PHOTOS BY MUHAMMAD ASRANUR

The steady flow of eight-dollar beers and florescent-colored energy drinks would have made a seniors golf championship seem like a good time. OK, that's probably a stretch, but that perfectly measured upper/downer concoction did keep the crowd's energy level in the red for nearly 12 hours at this year's Esurance ICER AIR event at San Francisco's AT&T Park.

The two-day event, co-sponsored by Spin, transformed the Giants' home field into a playground of the extreme variety, a towering man-made ski slope serving as its centerpiece, running from the top of the center-field scoreboard down to the middle of the infield grass. Now in its third year, ICER AIR brought a large and mixed crowd of hipsters, extreme sportos, families, B-Boys and B-Girls on Saturday (Nov. 3) -- some obviously more interested in the motocross, skating and snowboarding than in the nocturnal activities. But, there were many who stuck it out all day, and with plenty of juice left for the impressive double bill of hip-hop soul brothers Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Armed with a DJ and two female backup singers, Kweli kicked things off with "I Try" (originally featuring Mary J. Blige) from 2004's The Beautiful Struggle, and kept the crowd engaged with some can't-go-wrong call and response. It took a little longer than expected for Mos Def to join him onstage, as the two revisited 1998's critically lauded LP Black Star, with a rendition of album gem "Respiration." The song segued into Def's set, which mixed politically bent hip-hop with danceable soul. It was impressive. But more impressive was the fact that even his a capella "Brightest of Stars" had people dancing in the grass. 

We asked: Who would win a lyrical beef between Mos Def and Talib Kweli?

Name: Jimmy Bussani
Age: 26
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Drywall
"Mos Def. He knows how to put together his lyrics."

Name: Jesus Castrence
Age: 29
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Occupation: Bank manager
"Mos Def. I like his flow better. I like more soul, like Mos Def."

Name: Janice Bailon
Age: 22
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA
Occupation: Cocktail waitress
"They're both incredible, intellectual writers, but I don't think Mos Def has the same charisma as Talib Kweli."

Name: Lucas M.
Age: 32
Hometown: Lafayette, CA
Occupation: YBR Promotions
"Mos Def is the better lyricist, more experience. Depends on the subject. Talib has a lot of strong content."

Name: Patrick Smith
Age: 23
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Occupation: Financial adviser
"My favorite artist is Mos Def, but Talib would kill him."

Name: Penny Kunta
Age: 29
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Social worker
"Everyone knows Mos Def would just kill [Talib] in freestyle."

Name: Justin Bernabe
Age: 27
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Government clerk
"Mos Def talks more about politics and what's going on in the world."

Name: Beth Davis
Age: 30
Hometown: Lafayette, CA
Occupation: YBR Promotions
"Mos Def. He's the ultimate lyricist."

Name: Gabe Toft
Age: 22
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Student
"I think [Mos Def's] lyrics, his words, his cadence continues to span many genres."

Name: Josie Curtis
Age: 21
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Occupation: Student
"Mos probably has better beats, but Talib has better lyrics."

Talib Kweli and Mos Def / Photo by Muhammad Asranur

Mos Def / Photo by Muhammad Asranur

Kweli droppin' rhymes at AT&T Park / Photo by Muhammad Asranur

ICER AIR in full effect / Photo by Muhammad Asranur

Skier TJ Schiller / Photo by Muhammad Asranur

Snowboarder Travis Rice catchin' air at AT&T Park / Photo by Muhammad Asranur