. Rohan looking tight and Zion lovely sweet. Go on girl! Some crewmember made clear that it was not appreciated to make pictures of the family. AQ: "Sorry", and the other reporter: "Then don't stand on the fucking stage!"
Meanwhile the Desperado's starring DJ Edzon entertained the crowd with some fresh tunes back in the machine room.

Black Star was of course the star in this hall. Talib Kweli and Mos Def just kept on rocking. Till the organisation said it was enough. Mickey went totally crazy when Mos Def started to sing. "Do you want to marry me?!", an other girl shouted. A big entertaining hit by Mos Def was to have a sing a long session with the whole audience. Maybe there is a career in RnB for the man? The whole evening was very o.k. The only big time fuck up was Black Star's DJ who kept on irritating the crowd. He could not let the faders alone and let the beat play.

After a while hanging around, in one ear the last sounds of Hill's concert and in the other something that sounded nice too, we chilled with DJ Precise, Shockwave, PeeWee, Mickey and AQ on the yard. Meanwhile PeeWee and AQ tried to get informal with a lovely sexy female cop, trying to get arrested for nasty thoughts and get punished. They didn't succeed. But they have it on videotape. See you next year on Drum Rhythm Festival!

Shanice