At 12:30, one and a half hours later than the concert was advertised to begin, the first performer, Sesar A, stepped on stage. Although Sesar A deserves respect for his pivotal role in Icelandic hip-hop, I understand after seeing him rap why he is called the grandfather of Icelandic hip-hop. His rapping was just as boring as anything my grandfather ever said, and he could bore you to sleep. Fortunately, unlike my grandfather, Sesar kept it brief.
When he got off the stage DJ Intro and the boys in XXX Rottweiler got on stage and did what they do best. Get the party going. Not growing up in Iceland I missed Rottweiler’s golden years and have never been especially partial to them; but you gotta hand it to them, they can please a crowd. Their lyrics, while not revolutionary in technique, are all brutally honest and in your face, whether they’re spitting rhymes about police brutality or just having a good time. By the time they finished, the crowd was about spent and the dance floor felt like a being in a bathtub full of beer, sweat and other people.
The anticipation for Looptroop Rockers (who changed their name after the departure of Cos.M.I.C.) was probably the only thing keeping the boxed in sweaty crowd on their feet and when they showed up the people went wild. They rapped well, interacted with the crowd and everybody had a great time. The only problem was the same thing that left me so disappointed with their latest album. I expected the good old Looptroop that I loved and respected but this was different, this was Looptroop Rockers. Although a name shouldn’t mean much it seems like a lot more changed than just Tommy leaving.
As a party it was great but as a concert it fell slightly short thereof. The bands were fun but it seems like the only truly active members of the hip-hop community are the same people that were doing it ten years ago. It’s time for a new generation to step up and bring Icelandic hip-hop to the next level.
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