Power 106 Cali Christmas Concert - Gibson Amphitheatre - 12/14/12

Timothy Norris

Big Sean
Grade: C-
Here are the memorable moments of Big Sean's set last night:
1) He was dressed as an urban lumberjack, ie Tims, a wool beanie and a sleeveless plaid flannel that probably cost more than my car.
2) A guy in a lion mascot costume, complete with paws, came out for a few songs. We have no idea.
3) Sean encouraged the crowd to tell people who try to hold you back to "suck your dick" before initiating a moment of silence for the children killed in Connecticut.
4) He did a herkie during "Ass."

Full disclosure: despite our best efforts, we like the song "Guap."

Timothy Norris

2 Chainz
Grade: A-
2 Chainz is responsible for at least three-fourths of rap's catchphrases this year. "Bad bitch contest, you in first place," "She got a big booty so I call her 'Big Booty,'" "All I want for my birthday is a big-booty ho," "Pull up to the scene with my ceilin' missin'," "I love bad bitches, that my fuckin' problem" -- the list goes on and on. He played almost every hit he has last night, had a better stage presence that anyone who preceded him and, in transforming himself from 1997's Tity Boi to 2011's 2 Chainz, is basically the comeback story of the year. Who cares if none of those phrases makes any sense?

See also: 2 Chainz Has The Year's Funniest, Creepiest Sexual Boast

Timothy Norris

Kendrick Lamar
Grade: A+
It's no secret we love Kendrick Lamar, but it's not just because he's the hometown hero. The only rapper who didn't seem to use a backing track last night, he not only played the more easily digestible songs from his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city ("Poetic Justice," "The Recipe"), he also performed "m.A.A.d city." Not only did he bring out every other member of his TDE team -- Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock -- he made room for J. Cole, E-40, Too Short and Lil Wayne to do their own songs during his set. Yeah, the weird tunic he had on looked borrowed from Kanye or A$AP Rocky, but whatever. He's an artist, maybe the best rapper and smartest lyricist of this generation, and he sold 241,000 copies of a dense, intelligent debut in its first week. Sometimes the good guys do finish first.

See also: 2012 Was a Landmark Year in L.A. Hip-Hop

The crowd: Girls spilling out of Ace-bandage tight dresses, guys sagging their skinny jeans.

Random notebook dump: There's nothing like a girl falling off the toilet in the stall next to you and, moments later, taking a bathroom mirror selfie.

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