Guerilla Union hosted Rock The Bells, a yearly hip-hop event held in San Bernardino, on Aug. 21.

This year, 25,000 fans braved the triple-digit heat to see hip-hop forefathers such as Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Slick Rick and DJ Premier, take the stage.

This year’s festival featured selections from three classic hip-hop records: A Tribe Called Quests’ “Midnight Marauders,” Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the 36 Chambers” and Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle,” all released in November 1993.

“We are all celebrating our birthdays,” Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest said.

Despite an all-star lineup guaranteed to please hip-hop fans, this year’s Rock The Bells left many event goers dissatisfied.

The main cause of frustration was the heat.

“The event was horribly organized,” says Chad Casillan, a nursing major at CSU San Marcos. “[Organizers] made it difficult to get water. I couldn’t enjoy the first half because I was so frustrated.”

Guerilla Union did, in fact, try a new system this year.

Instead of vendors accepting cash, people had to pay via pre-paid event cards, purchased on site.

“We had to wait in one line to get a card, then another long line to get water, all in the sun. It took us more than an hour,” added Casillan.

Stage layout also contributed to the many reports of heat exhaustion.

The Paid Dues Stage, which hosted newcomers such as Murs and 9th Wonder, Wiz Khalifa and Street Sweeper Social Club, was put indoors.

Shaun Pamintuan, a kinesiology student at CSU Long Beach, attempted to enter the indoor stage, but quickly left as soon as he felt the heat and humidity from the hundreds of people packed into the poorly ventilated room.

“If [people were] interested in Bikram yoga, they had a fully functional sauna at the back of the venue. Oh wait–my mistake–that was the Paid Dues stage. Making that stage indoors was a horrible idea.”

Pamintuan, who has attended Rock The Bells three times, also had difficulty enjoying the event because of the extreme heat.

“The first-aid stations were overcrowded with people experiencing heat exhaustion. I also felt dizzy most of the time and I witnessed a handful of people pass out right in front of me”

Although this year’s lineup was to die for, fans agree Guerilla Union should have done a better job of organizing the event, especially in 101-degree weather.

“The venue this year [was] good, but not for Rock the Bells,” said Chad.

“The heat was expected. It’s the one thing that actually goes hand in hand with this annual festival, so it’s just good to be prepared for the worst.”