High Notes and Hip-Hop: The O CANADABIS Tour 2025 Blazes Through Place Bell

Cypress Hill’s O CANADABIS 2025 Tour came to Place Bell on May 20th, featuring The Pharcyde and De La Soul. Each of these groups are extremely important in Hip-Hop history, redefining the genre and inspiring future generations of artists.

The Pharcyde was the first group to perform, my personal favourite of the trio. Their 1995 album Labcabincalifornia, produced by J Dilla, is a summer staple, with appealing melodies and sharp lyrics. J Dilla's influence on the album cannot be understated, with his album Donuts maintaining cult classic status to this day. The current members of The Pharcyde are Fatlip (Derrick Stewart) and Slimkid3 (Tre Hardson). The Pharcyde brought a uniquely West Coast flavour to the burgeoning alternative hip hop movement. Their music was introspective yet humorous, funky yet emotionally raw. Their breakout hit "Passin' Me By" is still one of hip hop's most enduring songs about heartbreak. At most concerts, the opening acts are lesser known than the main act, but The Pharcyde defied this stereotype with audience members singing and dancing along to their most iconic songs. 

De La Soul helped redefine hip hop in the late '80s and early '90s. Established in Long Island, New York, their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, was produced by Prince Paul. Their debut album broke from the dominant hard-edged sound of the time, offering a more playful, surreal, and sample-heavy style. With skits, layered references, and themes of peace and individuality, they pioneered what became known as alternative hip-hop. The performance by Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer) and Maseo (Vincent Mason) was emblematic of classic hip-hop, engaging the crowd but also surprising newer listeners with their ingenuity. 

The final group was Cypress Hill, who started their set with an energetic performance by DJ Lord on vinyl. From California, Cypress Hill’s self-titled 1991 debut album established them as the first Latino American hip hop group to go platinum. Their 1993 album Black Sunday also went platinum and contains the majority of their most popular songs. Alongside DJ Lord, the band officially includes B-Real (Louis Freese), Sen Dog (Senen Reyes), DJ Muggs (Lawrence Muggerud), Eric Bobo, and Mellow Man Ace (Ulpiano Sergio Reyes). They introduced a dark, hazy sound marked by DJ Muggs’ hypnotic beats and B-Real’s nasal delivery. They're known for fusing rap with rock and for their relentless advocacy of cannabis legalization, making them early mainstream voices for marijuana culture in hip hop.

Specifically during the performance by Cypress Hill, the entire Place Bell stadium smelled like cannabis, with the band continuously chanting, “get high with us”. Each member had a personal joint, and many audience members brought their own and would light them alongside the band. The Place Bell security attempted to discourage the patrons from smoking inside the venue, but the affirmations of the band overruled their attempts. 

Although Cypress Hill, De La Soul, and The Pharcyde didn’t collaborate much during their early careers, their presence together on the O CANADABIS 2025 Tour felt anything but random. All three groups emerged in the late '80s and early '90s as boundary-pushers who expanded what hip hop could sound like—and who it could be for. While rap was dominating radio waves, these artists took a unique path, embracing introspection, humour, and social commentary. 

Together, these groups challenged the genre’s conventions—lyrically, musically, and culturally. They were unafraid to be weird, playful, or philosophical. They made space for outcasts and misfits, and their success helped prove there was an audience hungry for something different. On stage, that legacy is still alive. Their Laval performances weren’t just a throwback; they were a powerful reminder that hip hop’s most enduring innovators are often the ones who never quite fit the mould in the first place.