Photos: Dan Dealy

Before Bowery Ballroom was filled with smoke—and the smooth sounds of the G-Funk era that were part of the liquor-sipping set from Warren G (check out our preview here)—the stage was rocked with some of hip-hop’s new high-energy crews. Chi-Town’s rambunctious Kidz in the Hall kicked things off—you may remember that the duo made our couch their stage when they played a Live at TONY session. Last night, Double-O and Naledge paid no regards to the “cooler than you” New York crowd and were determined to have as much fun as possible, even dragging a couple fans on stage for their latest, “Jukebox.” Keeping the energy up was the West Coast team U-N-I, bringing along friends Curtains and their DJ for the night, Theo Martins; the crowd may have started the show unfamiliar, but they embraced the duo by the time they were through. Finally, Warren G made his entrance, smooth-rolling through most of his performance with a drink in hand. The audience erupted into a frenzy when G announced he was there to celebrate his birthday, launching into a medley of West Coast classics from his group 213 (with Nate Dogg and step-brother Dr. Dre). The night hit its climax when the song that everyone came to hear, “Regulate,” blared through toward the end of G’s set. Before calling it a night, the birthday boy passed the mike on to a few MCs in the building—including a second appearance from Curtains and a freestyle from New York’s own Donny Goines.