The stars were shining bright at Power 106’s Cali Christmas. The Los Angeles radio station celebrated the holidays with a night of surprises at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Friday (Dec. 2).
Ice Cube, 2 Chainz, G-Eazy, and Anderson .Paak topped the bill this year, and unexpected showings popped up throughout the evening. 2 Chainz brought out Ty Dolla $ign for “Blasé,” while YG joined G-Eazy for “Fuck Donald Trump (Remix)” and T-Pain for “Buy U a Drank.” Camaraderie was the name of the game as Lil Yachty hit the stage with D.R.A.M. for their top 5 hit “Broccoli.”
Anderson .Paak thrilled longtime fans and made some new ones in the process. The Aftermath signee not only sang hits from his Malibu project, he also performed from behind his drum kit, as he tends to do, particularly passionately on “Come Down.”
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But the night’s biggest showing came from a hometown hero—Ice Cube. After a cinematic intro, the South Central spitter asked fans to “keep it gangsta” at The Forum, a former home of his beloved Los Angeles Lakers. With chants of “West Side,” he and WC launched into bangers like “Check Yo Self” and Westside Connection’s “Gangsta Nation.”
Although the sets were fast-paced and while Cali Christmas could have benefitted from a more robust lineup, O’Shea Jackson summed up the evening with his classic closer. As visuals depicting L.A. were projected on the screen behind him, the N.W.A Hall of Famer launched into “It Was a Good Day.” Indeed.
–Words and photos by Andres Tardio