xhibit

What’s the point in doing a classic concert series if you’re not going to include perhaps the most famous hip-hop tour of all time? It’s certainly one of the most iconic — as well as one of the most controversial. We’re talking about the Up in Smoke Tour. The tour brought a who’s who of predominantly West Coast rap stars together in the summer of 2000. Spearheaded by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Eminem, the Up in Smoke Tour hit 44 cities and grossed more than $22 million.  But this tour doesn’t stand out, nearly 20 years after its first show near San Diego, because of how much money it made. The Up in Smoke Tour remains relevant because it perfectly captures a particular zeitgeist around Y2K when hip-hop strictly revolved around an element of excess. And yes, it also featured ...