REVIEW | SOULS OF MISCHIEF AND THE PHARCYDE LIVE AT O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN

The O2 For­um in Kentish Town was abso­lutely elec­tric last night as West Coast hip hop legends The Phar­cyde and Souls of Mis­chief took to the stage for a sold-out show that proved golden-era rap is alive and thriv­ing. Hos­ted by DJ Shortee Blitz and DJ Sarah Love, with DJ 279 hold­ing it down on the decks, the night cel­eb­rated time­less lyr­i­cism, head-nod­ding beats, and the endur­ing power of true-school hip hop.

Open­ing the even­ing was none oth­er than Jeru the Dam­aja, the Brook­lyn under­ground icon whose razor-sharp flow and com­mand­ing pres­ence set the tone per­fectly. Backed by min­im­al­ist yet boom­ing pro­duc­tion, Jeru ran through clas­sics like “Come Clean” and “Ya Play­in’ Yaself,” earn­ing massive respect from a sur­pris­ingly young, but deeply engaged crowd.

When Souls of Mis­chief hit the stage, the energy surged. Cel­eb­rat­ing over 30 years of 93 ’Til Infin­ity, the Oak­land crew delivered flaw­less verses, play­ful free­styles, and nos­tal­gic vibes that had the audi­ence rap­ping every line. Their chem­istry and stage con­trol reminded every­one why they remain one of hip hop’s tight­est collectives.

But it was The Phar­cyde who brought the house down. Per­form­ing hits like “Run­nin’” and “Drop”, they mixed humor, raw emo­tion, and high energy in per­fect bal­ance. The biggest sur­prise of the night came mid-set when Com­mon stepped out unan­nounced to join them for “Passing Me By.” The crowd erup­ted in dis­be­lief — a true hip hop moment that will be talked about for years.

From start to fin­ish, the night was a flaw­less fusion of nos­tal­gia and vital­ity — proof that the golden age still shines bright in 2025. Hip hop, in its purest form, was truly celebrated.