For several hours on Saturday, CarShield Field sounded like someone hit play on a favorite throwback mixtape from the late ’90s and early 2000s. Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival brought Bubba Sparxxx, St. Louis’ own Murphy Lee, Xzibit, Yung Joc, Rick Ross and Fat Joe to the stage — with Ginuwine offering the O’Fallon crowd a brief dose of R&B between the hip‑hop heavyweights.
The Tacos and Tequila concert series has become a national draw on the summer festival circuit. It lands in select cities with lineups built around 2000s hip-hop artists and pairs those performances with a festival-style atmosphere, giving fans a chance to tap into a touring brand that celebrates the soundtrack of the early millennium.
The St. Louis stop lived up the brand’s intention.
Standing midfield with no cloud cover and temperatures holding steady in the upper 90s until sundown offered a new appreciation for athletes — and for artists who power through for their fans. The same goes for the music lovers who soldier through the elements in the name of a good show.
The heat during the early portion of the concert was a prime example. Gates opened at 2 p.m. with a hype set from DJ Ashton Martin that paid tribute to early-2000s St. Louis hip-hop — without crossing into Murphy Lee’s set later in the afternoon. By the time Bubba Sparxxx began at 3:30 p.m., he was wishing a speedy recovery to a woman who needed medical attention.
But the heat didn’t slow the performers — or deter thousands of fans. By evening’s end, the field was full, with hundreds more in the bleachers where O’Fallon Hoots fans usually watch baseball.
Sparxxx opened with his feature on Archie Eversole’s “We Ready,” then jumped into his verse from the Purple Ribbon All-Stars’ “Kryptonite.” The crowd was already energized thanks to DJ Ashton Martin, but “Kryptonite” took them to the max. Sparxxx kept the momentum going with “Ugly,” “Hillbilly,” “Deliverance” and “Heat It Up,” closing with “Ms. New Booty.”
DJ Ashton Martin picked up where Sparxxx left off, mixing southern and St. Louis hip-hop until hometown hero Murphy Lee hit the stage with Kyjuan and Slo Down of the St. Lunatics. They opened with a taste of “Batter Up” before Murphy Lee jumped into his signature lyrical style over Waka Flocka Flame’s “No Hands.” He reminded the crowd why he was a go-to for early-2000s remixes with “Welcome to Atlanta,” “Throw Some D’s” and “Roc the Mic.”
Murphy Lee and the crew represented St. Louis to the fullest with classics like “Air Force Ones,” “Luv Me Baby” and his track-stealing verse on Big Tuck’s “Not a Stain on Me.” He moved across the stage unfazed by the heat from start to finish, closing with “What the Hook Gon’ Be.” He earned “best in show” honors for the St. Louis leg of Tacos and Tequila. He’ll join fellow St. Louisan Chingy at the Cincinnati stop next Saturday.
Yung Joc earned the silver medal — not just because he called St. Louis his “home away from home,” but because his energy matched the club bangers that made him famous. He hyped the crowd and even came out to connect with them. Fans went wild as he delivered “Buy U a Drank,” “I Know You See It” and “It’s Goin’ Down.”
West Coast representative Xzibit kept the crowd entertained with “X” and “Mean Muggin’.” One fan even shouted for him to pimp their ride.
“I don’t have my tools with me,” Xzibit joked before continuing his set.
Houston icon Paul Wall hit the stage dripping in bling. The crowd sang along to “Sittin’ Sideways” and “Break You Off,” but erupted when the intro to “Grillz” came through the speakers. Wall shouted out Nelly as fans recited every word. The energy didn’t dip until he closed with “Still Tippin’.”
Ginuwine’s R&B contribution came as the sun went down, drawing most of the crowd from the bleachers to the field. His set was brief — which he noted on the mic — but he powered through “In Them Jeans,” “Same Ol’ G,” “So Anxious” and closed with “Pony.”
DJ Ashton Martin earned the bronze medal for keeping the crowd engaged between acts with perfectly curated mixes.
Night had fallen by the time Rick Ross took the stage. The crowd was enthusiastic, but his energy didn’t quite match theirs. Fans still enjoyed themselves, rapping along to “John,” “Magnificent,” “God Did,” “Aston Martin Music” and “B.M.F.” He nodded to Nelly with “Here I Am.” Mostly radio edits played for the acts and profanity was kept to a minimum for most of the show. Until a slip by DJ Ashton Martin opened the door for Ross’ DJ, DJ Sam Sneak, to go fully explicit until Ross closed with “Hustlin’.”
Headliner Fat Joe picked up where Sneak left off. His set was high-impact compared to Ross, but the artists who performed through the heat earlier in the day had the strongest stage shows. Joe added the expletives his tracks left off while giving the crowd a fashion moment with his blush-colored Balenciaga bomber jacket. He ran through “What’s Luv,” “Lean Back” and “Make It Rain.”
He surprised the crowd with an appearance from Busta Rhymes, who Joe said popped into his dressing room unexpectedly. Rhymes was in town headlining the Confluence Music Festival at the Enjoy Illinois 300. Rhymes literally dropped the mic after he recited his classic “Look At Me Now” verse. The pace that felt even faster than lightning speed version that appears on Chris Brown’s original track.
Joe closed the show with “All the Way Up,” sending fans home satisfied with a full-day well spent in the name of millennium era hip hop.