Zion I Rocks Zellerbach Auditorium @ UC Berkeley

Twas Feb. 1st at the academic mecca of UC Berkeley, at the storied Zellerbach Auditorium. Gathered together were some of the brightest literary minds in the country. We were all summoned there in the name of activism as it relates to the hip hop culture. It was truly an honor to be present. As I languidly slid into the underground parking at the designated time of 8:30, I had no idea of what a legendary night it would be.
I met our manager Tim House in the concrete fortress beneath the performance area. As we made our way thru the labyrinth of hallways and doors, he informed me that the house was packed. Wow. I wasn't expecting as much, but it would definitely help to get me juiced for the show. This is especially true since my stomach was still bubbling from having eaten bad sushi a precious few days before. Yuck...it hurts just to think about it. When we reached the lobby, I saw the vigorous activity of a full blown concert. Baby faced college and high school students mixed and mingled in anticipation of the evenings events.
A program coordinator led me to backstage where I saw old school homies like Bamuthi (host of the affair), Dahlak, and many prominent Youth Speaks poets. Among the nights performers were iLL-Literacy, Ammo from Philly (the champions of the 2007 Youth and Collegiate National Poetry Slams), Siren's Echo from Portland and Atlanta, and Gabriel Teodros from Seattle. The vibe was laid back, but a thin veil of tension hung ever so gently in the air. I chilled backstage until Amplive and Deuce Eclipse sauntered in with swift succession.
After about 20 minutes of lightweight rhetoric, it was time to hit the stage. Bamuthi gave us a rousing introduction, as he freestyled a perfect segueway, while Amp navigated several apparent sound issues. Once we started rocking, it was obvious that this would be a night to remember. The crowd rocked with furious swagger, yelling back the lyrics to "Temperature" and "Bird's Eye View. They bopped hard to the riot of beats banging thru Zellerbach. I looked at Deuce and could see that he was tripping off the intensity as much as I was.
Something seemed to snap, however, once we dipped into "Don't Lose Ya Head". Suddenly, the kinetic energy in the room was activated, as arms and legs twisted thru the air with rare vigilance. Dreads bounced viciously, and shoulders snapped under the impact of Amp's booming bass. "Don't-d-d-don't-don't lose ya head!" Slowly a mosh-like pit formed on the left side of the stage. Dope!
We saved "the Bay" for the finale, and I'm glad we did. As soon as the low swoon of stand up bass hit the speakers, squads of hyped fans rushed the stage. By the chorus of the song Deuce and I were surrounded by hundreds of audience members singing the song, mean mugging, and dancing! The only word to describe the scene is euphoric. I felt like I had just smoked one to the face, but I was clear as the day. The enthusiasm of the chaotic scene only increased the revelry of the capacity theatre. It was truly a celebration of our unique corner of the Earth. Cats were showing off their best thizz faces, dancing as if tomorrow would never come. I could barely contain my smile enough to finish off the song! Honestly, it was one of the illest moments in my career thus far. The only thing I was scared of was that the stage might break. There were so many people on it giggin', that I could feel the age old floor giving way under the weight of youthful expression. Luckily, it heldfast, and we were able to finish the show without incident or injury.
To close it out, I'd like to big up the fans for making it a night to remember! All yall who came out, represented, and didn't cause any problems, thank you. Hip Hop already has a bad reputation, we appreciate those who respect the culture enough to have a good time, but leave the bs behind. All massive hold tight...until the next time. Blessed!

zumbi