With a Powerful Punch, Hip-Hop Taps Its Potential

The news keeps getting better and better when it comes to live rap.

After years of being plagued by poor production values, artist no-shows and a nagging (if often unfounded) reputation for violence, rap shows over the last couple of years have become far more satisfying--and potent at the box office.

Saturday’s 4 1/2-hour “All-Star Powerhouse” extravaganza at Anaheim’s Arrowhead Pond was another step forward. Not only was everything smoothly organized at the sold-out event sponsored by radio station Power 106 (KPWR-FM), but fans were treated to a battery of unadvertised guest stars--stars who alone would have been enough to enthrall the audience. Among the surprises: Dr. Dre, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg.

Dre, the sonic architect best known for his blazing production on N.W.A and Death Row recordings, was one of the evening’s highlights, joining proteges Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

Exchanging rhymes with Eminem on “Guilty Conscience,” Dre displayed the chemistry between producer and rapper that helped make Eminem’s major-label debut album, “The Slim Shady LP,” a multi-platinum success this year. Their debate of good versus evil was easily the centerpiece of Eminem’s 15-minute set.

Dre also came on stage early in Snoop Dogg’s set, joining in a performance of “Deep Cover,” the 1992 song that helped launch the Long Beach rapper’s career and cemented Dre as hip-hop’s premier producer. Snoop followed with “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” one of the biggest songs from Dr. Dre’s 1992 “The Chronic” album on Death Row Records. The laid-back tune propelled both Dre and Snoop to superstar status, and their rendition of it was electric Saturday.

*

Before Dre left the stage, he and Snoop hugged, another indication that the two are on good terms after a falling out when Dre left Death Row a few years ago to start his own label. The pair were reunited this year when Dre produced three tracks on Snoop’s “No Limit Top Dogg” album.

Despite Snoop’s hometown appeal, his impact may have been eclipsed at the Pond by the appearance of Combs, who came on stage a half-hour into Nas’ rather aimless set to join the New York rapper on their duet, “Hate Me Now,” the song that has helped make Nas’ third album, “I Am . . . ,” a platinum release.

Although Combs was only on stage for the one tune, it was clear that he is still among the most adored figures in rap, even though he has not had a new album in almost two years.

Combs’ sometime collaborator Mariah Carey made a surprise splash during Krayzie Bone’s set, which preceded Nas’. The Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member is enjoying the success of his solo album, “Thug Mentality 1999,” but it was clear Saturday that the Cleveland native is more comfortable in the recording booth than on stage.

That’s why Carey’s arrival--to re-create their vocal teaming on the hit “I Still Believe”--saved Krayzie’s day, so to speak. As Carey swayed across the stage, the crowd seemed mesmerized. The pair was also joined on the number by Da Brat, the first female rapper artist to ever have a platinum album.

Master P and members of his No Limit Records roster kept the crowd hyper during their 15 minutes, but the music seemed scattered as the rapper/record label titan often switched from song to song seemingly at random, a practice that prevented the music from settling into an effective groove. No Limit’s Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder were equally ineffective.

*

R&B; stars 112 and Ginuwine were passable with nicely choreographed routines, while Compton icon DJ Quik--who delivered a strong anti-gang message to the audience--and New York star Ja Rule--who spiced up his routine by spotlighting a scantily clad female dancer--delivered tunes with fury and precision.

Often categorized as one-dimensional, hip-hop displayed its varied sounds Saturday at the Pond. There were the gangsta vibes of locals Snoop Dogg and DJ Quik; the smooth, harmonic flow of Krayzie Bone; the hard-core stance of Nas and Ja Rule, and the seductive crooning of 112 and Ginuwine.

With shows featuring major hip-hop artists from across the country a rarity, the “All-Star Powerhouse” offered a united front. As a bonus, the concert’s proceeds go to Knowledge Is Power, an outreach program for underprivileged youth.