NXNE - De La Soul

Hip-hop is a tough genre in which to grow old, but alongside the likes of Jay-Z and the Roots, one act that has aged gracefully is Long Island trio De La Soul. Despite all three members being in their 40s, the group showed no signs of having slowed down at their free NXNE appearance, launching emphatically into their 1989 classic "Potholes in My Lawn." They then plowed through a satisfying mix of songs from each of the seven De La Soul studio albums, including takes on "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays,'" "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)," "Stakes Is High," "Oooh" and "Rock Co. Kane Flow." Between songs, Posdnuos and Trugoy were master MCs, dividing the crowd in half and playing the halves off of each other in an ongoing attempt to get the audience singing louder and shimmying more joyously. As De La Soul left the stage, the group made a final, heartfelt tribute to Toronto ("our second home," Posdnuos called it), one that the Yonge and Dundas congregation were all too happy to reciprocate.