Performers infuse show with power
By Daily Bruin Staff
Aug. 26, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Photos by EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Fans sang
along with Jagged Edge as they performed their current hit single
"Where the Party At."
By Sophia Whang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The hip-hop culture was alive and bumping Saturday night with
some of the most classic and modern rappers.
Los Angeles’ Power 106 FM had its 2001 Back-to-School
Powerhouse concert at the Anaheim Arrowhead Pond Arena with
performances by Jurassic 5, Xzibit, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule, Kurupt,
Shaggy, DJ Quik, Afroman, Nelly, Outkast and others.
Hip-hop is said to be the culture from which rap emerged, a way
of life with its own language, style of dress, music and
mentality.
There were questionable acts reflecting this culture during the
performances, like one of Xzibit’s performers smoking a joint
on stage, DJ Quik drinking alcohol from the bottle and artists
calling all audience members, young and old,
“motherfuckers.”
However, these rap stars were all about the music. They were not
preoccupied with the glitz and glamour or highly choreographed
dance moves common to pop shows.
Artists concentrated on their lyrics, which characterize
real-life hardships, and came clad in their casual hip-hop attire,
with a laid back mentality.
Even though rap comes from African roots, Power 106’s core
audience is primarily made up of Latino listeners, according to the
radio station.
 Photos by EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Powerhouse
performer DJ Quik works the crowd on Saturday.
Powerhouse’s audience also showed the crossing over of
hip-hop culture as people of Latino descent were more prevalent
than African-American audience members.
The Latino community is further involved as ticket proceeds from
the concert will go to the radio station’s nonprofit
organization, the Knowledge is Power Foundation, designed to help
underprivileged Latino youths from East and South Central Los
Angeles with educational programs and job training
opportunities.
Judging by the packed arena the fundraising concert was a
success.
Although Jurassic 5 opened the show to a half-empty house, the
audience was on their feet and the seats were quickly filled as
Xzibit entered the arena.
“Mr. X to the Z” and his boys got their walk on and
sang “X” while getting audience members to form Xs with
their arms.
They even dedicated a song to the ladies in the house and
mentioned that being able to perform at the concert was worth their
12-hour flight.
Clad in matching Dodger jerseys and flashy chains was the
R&B quartet Jagged Edge, who performed their hit singles
“Let’s Get Married” and “Where The Party
At.”
Ludacris and other performers got fans excited by throwing
shirts into the crowd. Some were there to promote their new albums,
and many shouted the popular endearing phrase, “I love
y’all motherfuckers” to the audience, who screamed back
in mutual affection.
DJ Quik worked the crowd ingeniously when he brought up old
school music, drank champagne on stage, threw money into the
audience, jumped off-stage to get closer to the fans, and wowed
them as he did impressive twists and turns of his version of the
“thug” or c-walk with his three nephews.
Nelly and The St. Lunatics brought two women from the audience
onstage, and Outkast left fans satisfied as they closed the concert
and long night of hip-hop.
The concert made it evident that hip-hop is a prominent culture
that can help bring about understanding through music, all the
while improving the community by bringing its diverse members
together.
