Rounding the corner into the home stretch of Bluesfest, the ninth day was a big one for hip-hop heads in the nation’s capital.
Action Bronson
For those arriving a bit later in the afternoon, Action Bronson put on an incredible performance on the Claridge Homes stage. Rapping like a man possessed, he seemed comfortable spitting his gritty rhymes of love for food, sex, and women over anything his DJ happened to throw at him—whether it was the music of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and even Tracy Chapman.
Rap skill aside, he’s also made a name for himself with his on-stage antics. Not even fifteen minutes into the set, he ran off the stage and hijacked a festival golf cart and drove recklessly around Lebreton Flats while rapping.
When the security team finally caught up to him, he embarked on a lengthy escort back through the crowd, never missing a word and causing everyone in attendance to say to themselves, “I can’t believe that just happened.”
Other highlights of the set included Bronson rapping from inside a nearby port-a-potty (which he may or may not have been using), and ripping his own shirt off. Could anyone have predicted this? Regardless, this was a big one to miss if you weren’t in attendance.
Deltron 3030
Returning to the festival after a great showing two years ago was Deltron 3030, an alternative hip-hop supergroup with a Canadian DJ.
This time around, festival organizers made sure to not to put them in the same time slot as Snoop Dogg. Forgoing the inclusion of an orchestra and choir unlike their last appearance in the capital, was noticeable, making everything sound a little less grand than it did two years ago.
Opting to go with a traditional rock band format, the three founders—emcee Del the Funky Homosapien, producer Dan the Automator, and turntablist Kid Koala—played alongside drums, bass, and guitar. The highlight for many remained the Montréal native Kid Koala, expertly scratching records on three separate turntables throughout the set, as well as in a special solo showcase of his own.
Though some audience members might not have been familiar with the newer material, Deltron played an encore cover of Gorillaz classic “Clint Eastwood” (a track originally produced by Dan the Automator and written by emcee Del) that the crowd loved.
Snoop Dogg 
Headlining the main stage was Snoop Dogg, making his third appearance at the festival also two years removed from his last. Sporting an Erik Karlsson hockey jersey and a jewel-encrusted microphone, his entrance to “Here Comes the King” had everyone wondering whether he would become a Lion or a Dogg on the stage that evening.
The reggae influence was checked and left at the door, delivering a set largely comprised of his west coast classics. Snoop ran through the obvious inclusions like “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” but the Doggfather was largely up to his same old tricks, playing some of the same cards he did two years ago such as inclusions of his verse from Katy Perry’s “California Girls” and House of Pain’s “Jump Around.”
The set was bogged down by these cover song moments, all 15 of them feeling like filler. This included a crowd sing-a-long of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll”, some material from Akon, Dr. Dre, and The Notorious B.I.G., and a grand finale involving him ad-libbing over Bob Marley and The Wailers. The number of covers seems strange, seeing as he’s made 12 albums in 20 years that he could play songs from.
Expecting to see more of either the Dogg or the Lion, it was hard to tell what form Snoop had taken by the end of the evening—that of a rapper, or simply an entertainer.
