Cypress Hill, Atmosphere, Lupe Fiasco, & The Pharcyde

August 24, 2025 – Stir Cove – Council Bluffs, IA

It was a hot night in Council Bluffs, Iowa on August 24, 2025, but that didn’t stop fans from packing into Stir Cove to see the legendary Cypress Hill. The energy was high from the very start, with three openers setting the stage before the icons took over.

The Pharcyde opened the night, and it was the perfect throwback. The group—Fatlip, Slimkid3, and Imani—has been pushing boundaries since the early ‘90s with their quirky, offbeat style of hip hop. Their debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is considered a classic, and they’ve been nominated for Soul Train Music Awards over the years. Today, they still have over 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and continue to influence new generations of hip hop fans. Fatlip even performed with a blunt in his hand most of the time, which just added to the vibe. It was a fun, nostalgic way to kick things off.

Next up was Lupe Fiasco, and honestly, if you told me I’d be seeing him live in Council Bluffs, I wouldn’t have believed you. But there he was—and the crowd loved it. Lupe burst onto the scene in the mid-2000s with Food & Liquor, which earned him critical acclaim and three Grammy nominations. Over the years, he’s won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for his track “Daydreamin’” with Jill Scott and has continued to be one of hip hop’s sharpest lyricists. His energy was fantastic, and while he playfully reprimanded his DJ a couple of times, you could tell he was in a good mood. He kept the crowd hyped from start to finish.

Then came Atmosphere, a hip hop duo from Minneapolis made up of Slug (MC) and Ant (producer). These guys have built a massive underground following over the years with their honest, storytelling style of rap. They’ve had multiple albums land on the Billboard 200 and have been nominated for Independent Music Awards. Before this night, I wasn’t too familiar with them, but after a few songs, I was hooked. Their energy was infectious, and Slug’s rhymes were sharp and heartfelt. With over 970,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and new singles like “Yearning” and “Daley,” Atmosphere proved they’re still evolving and worth a listen.

As the sun finally set, the stage glowed with a warm red light, smoke filled the air, and DJ Muggs worked the turntables to get everyone fired up. When B-Real, Sen Dog, and Eric Bobo hit the stage, the crowd went absolutely crazy.

Cypress Hill, one of hip hop’s most iconic groups, has been at it since the late ‘80s and has sold over 20 million records worldwide. They were the first Latino-American hip hop group to go platinum, and they’ve been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Their influence spans far beyond music—they’ve appeared in films, video games, and are even recognized for helping push cannabis culture into the mainstream. With over 5.9 million monthly Spotify listeners, they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

Their set was everything you’d want from Cypress Hill—loud, smoky, and full of attitude. They ran through all the classics, and my personal highlights were “Insane in the Brain” and “Rock Superstar.” I didn’t think they could top the last time I saw them live in Omaha with the symphony, but they absolutely did. The crowd was wild, the performance was tight, and the energy never let up.

Fans got every bit of their money’s worth. From start to finish, this was one of those unforgettable nights where legends reminded everyone why they’ve been around for decades.

The Pharcyde