This past weekend, we brought West Coast hip-hop torchbearer Kalan.Frfr to Long Beach’s World Famous VIP Records for a headlining performance that served as a celebration of the lineage and history of West Coast hip hop, presented by FX’s The Drop: A Snowfall Saga.
G-Funk scholars will know, VIP Records isn’t just any old record shop — in the late ’80s and early ’90s, owner Kelvin Anderson turned the backroom of the store into a music studio that acted as a safe house for the young kids in the neighborhood to stay out of trouble and flex their creativity. It’s the studio where Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg cut their first demo as 213, so the having the party at VIP Records was a full circle moment for the neighborhood, who showed up!
Lines wrapped around the block, candy-painted lowriders lined the curb, and vintage shots from the era by photographer Mike Miller covered the walls, while South LA and Long Beach staples like Woody’s BBQ and Glizzy Street Dogs handled the food.
The legendary DJ Hed kept the crowd popping and Ye’s creative director Andre Troutman stopped by to bring his talk box mastery to the stagem culminating in a cover of “California Love.” But Kalan.FrFr was undoubtedly the star of the show — the crowd lit up the second he stepped out and paid tribute to the past, present and future of West Coast hip-hop.
Check out the recap above, then watch Kalan.FrFr explore the streets of LA in our documentary How LA Found Its Sound and FX’s The Drop: A Snowfall Saga. Now streaming on Hulu.
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