Photos by Andrew Bangs and Carl Larsen
Amor Y Tacos ~ 13333 South Street Cerritos, CA 90703 ~ 562-860-2667
We love tacos and we love N.W.A. So when we learned that the group's OG producer DJ Yella and Eazy E's son, Lil Eazy, were coming together to play at Amor y Tacos in Cerritos, we had to come for what might be the closest thing to an N.W.A. reunion as the world may see. Amor y Tacos comes from Tommy Ortega, a Cerritos-bred chef with a fine dining background and the owner of Ortega 120 in Redondo Beach. We knew good things were afoot when we laid our eyes on a woman making tortillas in the restaurant's front and a painting of El Chapulin Colorado on the back wall.
Amor y Tacos' chef and owner Tommy Ortega (center), with Eazy E 3, Yella and Lil Eazy
Arriving early for the show, we sat down to a feast of mexcellence, including traditional tacos with rajas y queso, pastor, carnitas and a hoisin-caramelized duck taco meant as an ode to the Chinese restaurant that lived here for decades. We also ate some bomb-ass stoner dishes like chilaquiles made with Doritos, giant 16-oz. Doyer dogs, tender Mexican Coke-braised pork belly and mole tots, which are tater tots smothered with Oaxacan mole, sour cream and queso fresco. It was incredible and the reason we're now fat. Cocktails tapping Ortega's strong tequila supply got us nicely lubricated for the show to follow.
From left: Kiki Smooth, Big Swisha, Eazy E 3, Yella, and Lil Eazy (second from right)
Chef Ortega goes back with the DJ crew famously known as the Beat Junkies. In fact, you can catch Beat Junkies members playing here every Friday night. But this past one was a special treat. Shortly after dinner was done, the tables were cleared and DJ Yella set up to spin funk oldies and G-funk favorites for the Hub City-heavy crowd. After about an hour and a half, in came Lil Eazy and the set soon began.
First up was Kiki Smooth, a Yella-backed MC known as The First Mexican Rapper Outta Compton and King of The Barrio. Kiki spit a furious, high energy set with his man, Big Swisha, backing Kiki's rhymes and singing the hooks. Then it was time for the main event.
Lil Eazy launched into his dad's classics backed by Yella. We heard such classics that weaned us in our youth as "We Want Eazy," "Straight Outta Compton," and his papa's stirring ode to love, "I'd Rather Fuck You," for which the crowd supplied the course. Eazy played numerous songs and was joined by another seed of Eazy-E, Eazy-E 3, on the classic "Real Mutherfuckin' Gz."
Lil Eazy with Eazy E 3
Overall, it was a fun night to hear some favorite tunes with an original member of NWA playing nasty beats, with the high energy of a rapper giving his father the tribute he deserves to a homegrown crowd. Amor y Tacos kills it with their cooking. And for bringing N.W.A. kindasortaalittlebit back together on Friday, is already a legend in the Valhalla of LA Mexican restaurants and a new favorite in our eyes.
