The nostalgia of gangsta rap was strong at the Videotron Center on Sunday evening. From the start of his performance, Ice Cube had one hit after another (Natural Born Killaz, Why We Thugs, Hello, Check Yo Self…). It’s amazing how many of his songs have become classics of the west coast rap! It must be said that the 54-year-old rapper helped define and popularize this style.
“I started this gangsta shit for real» (“I started this gangsta sh*t for real”), declared the rapper inducted into the hall of fame of rock and roll in 2016 with his former accomplices from the NWA collective
The Sun – Ice Cube – May 5, 2024 – Photo Caroline Grégoire (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
That year, Ice Cube performed on the Plains of Abraham at the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). Has the rapper lost his power of attraction since then?
In any case, tickets for his show at the Videotron Center had difficulty finding buyers before big discounts were offered in the last few days. It will not have been in vain: a decent crowd – and rather multi-generational – occupied the amphitheater when he took the stage.
These early games weren’t so lucky. It took a few hours for the Videotron Center to fill up. Perhaps there is a link with the smell of cannabis that enveloped the amphitheater parking lot in the early evening…
After Quebec, Ice Cube and his tour stop in Laval. (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
O’Shea Jackson, his real name, offered a medley of old school classics that he composed in the early 1990s, including Boyz-n-the-Hood.
Despite his differences with his former comrades, Ice Cube could not miss the successes he produced with NWA including Straight Outta Compton who inspired the title of his tour Straight Into Canada. The rapper did not hesitate to return to his departure from NWA before saying No Vaseline, a title produced to take revenge on his ex-accomplices.
On several occasions, the lyrics of the songs were projected on the screen behind the stage, but not those of the most vulgar ones. Invited to sing, the audience let out several words in N and B, but they will be able to say that the Gangsta Rap Made Me Do I.
Spectators at the Videotron Center were treated to an evening of purely old school rap. (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
Ice cube made the crowd jump with Wicked. Lulled by nostalgia for the golden age of gangsta rapeveryone seemed to have a great evening.
Pimp My Ride
Images of cars projected on the screen at the back of the stage announced the arrival of the iconic host of Pimp My Ride. Knowing Xzibit’s passion for flat screens, we’re surprised there aren’t more to accompany his performance.
We regret that no screen transmits the image of Xzibit to spectators seated further away. (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
All the same, extracts from music videos took an important place in it. Alvin Joiner (real name) instantly transported the audience to the heyday of the top 5 Music More.
The rapper from Detroit, who has carved out a small place for himself among the big names of west coast raphas lost nothing of its flow fast and aggressive.
Xzibit brought a fan on stage to translate some important messages he wanted to convey to the audience, such as “there is no one in the room who can drink more than me.”
The 49-year-old artist, who launched his eighth album KingMaker in 2023, allowed itself to return to the sources by interpreting Paparazzi taken from his very first album. Then, he continued with extracts from his most famous collaborations: What’s The Difference And The Next Episode.
Le Soleil – Ice Cube first part Xzibit – May 5, 2024 – Photo Caroline Grégoire (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
Nostalgia was strong in the crowd. With these classics of west coast rap, Xzibit has set the stage well for Ice Cube. All in all, his performance had the humility of the first parts.
Short first part
Peter Jackson was in no rush to get on stage at the start of the evening. It must be said that the Videotron Center was bare to say the least at 7:30 p.m. DJ Young Legend was kind enough to warm up the meager crowd before the appearance of the Canadian rapper by throwing a few old school classics of west coast rap as Still DRE And Gin & Juice.
The friendly DJ Yound Legend practically made a better impression than the Canadian rapper. (Caroline Grégoire/The Sun)
Peter Jackson finally took the microphone twenty minutes later than expected and did not try to make up for lost time.
A mix of lighters and cell phones lit up the room when the rapper announced that he had recently lost his father. Some of the audience seemed familiar with his material, while others were rather indifferent to his performance.
The friendly DJ Yound Legend was full of praise for the Canadian rapper, going so far as to say that it was thanks to him that the legends of west coast rap were visiting Canada.
