A sea of people made their way down to the historic Wiltern venue for the West Coast High concert last weekend. Eager fans were able to witness remarkable performances from bands such as Hollywood Undead and Cypress Hill as well as solo artists Xzibit and Demrick. In addition, B-Real performed with Xzibit and Demrick, and all together referred to themselves as The Serial Killers.
Demrick was the first artist to take the stage with fierce flows, which sent shock waves throughout the venue. The intense level of energy during his set had everyone stomping their feet to the rhythm and waving their hands wildly in the air. This young cat from Philly showed off his raw talent with performances of some of his most popular songs such as “Clouds Above Us” and “Money and Weed.”
Once Demrick energized the crowd with his electrifying set, the legendary Detroit rapper Xzibit took the stage after a 10 year touring hiatus. When he performed, however, it was like he never lost his signature touch. Xzibit has an outstanding history of working with rap icons like Eminem and Snoop Dogg on their songs, but on Saturday he proved he could still hold his own as an MC during performances of his classic songs “Paparazzi” from his 1996 album Speed of Life and “X” from his album Restless, which was released in 2000. He also paid tribute to the late rapper Nate Dogg by telling the crowd to flip on their cigarette lighters so they can wave them side-to-side.
Before leaving the stage, Xzibit brought back Demirck to continue to surprise the audience with just one of the collaborations of the night. Right after they both performed hit songs like “Day of the Dead” and “Get Away With It”, California group Hollywood Undead jumped in front of the audience as they filled the venue with wild cheers.
Ever since the group first formed in 2005, they have made hit after hit, and their fans cannot get enough. Hollywood Undead also solidified their love for not only their fans, but their music as well after they released their 2017 album, which includes a total of five discs. The release of their Psalms EP back in November featured the popular tacks “Gotta Let Go” and “Another Level”, and included many verses by lead guitarist Charlie Scene and Daniel Murillo, which are reminiscent of Eminem’s unique writing style.
I felt the energy radiate off the stage as each member of Hollywood Undead hit the notes during the performance of their 2015 song “Day of the Dead.” Along with this, songs like “California Dreaming” hit home as it captured the nostalgic love for the state all California natives can relate to. What made the group’s performance a stand out were the ways they played in a variety of genres. The audience was able to enjoy a little bit of everything from rock, party rock and even some dance tracks. The fact that Hollywood Undead is well versed in different genres keeps the audience guessing and yearning for more.
The iconic hip-hop group Cypress Hill closed out the show in full force. Sen Dog and B-Real are a dynamic duo that never disappoints the crowd, giving them a natural high from their music. They performed songs from their 9th studio album Elephants on Acid. The set definitely took the audience back to the 90s, showing Sen Dog and B-Real still have that magic touch that made them so popular when they first started. The captivating performances of the songs “Reefer Man”, “Warlord” and “Band of Gypsies” felt hallucinating since the group made it a goal to create a dark and interactive atmosphere.
Every single performance at the West Coast High concert was incredible, and when I left the venue, I felt relieved knowing the real hip-hop and rock music still exist in this world.
