Rock The Bells 2009 Drama with Joe Budden and Raekwon

Looks like there was drama backstage of Rock The Bells at the San
Manuel Amphitheater before Joe Budden’s group Slaughterhouse went on. Since I was out listening to all the groups and checking out the vendors and talking to people I didn’t see it.

And before I begin, let me say that I’m not going to post video because of
the expletives–this is a family newspaper site–but you can easily find it at
youtube or just type Raekwon and Joe Budden
Rock The Bells into a search engine to see it.

Basically, from what I’ve been able to watch (from Joe Budden, Mickey Factz and … that’s it because Raekwon hasn’t said anything yet) Rae from the Wu-Tang
Clan approached Budden with six other people and someone in Raekwon’s
group punched Joe in the eye.

This is according to Budden and Factz. Supposedly, Raekwon’s group Ice Water shot video of the punch but I’ve only seen still photos. I have not heard anything from Raekwon.

Without going too far into it, I believe this originally stems
from when Budden said he was better than Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man
after a Vibe magazine article rated Method Man as a better or hotter MC.

A brief war of words went on through blog sites and Wu-Tang’s Inspector Deck released a diss song about Budden before Budden and Method Man settled their differences … or so it seemed.

I caught the middle first song and most of the set of Slaughterhouse and Budden was NOT wearing an ice pack on his eye and I didn’t hear him talk about the confrontation, which could have possibly led to their shortened set.

Apparently the confrontation happened just before Raekwon performed on the Paid Dues set which was late afternoon … originally he was supposed to go to on around 3 p.m. on the main stage but that didn’t happen.  

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Rock The Bells Festival 2009 quick update

My posts are going to be sporadic because I’m running out of power after I filed a story but if you get the chance to see Mickey Factz, I would recommend it. A lot of the audience was really into his rhymes on the Paid Dues secondary stage.

Same goes with Mystik Journeymen from the hip-hop group Living Legends … the crowd loudly cheered the group’s freestyles and during any references to Living Legends.

On the downside, the crowd did not see to be into La Coka Nostra unless it was a House of Pain song. The reaction was not as vocal for La Coka’s music.

Short Dawg Tha Native sounded great live but I noticed fans leaving his set just a song in. For the audience members who stayed, they appeared happy. 

 

Rock The Bells Festival 2009 main stage and paid dues stage artists

The event runs from 1 to midnight Saturday at the San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. For tickets, go to www.livenation.com
Here is the main stage schedule:
Hosting are Pete Rock, Supernatural and KRS-ONE while the doors to the event open at 1 p.m.
An opening DJ will spin from 1 to 2 p.m.
The Knux–2 to 2:20 p.m.
Chali 2NA(formerly of Jurassic 5)–2:30 to 2:50 p.m.
Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan–3 to 3:30 p.m.
Tech N9ne–3:40 to 4:10 p.m.
House Of Pain/La Coka Nostra–4:20 to 4:50 p.m.
Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and DJ Hi Tek)–5 to 5:30 p.m.
Big Boi of OutKast–5:40 to 6:15 p.m.
TBD (writer’s note … let’s hope it’s Andre 3000 of OutKast)–6:25 to 6:45 p.m.
The Roots–7:05 to 8:05 p.m.
Busta Rhymes–8:20 to 8:50 p.m.
Nas and Damian Marley–9:10 to 10:25 p.m.
Ice Cube–10:40 to 11:40 p.m.

Here is the paid dues stage schedule:
Tabi Bonney–1:30 to 1:50 p.m.
Mickey Factz–2 to 2:20 p.m.
Short Dawg Da Native–2:30 to 2:50 p.m.
Mystik Journeymen–3 to 3:20 p.m.
Eyedea and Abilities–3:30 to 3:50 p.m.
Sage Francis & B. Dolan–4 to 4:30 p.m.
Necro–4:40 to 5 p.m.
Evidence & Alchemist–5:10 to 5:30 p.m.
Buckshot–5:40 to 6 p.m.
M.O.P.–6:10 to 6:40 p.m.
Psycho Realm–6:50 to 7:10 p.m.
Slum Village–7:20 to 7:50 p.m.
Slaughterhouse–8 to 8:30 p.m.
RZA of Wu-Tang Clan–8:40 to 9:25 p.m.

What we’re listening to

A bunch of us in the Bulletin newsroom are big music fans and often trade music. We thought you might want to hear now and then what we listen to. Here’s what we’re currently playing:

David Allen, columnist: Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong, “Bing and Satchmo”; The Go-Betweens, “That Striped Sunlight Sound”; Van Morrison, “Best of Vol. 3.”

Will Bigham, reporter: The Smithereens, “Especially for You”; Freedy Johnston, “The Trouble Tree”; Ice Cube, “Death Certificate.”

Liset Marquez, reporter: Bat for Lashes, “Two Suns”; Wilco, “Wilco (The Album)”; The Dead Weather, “Horehound.”

John Valenzuela, photographer: The Dead Weather, “Horehound”; K’naan, “Troubadour”; 88-Keys, “Death of Adam.”

Wes Woods II, reporter: Nas “The Lost Tapes,” Cowboy Junkies “Trinity Revisited,” M.O.P. “Warriorz.”