"Three generations of hip hop," Chuck D cried out from LA's Universal Amphitheatre, "onstage for the first time. Old school, new school, next school." It was indeed a powerful night of music with something for darned near everyone in five hours of concert and vibe.

The lineup: current hot boogiemonsters the Black Eyed Peas, waifish voice Mya, always solid Gangstarr, the nearly miraculous Wyclef Jean, energetic Flipmode Squad, weeded out lyricists Cypress Hill, and a reunited Public Enemy. The guest stars included the likes of Freddie Foxxx, M.O.P., Big Shug, Pras, and Canibus.

The show changed mood suddenly -- the earthy feeling of Black Eyed Peas segued into Mya's polished R&B pop with almost no "how do ya do," as the chanteuse flipped a dance routine saluting the styles and music of the mid 80s while her ultratight lycra skirt insisted on reaching for the stars. Likewise, the shift between Flipmode Squad's rowdy set and the intoxicated scene of Cypress Hill was not just one on stage -- Flipmode brought rising stairs whereas Cypress had a possibly twenty foot tall inflated skeleton in royal robes and crown, smoking a fattie on a throne, while the audience shifted from casually dressed sipping beers to grungy rock fans with sticky weed in their pockets, complete with a moshing session that surprised many pit inhabitants.

There were also loooooong pauses in between acts -- the set up for Cypress Hill was almost longer than their set, and early on you could tell that the show's promoters just tossed up some acts to get things going -- while Mya's dance routines and tight dress were inspired and interesting, they held the crowd's interest as long as nobody in a shorter skirt walked by. The former impression that this was an all-weed concert lingered in many guests minds, dispelled with some disappointment.

Overall though, the appeal of this concert can't be denied. Professor Griff's reinstallment with the S1Ws was very well done, as was Flavor's over-the-top antics even through all the negative press he has received. It was fun to see them on stage.

Wyclef Jean continues to carve a path out for himself as an innovator -- when cohort Canibus came out and "wasn't hard enough," Clef the "commander of the Navy Seal Team" sent the younger rapper off stage to return ... on a platform with a huge security guard and a full grown lion.

Hearing the crowd scream out entire songs -- "Insane in the Membrane," "Fight the Power," and so on -- is inspiring, and even the younger audience members who may not have known all the words were swept along in the emotion. Even Busta Rhymes stripping to boxers was accepted with laughter and applause in a concert that really didn't have any low points and was well worth the price of admission.