Hip-Hop Tour Offers Comedy, Commentary

Where the current gangster-rap-heavy Up in Smoke concert tour features a handful of hip-hop’s most commercially viable acts, headed by Dr. Dre and Eminem, the Spitkicker Tour showcases some of hip-hop’s most revered and underappreciated artists.

De La Soul, Common, Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek are among a wave of hip-hop acts who incorporate braggadocio, social commentary, uplifting messages and humor into their work, and though these artists have yet to sell millions of records, they offer an entertaining alternative to the often violent work of Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem et al.

On Monday at Oak Canyon Ranch in the Irvine area, where the lineup formed part of an all-day festival called At the BBQ, each of the Spitkicker acts performed with smiles and an undeniable sense of positivity. Of them, Common made the strongest impact during his 40-minute set. Changing outfits several times, the Chicago rapper said he was taking the audience through different musical eras. He dubbed the enjoyable routine “Time Travelin’ “--the title of a cut from his critically acclaimed album “Like Water for Chocolate.” Donning Black Panther-style military garb for “1.9.9.9.,” Common looked like the revolutionary portrayed in his charged lyrics. For his ode to hip-hop, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” he switched to classic hip-hop regalia: a fisherman’s hat, sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Through it all, Common kept the energy level high, leading the animated crowd through a virtually flawless set. The same couldn’t be said for tour leaders De La Soul, who would have been wise to trim 15 or 20 minutes from their 75-minute performance. The Long Island trio, whose 1989 album, “3 Feet High and Rising,” established them as an abstract, feel-good alternative to N.W.A and other gangster acts, wasted too much time leading the crowd through call-and-response activities instead of performing selections from their impressive and extensive catalog. When De La Soul concentrated on their music, they showed the type of stage polish you’d expect from a group with more than 10 years of touring experience.

The three--Trugoy the Dove, Posdnuos and Maseo--demonstrated their creative range with such diverse singles as the quirky “Me, Myself & I” and the somber “Stakes Is High.”

Of the non-Spitkicker acts Monday, Los Angeles underground veteran Medusa showed the most promise. From her slick break-dancing moves to her poignant lyrics, she demonstrated that female rappers don’t have to rely on sex appeal or profanity to entice.