ICE CUBE LIVE - AMSTERDAM - Club Paradiso | (November 9th 2006)

Ice Cube, who is still on tour promoting his current release album "Laugh Now, Cry Later" was overseas in November 2006 and stopped by Amsterdam for a show, the first time he had performed there in 13 years.

At Club Paradiso was NoLimitIndo who has provided dubcnn with an exclusive show report and photos from the event. Our thanks go to him and once again if there are shows in your area and you want to report on it and submit it to dubcnn, hit us up.


Show Review

In the days before the show many people were wondering and arguing about how many years have passed since the last time Don Mega’s feet touched ground in Amsterdam, Holland. Some were quoting 10 years, others stating 13 years. But it was evident to everybody that it’s been a long time.

By 9 O'Clock Club Paradiso was almost filled to it’s maximum capacity of 1500 people and the crowd were served an overdose of westcoast bangers from back in the days. Above the Law, Paris, DPG, B.G Knocc Out & Gangsta Dresta tracks banged out of the speakers, which is a rarity in clubs around Holland. As a result of these tracks, plenty of individuals in the crowd, already got high without some chronic from local coffee-shops. Tonight, after 13 years (I know for sure) , the westcoast hip hop was fully represented in Amsterdam. Here and there were people who pulled their dusty Raiders and Dodgers caps out of the closet again.

At around 9.30 the lights were dimmed and the sound of a helicopter thundered through the venue. It seemed that Ice Cube was about to drop Ghetto Bird while coming on stage, but then DJ Crazy Toones dropped Wicked and Cube and Dub C entered the stage. For the next one and a half hours, Cube and Dub C were The Netherlands' tourist guides through South Central L.A.

Most of the show Cube took a trip down memory lane with tracks like How To Survive in South Central, Steady Mobbin’ and Natural born Killaz. Ice Cube told us 13 years ago that we can’t play with his Yo-Yo, but last night it was clear the man himself likes to play hide and seek. Only after W.C told the crowd to say fuck you Ice Cube!, O’Shea was convinced he couldn’t just walk off stage and leave the crowd for dead. Throughout the concert it was evident for Cube and W.C that Amsterdam still had that California love and kept on mentioning that this crowd was on that 'real westcoast gangsta shi‘'. The crowd, whether from Rotterdam, Groningen or The Hague, threw up more W’s than a website address. I also guess that the smell in the air reminded Cube of shooting the movie Friday.

Without the assistance of Mack -one -O, the Gangsta and Killa of WSCG had the crowd Bowed Down and showed that Gangstas ruled the World. Then Cube and W.C took time to explain why they were thugs. And in case peeps in Amsterdam were scared of WSCG‘s terrorist threats they were advised on a Lil’ Jon beat, to go to church.

At the end of the show DJ Crazy Toones dropped the theme that had people think Cube was strapped . But unlike Snoop, he didn’t get arrested on the airport for that. I guess the customs at Schiphol Airport were glad to see that he brought one that could do no harm. Cube pulled out his Bop Gun and showed the crowd that this isn’t only a gangsta nation, but also one nation under a groove.


The day after the show, a big picture of Ice Cube appeared on the front page of one of the main newspapers of Holland. And that without even committing a crime. Thursday 9th of November was a satisfying trade. Not only for Cube, W.C and Crazy Toones, but as well for the crowd it was a good day.
 

Images (Click to Enlarge)
 

Photos & Show Report courtesy of NoLimitIndo