Explicit Lyricists

“My appearance alone tells you I’m on some other shit already,” the Kansas City rapper explains. “My clown paint, my tribal paint, my war paint, whatever you want to call it, before I get on stage, I get my face painted because it’s war time out there.”

Expect a similar all-out assault attitude from fellow tour mates La Coka Nostra and Necro. These three artists epitomize what makes Rock the Bells—which hits the San Manuel Amphitheater this Saturday—such a unique festival that supports diverse and independent-minded hip-hop as well as rhyme artists pushing hardcore to the edge—and beyond.

Sure, there are big headliners like Nas, Damien Marley, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes and Big Boi, but there’re also lots of underground and emerging acts like The Knux, Sage Francis, Psycho Realm and Slum Village. It’s an event where established artists can reconnect with the gritty underground while more extreme acts tap into the mainstream masses. 

BLOWING UP

“I don’t think there’s just one audience there,” says La Coka Nostra rapper Slaine about the tour. “With so many diverse artists, you have fan bases from every side of hip-hop, and every artist is getting exposed to different audiences. Nas isn’t the only one bringing a lot of people.” 

Slaine specifically mentions Tech N9ne as one of the big draws. Tech, in a separate interview, focuses not on his crowds but rather on the opportunity to win over new fans. 

“Rock the Bells provides a wonderful platform because it opens up different types of fans to my music,” he explains. “Rock the Bells is the biggest tour that I’ve ever done, and it’s introducing us to fans who don’t even know they’re fans yet.”

Necro, another long-time indie stalwart out of Brooklyn and self-styled creator of “death rap,” is also excited about this weekend’s rapapalooza because he says SoCal is his biggest market.

“A lot of the kids out there are Latino, and Latino kids love Necro,” he explains. “Hip-hop has always been a black thing, and [certain people in] the black community might be against seeing someone white blow up. The Latino kids aren’t on that. In some cases, they might face the same discrimination in hip-hop, so we bond together.”

A GREAT PLATFORM

Rock the Bells levels the playing field between hip-hop’s elite and its more rugged practitioners.

“I’ve always been a heavy hitter, and now I’m amongst all these other heavy hitters, but the difference is that they have radio and video,” says Tech. “I’m the No. 1 independent in the country, so imagine if I had radio and video. I’d be where they are.”

The Midwest emcee also says the bigger artists are inspiring. 

“Being around Busta and Nas and seeing them do their thing makes you want to do 100 percent more,” he continues. “It’s a wonderful thing to see them do the show and get the whole crowd in one accord. It makes you want to take it over the top, to push harder to get to the rest of the world. You want everyone on your music, and that’s why Rock the Bells is important to me.”

Rock the Bells is also important to La Coka Nostra. Though they just recently released their debut disc, A Brand You Can Trust (Suburban Noize), the group boasts several veteran players. La Coka Nostra reunites House of Pain members Everlast and Danny Boy with DJ Lethal (most recently of Limp Bizkit), and they’ve been joined by noted Brooklyn rapper Ill Bill (Non Phixion) and Boston emcee Slaine (Special Teamz). 

“Rock the Bells is a great platform because it puts us amongst a lot of elite artists in hip-hop,” says Slaine. “It’s almost like a BBQ atmosphere backstage. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody. It’s a small world in the hip-hop community for those who put out records for a living.”

Slaine also praises the line-up. “There are so many artists on the bill that I like,” he continues. “The other Wu-Tang members made a surprise appearance with RZA and Raekwon in New York City, and Nas is such an influential lyricist that it’s great to see him perform. I also like watching Necro.”

BRUTAL MUSIC

Speaking of Necro, he actually has a connection to La Coka Nostra—he’s Ill Bill’s younger brother. However, the controversial rapper brings a different style to Rock the Bells with lyrics that make Eminem’s “Kill You” seem tame and an energy that will have security guards asking for hazard pay. 

“I’m the only guy on the tour who’s getting mosh pits,” says Necro proudly. “The whole hardcore scene is built over friendships that you have from holding it down in a pit. Hip-hop is known for people just standing there, and there’s no hype or movement. I want to get kids really pumped up.”

With a background in death metal, Necro includes extreme metal elements on certain album tracks, but he’s going straight hip-hop for Rock the Bells to emphasize his skills as a lyricist and producer. While you can turn down a guitar amp, you can’t muffle Necro who will spit his most brutal tracks and say God knows what from the stage.

For example, in the interview for this story, he talked about rapping “brutal sex,” “babbling” to promote himself like “Lars Ulrich from Metallica” and that “if a girl is snotty, I’ll stick my ass in her face and cut a stinky fart.”

Why am I guessing these aren’t publicist-approved quotes? 

“ODD MAN OUT”

Tech N9ne is another artist that will have the crowd on edge. After all, this is the same rapper who released an album entitled Sickology 101 and has told interviewers his dream collaborators include members of Slipknot and System of a Down.

      “I’m in my own world, inside out with my insides exposed for everyone to see,” Tech says. “People can feel that energy. They say we have rock energy because it’s so hype, so hyper, so wild—it puts us odd man out on the tour but in a good way.” 

There are actually several artists who are odd men out on Rock the Bells, but that is what makes it such a cutting edge event. The radio hits will be there, but the event offers all sides of hip-hop, including the indie innovators, entrepreneurs and uncompromising rhyme slingers.  

As Tech eloquently states, “It’s a wonderful thing to be original; it’s a wonderful thing to be an individual.”

Rock the Bells at the San Manuel Amphitheater featuring Necro, Tech N9ne, La Coka Nostra and others at 2575 Glen Helen Parkway, San Bernardino, www.guerillaunion.com/rockthebells, Sat., Aug. 8. Doors open at 1:30PM; $7.11-$152.50.