Lupe Fiasco

Questlove Wants Pete Rock To Reconsider Fiasco With Lupe

25 May 2012 15:14:21 EDT

'I'm glad that Lupe did it,' Questlove tells MTV News of Lupe Fiasco's 'T.R.O.Y' sample on his new single 'Around My Way.'
By Rob Markman

Lupe Fiasco took on a ton of criticism this week when he sampled Pete Rock and CL Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" on his new single, "Around My Way," but Questlove is in full support of the Chicago MC.

"I would hope that Pete would reconsider his position because it's clearly an homage to his legacy," the Roots drummer told MTV News on Wednesday.

After Fiasco dropped his new single on Tuesday, Pete Rock took to Twitter to chastise Lu and the song's producers for remaking the song, which he and CL Smooth released back in 1992 as a dedication to their fallen friend and Heavy D & the Boyz group member Troy "Trouble T" Dixon.

"I'm not flattered @ all. Dat sh-- is wack, and the producer should be ashamed of his f---in self. Smh," he wrote.

On Thursday, a livid Lu phoned into MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway's "Sway in the Morning" radio show and revealed that he didn't actually sample Pete Rock's 1992 "Reminisce," but instead crafted his track from Tom Scott's 1967 jazz record "Today." But he was, in fact, attempting to honor the famed hip-hop producer and Questlove believes that's a good thing.

"I'm certain that people will know that's 'T.R.O.Y.' by Pete Rock and CL Smooth and it will seem familiar to them, and that will give Pete the 20-year resurgence and boost that naturally comes with this type of music," the Roots maestro reasoned. "I'm glad that Lupe did it because as a DJ, sometimes it's hard to convince people that are younger than the music that you're spinning that this is worth dancing to.

"I think it's a good thing. He'll get over it," Questlove said.

What are your thoughts on Lupe Fiasco's "Around My Way"? Let us know in the comments.

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Lupe Fiasco Addresses Pete Rock

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Lupe Fiasco Calls Pete Rock's Twitter Rant 'Foul'

24 May 2012 15:15:42 EDT

Lupe talks to 'Sway in the Morning' about Rock's 'wack' response to his remake of 'They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Turns out things aren't all good between Pete Rock and Lupe Fiasco after all.

On Tuesday, the heralded hip-hop producer took to Twitter and lashed out at the Chicago MC for recording "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)," a remake of his and CL Smooth's 1992 single "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," but a day later tweeted that he and Lu had worked out their differences. But according to Lupe, that's not the case.

"We wasn't on the phone like, 'Oh, I love you, Pete.' At the end of the day, I was hot. My crew was hot, the people who put it together was hot, my record company was hot," Fiasco said on Thursday morning (May 24) when he called into MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway's "Sway in the Morning Show" on Shade 45.

The original "T.R.O.Y." serves as a dedication to Pete Rock and CL Smooth's fallen friend Troy "Trouble T" Dixon and samples Tom Scott's 1967 jazz record "Today." After hearing Lupe's "Around My Way" on Tuesday, Rock took to Twitter to express his displeasure with the 2012 version of the song he popularized. "No disrespect to lupe fiasco and i like him alot but TROY should be left alone. Feel so violated,the beat is next to my heart and was made Outta anguish and pain. When it's like that it should not be touched by no one," he wrote.

"He wasn't supposed to say that," Lu said in response to Pete's tweet about plans to collaborate, which has now been deleted from his account. "He was supposed to say the same sh-- he said on the phone, 'Yo man it was my bad, that was wack, it was f---ed up for me to say that, it was disrespectful, I was 100 percent in the wrong, I apologize.' That's what he was supposed to say."

Lupe says that the remake should have come as no surprise to Pete because members of Lupe's team reached out to the producer about using his classic instrumental back in November 2011. He said Rock gave them his blessing, but because "T.R.O.Y." isn't an original composition, Lupe had to remake the beat using "Today" just as Pete did back in 1992.

"The funky part is you ain't even gotta go through Pete Rock to clear it because he don't even own it," Lupe said. "Then he comes on Twitter... the same day the joint is released and bodies me like that? And bodies my crew like that? And just hits on us like that? That's foul."

Though upset, Lupe says that his intent was to do something positive and pay homage to Pete Rock while also spreading a thoughtful message through his music. On "Around My Way" the "Kick, Push" MC rhymes about socio-political ills in Ghana and corruption in the oil industry.

"You let all these other dudes rap on it, but you sh-- on me? It's like damn, it's me, kid," Fiasco said pointing out his progressive hip-hop catalog. "I don't know how to respect that. Part of me comes from the streets, straight from the streets and part of me don't know how to respect that."

What do you think of Lupe Fiasco's "Around My Way"? Tell us in the comments.

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Lupe Fiasco's 'T.R.O.Y.' Remake Is 'Wack,' Pete Rock Says

22 May 2012 12:13:22 EDT

Catch Lupe Fiasco on 'RapFix Live' this Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Rob Markman

When Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth dropped "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" 20 years ago, the celebrated rap duo was still reeling over the unexpected death of their dear friend Troy "Trouble T" Dixon of Heavy D & the Boyz. What began as the most personal of lyrical eulogies soon became an iconic hip-hop track, so when Lupe Fiasco reworked the "T.R.O.Y." instrumental for his new single "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)" on Monday, things were all good until Pete Rock chimed in.

"No disrespect to lupe fiasco and i like him alot but TROY should be left alone. Feel so violated,the beat is next to my heart and was made Outta anguish and pain. When it's like that it should not be touched by no one," Rock tweeted on Monday after hearing the track.

While Lu's new single clearly is a nod to "T.R.O.Y," the original track isn't exactly an original composition, as it samples from jazz musician Tom Scott's 1967 song "Today." It's possible that "Around My Way," which was produced by Simonsayz and B-Sidet, sampled a portion of their track from Scott's version. This isn't the first time that Lupe has paid homage to Pete Rock either, he once freestyled over the "Reminisce" beat for his "Dopeboys" freestyle with Wale and Kardinal Offishall.

Lyrically, Lu continues to push rap's topical boundaries on "Around My Way," choosing to rhyme about social-political ills in Ghana and corruption in the oil industry. Rock stressed that he did not have a personal problem with the Chicago rapper, he just didn't appreciate the remake. "I'm not flattered @ all. Dat sh-- is wack, and the producer should be ashamed of his f--kin self. Smh," he wrote.

On Tuesday, Lupe began tweeting links to other "T.R.O.Y." remakes, including Mann's J.R. Rotem-produced "Reminisce" and a remixed version of the song which featured Journalist, Mr. Cheeks and Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth themselves. Finally Lupe took the high road and tweeted a YouTube link to the original Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth video with the hash tag "#20YearsLaterStillTheBest."

Catch Lupe Fiasco on this week's "RapFix Live," Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.

Do you side with Pete Rock? Should "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" remain untouched? Let us know in the comments.

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A$AP Rocky, Lupe Fiasco Set To Invade 'RapFix Live'

21 May 2012 20:11:08 EDT

Leading up to the release of Food & Liquor 2, Lupe makes official 'RapFix' debut Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Nadeska Alexis

This Wednesday at 4 p.m., a Chicago veteran and a Harlem rapper on the rise will bring two worlds together on what will undoubtedly be a memorable episode of "RapFix Live." A$AP Rocky will make his return to the red couch with MTV News' Sway Calloway, while Lupe Fiasco makes his official debut on the show.

Since the last time he appeared on "RapFix" with Young Jeezy and Big K.R.I.T. back in November, A$AP Rocky's star has only continued to rise. On the heels of his critically acclaimed Live.Love.A$AP. mixtape and his $3 million record deal with Sony, the Harlem rapper has continued to extend his influence in the hip-hop arena, commanding guest appearances from artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Waka Flocka and Bun B during his own sold-out shows and rocking festivals like South by Southwest and Coachella.

One of MTV News' 2011 Hottest Breakthrough MC contenders, A$AP is currently at work on his debut album, Long.Live.A$AP., which has already spawned the Hit-Boy-produced single "Goldie" and an accompanying video that was shot in Paris, with the fashionable rapper decked out in his finest Alexander Wang gear. In between his own music and promoting his rowdy A$AP Mob, Rocky still finds time for features, including a recent appearance on Swizz Beatz's "Street Knock" single.

Lupe Fiasco, a legend in his own right, will appear alongside Rocky on the couch, and we won't be surprised if the two rappers bond quickly, as both are known for fiercely championing individuality in their music.

In the next few weeks, the Chitown rapper is expected to release Food & Liquor 2, a sequel to his fan-favorite debut album, Food & Liquor, which has been years in the making. Lupe has confirmed that the project will be a double album, showcasing his work "without industry constraints." Also on the radar is his joint album with Pharrell, which Lupe and the Star Trak producer have already begun recording.

Catch A$AP Rocky and Lupe Fiasco on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFix!

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Bassnectar Calls Lupe Fiasco 'Wicked' On Vava Voom

09 Apr 2012 20:41:32 EDT

With ninth album out Tuesday, Bassnectar tells MTV News he tries 'to make all music thicker and heavier.'
By Akshay Bhansali

With beginnings in death metal, Bassnectar (born Lorin Ashton) is so much more than that today, though metal is still clearly a large part of who he is. Besides catching his long hair thrashing during his epic live shows, one need only listen to a couple of tracks on his latest album, Vava Voom — "Pennywise Tribute" and the album's closer, "Chronological Outtakes" — to know his metal flag still flies high.

Over nine albums, in a career that spans longer than a decade, fans have come to adore Bassnectar's exceptionally diverse sonic palate. Of course, there has been one constant over the years: His desire to make every release heavier than the last.

When MTV News caught up with Bassnectar in Miami recently, he shared, "Musically, I really focus on playing and making what I love, and I don't let myself get bogged down with, 'Is this the newest? Is this the freshest? Is this the most popular sound?'

"What I don't want to do is impose rules on myself," he continued. "I don't like to think of myself as having one particular style. I just like to make all music thicker and heavier, whether it's rock music or metal or punk or classical, downtempo, dubstep, whatever it is. I just like to take heaviness and apply it to forms of music."

On Vava Voom, out Tuesday, Bassnectar has continued his legacy of sonic exploration. "Ugly" and "Ping Pong" are bass whoppers. "Empathy" is sheer cinema, reminiscent of a lost "Tron Legacy" cut. "Do It Like This," featuring his frequent collaborator friend ill.Gates, is almost an indescribably sumptuous mix of rock, hip-hop, glitches and wobbles. The album also features Amp Live, Jantsen, Mimi Page and Tina Malia. And then there's the title track, featuring bars by rapper Lupe Fiasco.

"That was one of the most interesting collaborations that I've had recently, partly because of the friendship I was able to make with him," Bassnectar revealed.

"Vava Voom" is a Southern bass track with a pitched-down hook, similar to chopped and screwed with a scaling melody reminiscent of '80s Atari games and early Neptunes production, before breaking into a dubstep-flavored ending. And Fiasco adds primo bars.

"He's a really creative person, and he rhymes fully improvisationally," Bassnectar revealed. "So, he makes one sentence, and then you play back that sentence, and he comes up with another one. There's two sentences, and then he says the third sentence. And then, basically, this crazy poem unfolds. It was wicked."

Bassnectar sold over 200,000 tickets on his U.S. tour last year, and with Vava Voom out Tuesday, he's back on his tour grind through July, with demand for his live stage show greater than it's ever been.

"Last year, when we sold out Red Rocks, which is a 10,000 person venue, it happened a couple of weeks in advance. And I was speechless," he shared. "This year, it sold out in one day. And after selling out in one day, we added a second show that's going to sell out as well, so it's just a stunning time."

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Grammy Nominations Concert Will Get 'The Message'

30 Nov 2011 10:20:55 EST

Host LL Cool J, Common and Lupe Fiasco will join Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five onstage Wednesday to perform hip-hop classic.
By Matt Elias

LOS ANGELES — The fourth annual Grammy nominations concert Wednesday night (November 30) will include a special performance nearly three decades in the making. Rappers LL Cool J, Common and Lupe Fiasco will join Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five members Melle Mel and Scorpio for the group's classic "The Message" during "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night."

The generations-spanning ensemble hit rehearsals hard Tuesday afternoon at the Nokia Theatre, using every minute available to practice. That meant squeezing in extra rehearsal time in a lower-level lobby before they even jumped onstage. While Rick Ross had previously been announced as a performer, he was not present at Tuesday's rehearsals. Ross' absence was hardly felt however, as the cast of all-stars had plenty of energy to fill the massive theatre.

"Rehearsals [are] a lot fun," said LL Cool J, who's pulling double duty, also acting as the show's host.

"Been rehearsing with Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Scorpio, Common and Lupe Fiasco working on this 'Message' thing, and it's an honor."

Lupe Fiasco seemed to have no qualms with doing another tribute performance (you know, after that VH1 Hip Hop Honors situation a few years ago), which can most likely be attributed to the confidence-boosting of the group's maestro, Grandmaster Flash.

"You'll see, my position is to make sure that everything's moving, everything's flowing," Flash said. "Make sure rappers are entertaining all sides of the room — center, left, right. Everybody got their lines: We have new rappers that are doing the lyrics to the song, to make sure that they're quite comfortable with it. I had a deep conversation with Common, and I had a deep conversation with Lupe, like, 'Are you guys comfortable? Do you really, really feel comfortable?' It's the way that I used to do it when it was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five as a group."

Lupe Fiasco joked, "Grandmaster Flash is like a drill sergeant. He's like, 'Let's do it again, do it again, let's do it again, do it again.' He's like, 'You got it? No? Let's do it again. Hold up — let's do it again, let's do it again.' So, that was cool." For LL, who remembers first hearing "The Message" on a boombox in his neighborhood as a youngster, taking part in the performance is like reliving his childhood. "I liken it to a kid who's in a rock band in the garage and now he's onstage with [Mick] Jagger," he said. "That's what this is like for hip-hop."

While LL and his counterparts were ecstatic to be part of this special performance, Melle Mel and Scorpio, founding members of the Furious Five, were equally excited to be sharing the stage with their successors.

"They took a song that even ultimately wasn't their song, but they're so passionate about it," Scorpio said. "They wanted to keep practicing and practicing, and just to see that blew my mind because that's our natural format — Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five — practice, practice, practice. But for them to keep doing it to wanna get it right, it's an honor."

Catch the special performance — along with Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher, Ludacris, Sugarland and more — at 10 p.m. ET/PT Wednesday night (November 30) on CBS.

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Rick Ross, Common, Furious Five To Perform On Grammy Special

28 Nov 2011 08:11:57 EST

Rappers will join Melle Mel and Scorpio for a special performance of 'The Message' at the Grammy Nomination Concert on November 30.
By Rob Markman

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were onto something when they recorded one of rap's earliest hits, "The Message," in 1982. Not only would hip-hop rock the party for years to come, but the then-budding genre would grow to become the CNN of the streets — detailing the ills of the inner-city ghetto. On November 30, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross and LL Cool J will join Furious Five members Melle Mel and Scorpio for a special performance of "The Message" during the Grammy Nominations Concert, airing live on CBS.

The one-hour show will reveal the nominations for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which will take place on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. LL Cool J will host the awards and Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Rihanna, Sugarland and Usher have already been announced as performers while Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry will be on deck as award presenters.

For the fourth time the nominations will be announced during prime time and the Grammy Nominations Concert will not only feature the cross-generational rap performance, but will also boast performances from past Grammy winners and nominees.

On November 21 it was announced that "The Message" would be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, 30 years after it was recorded. On the track rappers Melle Mel and Ed "Duke Bootee" Fletcher rhymed about junkies in the alley, pimps, prostitutes and the rampant unemployment of the 1980s. The groundbreaking lyrics were summed up perfectly on the track's hook, "It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under."

"The Message" has since been a staple in hip-hop. It was sampled by Ice Cube in 1993 on a remix to his "Check Yo Self" single and again on Diddy's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" in 1997.

The Grammy Nominations Concert Live — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night will air on November 30 on CBS at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

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Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris Added To Grammy Noms Concert

03 Nov 2011 12:18:54 EDT

Lady Gaga and country artists Sugarland, Jason Aldean also set to appear at November 30 event in Los Angeles.
By James Montgomery

Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and country duo Sugarland have been added to the lineup for the annual "Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!" (two exclamation points because it's just that exciting), set to air November 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

They join a list of performers that already includes Lady Gaga and country singer Jason Aldean, with LL Cool J once again serving as the master of ceremonies. In addition to the performances, nominees will be announced in several Grammy categories and, according to a press release from the Recording Academy, the show will also feature "a special, live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion," set to take place at the upcoming Grammy Awards. (The ceremony will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 12 on CBS.)

While we can only speculate about just who will be doing the reuniting (classic Van Halen?), in recent years, an onstage reconciliation has become nearly as much a part of the Grammy telecast as the golden gramophone award itself, as everyone from Blink-182 to the Police have used the event to bury the hatchet and launch comeback tours.

And though we won't know all of the nominees until November 30, presumed frontrunners include Adele, whose 21 not only features two of the year's biggest singles, but is also the year's best-selling album; Katy Perry, who continues to string together an impressive series of hits; Rihanna; and Lady Gaga, all of whom have also dominated 2011.

"The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night" will air live on November 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

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Wall Street Protesters 'Still Have Faith In The Future'

04 Oct 2011 14:54:38 EDT

'All of my adult life has been economic downturn,' a young activist tells MTV News about corporate greed, unemployment, social injustice.
By Uptin Saiidi, with additional reporting by Akshay Bhansali

NEW YORK — What started as just a dozen college students camping overnight on Wall Street three weeks ago has mushroomed into thousands of protesters and Street-inspired gatherings across the country, from Los Angeles to Boston.

On Monday, a number of protesters dressed up as zombies, holding Monopoly money in their mouths in a gesture to financial workers. The crowd was especially energized after more than 700 of them were arrested over the weekend by New York City Police Department officers, who claimed they were blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. Thousands marched from the "base camp" at Zuccotti Park, a plaza near the city's financial center, chanting, "Take the bridge!"

Even as the number of protesters continues to fluctuate, the gatherings have remained relatively small by New York City standards. The longevity of the unrest, however, is far from normal. MTV News recently headed downtown and caught up with some of the young protesters to see what exactly was on their minds.

Mike Chrisemer, a 24-year-old graduate student at the City University of New York, said he got involved on the second day of the protest and doesn't plan to abandon the cause. "The general feeling is that the top 1 percent of people is ruling over the rest of us, the 99 percent, and it's not the status quo that we want to see anymore."

Sympathetic supporters have been donating food to the "occupiers," and those who camp overnight at the park rely on portable gas for laptop energy. Social media networks like Twitter have, of course, helped spark interest in the cause and serve as a vehicle to spread its message. For those who cannot get to NYC, a live stream is available at the Occupy Wall Street website.

Celebrity involvement has also helped stoke media attention. Lupe Fiasco, Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo and filmmaker Michael Moore made appearances in the past week, while "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin has expressed support over his Twitter

Last Friday morning, an online rumor began to spread that Radiohead would be giving a surprise performance that afternoon in support of the protest. The buzz was put to rest when the band's rep later denied the group would perform, but it's likely that many curious onlookers (and Radiohead fans) had headed to the park anticipating the event. At 4:30 p.m., a statement was finally posted on the Occupy Wall Street site apologizing for the miscommunication; they further explained that an email from Radiohead's manager turned out to be a fake and cited the challenges of verifying information in an open-source movement.

The band's no-show didn't slow down momentum though. Late Friday afternoon, an influx of curious spectators wandered the park, many admitting they came after hearing the concert rumors.

"That probably brought a lot of these people here, but they're still here. It's not just about Radiohead, it's not a pop culture movement, it's a real movement to challenge the status quo," Chrisemer told us.

The protests come at a time when the unemployment rate among American youths under 25 is at 18 percent compared to the national rate of 9 percent. Nearly half of young Americans are underemployed, and the amount of student loan debt has recently surpassed credit card debt.

Tim Payne, a 20-year-old New York University undergrad, said he had been coming to the park between classes to hold signs and participate in the protest. "College tuition keeps going up and the top 400 people have more wealth than the lowest 125 million. I have all these loans out and they're profiting off that, and I don't think that's fair."

Some reports have been critical of the protesters for reportedly failing to deliver a clear message about their grievances. Instead, critics say, the rally has become a gathering place for anyone dissatisfied with, well, just about anything. When MTV News spoke with some of the young activists on Friday, their cardboard signs had messages that varied from dissatisfaction with financial corruption, NYPD police brutality, discrimination against Muslims and workers' rights.

"People have so much frustration with government and media, and they're taking this out as an outlet in different ways," NYU student Payne explained.

It's still unclear whether the protests will succeed in channeling frustration into a lasting movement similar to the Tea Party's conservative movement, which was started in 2009 by a group of Americans fed up with the status quo for different reasons. Occupy Wall Street protesters seem to be hopeful that they will have a voice that continues to be heard and gains momentum into the 2012 elections.

"It's more than just Wall Street," Payne added. "It's the fact that all of my adult life has been economic downturn. And I heard a quote once: it was 'When did the future change from a promise to a threat?' I feel like the people here still have faith in the future and are trying to change it."

Share your thoughts on the ongoing Wall Street protests in the comments below!

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Wiz Khalifa, Ice Cube, Lupe Fiasco Mix It Up At L.A.'s Powerhouse

26 Jun 2011 10:53:59 EDT

50 Cent, Trey Songz, Snoop Dogg surprise fans at Power 106 show, which also featured Big Sean, Jeremih, LMFAO, the Rej3ctz and T-Pain.
By Felicia "The Poetess" Morris

LOS ANGELES — Radio station Power 106 held their annual sold-out Powerhouse concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday night, bringing together multiple generations of hip-hop stars, from West Coast OG Ice Cube to L.A.'s latest dance-craze instigators the Rej3ctz to a chart-topping visitor from out east, Wiz Khalifa.

The Rej3ctz opened the show with a high-energy performance and later danced onstage with the very colorful LMFAO as they performed "Shots." Sporting a white T-shirt and bright yellow cargo shorts, T-Pain took it up a couple notches with a string of his hits and left fans fully charged with DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win."

The evening had a couple of surprises on deck: 50 Cent joined Jeremih on their collabo "Down on Me," which Jeremih said was the first time they've ever performed the song together in concert. Compton's own DJ Quik gave loyal fans what they came for, and when Lupe Fiasco pulled young crooner Trey Songz onstage during his set, screaming concertgoers raised the decibels to new heights.

The Don Mega himself, Ice Cube, brought out his old N.W.A bandmate MC Ren on the song "Hello."

"It makes you feel good, being in the game as long as I have," Ice Cube told MTV News before the show. "I done went from new school to old school and still here. You can't do nothing but be humbled by the fact that so many rappers is gone. ... I'm still here after all this time."

Cube was also the most-anticipated act of the evening by fellow performers including the headliner, Wiz Khalifa.

"This is my first time performing at Powerhouse, my first time performing at an event this big, so I feel elated," Wiz told MTV News before his set. "I'm really excited about seeing Cube."

But Khalifa had another trick up his sleeve when it came to honoring L.A.'s hip-hop roots: He brought out his "High School" co-star Snoop Dogg for one last Powerhouse surprise, no doubt leaving 18,000 fans feeling like they got their money's worth.

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