Authors: Duke Denham & Maxwell Slade
Header photo courtesy of Frazer Harrison
This past week, I experienced a rap show that was quite different than many other rap shows I’ve attended. The main reason: there wasn’t a lot of rapping happening. When Playboi Carti hit Showbox SoDo last Tuesday, he noticeably missed a lot of lines of his songs. Understandably, I overheard some fans complain about the lack of performance. One typically expects a rapper to perform his songs in full. However, there is a different type of performance one should usually expect from a rapper like Carti. With that, I still found the show to be one of the most exhilarating, frenetic, and intense shows I’ve been to. Before I can explain, I must address the chaos that occurred before the show.
Given that the show was planned to start at 8:00 without any opening acts, many fans expected to see the Atlanta rapper at that time. However, it took a bit longer for Carti to reveal himself to the audience. As time passed by, I watched the patience of the crowd slowly fade away and the anxiousness to see Playboi Carti boil over. Chants of “Carti! Carti! Carti!” emerged from the audience in hopes of conjuring the rapper. Waves of pushing and pulling swept me up, as fans attempted to force their way to the front. All of this led to an extremely hot and crowded environment. Security had to pull around five people out of the crowd before the show even began. However, after about an hour, the lights dimmed and the show finally commenced.
An enormous LED screen lit up the venue in a green hue with an emergency broadcast announcing that nuclear bombs have detonated in every city that Carti is touring (he’s the bomb after all). Immediately after, Carti struck the stage with a performance of “R.I.P. Fredo” that instantly put the crowd into a frenzy with its irresistibly catchy hook and fast-paced momentum. Fans released all of the built up anticipation from the past hour as the rapper unleashed his electrifying, speedy energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNCMJGgfGo0
As mentioned before, Playboi Carti isn’t the type to focus on nailing every word from his songs. However, he compensates for it with unparalleled energy and character. Based on my experience, most rap fans these days seem to seek out concert experiences like Carti’s, riotous, mosh-pit filled mayhems, rather than demonstrations of superb technical ability. Carti definitely provides on the former. Throughout the entire night, the crazed spirit of the rapper radiated throughout the venue as he constantly let out manic screams and adlibs, jumped around wildly without restrain, and demanded mosh pits to form before many songs. You have to see Carti live to truly understand why he calls himself a rockstar. He embodies the attitude of it perfectly while performing.
The crowd responded nicely to his presence. For the entire night, I felt like I was in a whirlwind, constantly in motion from the force of others around me. Playboi Carti clearly aims for more of a party atmosphere than that of a regular concert. His setlist contributes to that structure by including cover songs, some of which Carti doesn’t even appear on. The most notable examples were the covers of “Take a Step Back” and “Look at Me!” in tribute to the late XXXTentacion. These songs further immersed fans into the unruly party vibe.
Oftentimes, current trap artists preview their new songs at concerts. Playboi Carti used the Seattle show as an opportunity to do just that, presenting new material from his upcoming project Whole Lotta Red. One song, titled “Molly,” featured an oozy instrumental and eccentric vocal inflections. Another song, called “Whole Lotta,” incorporated a booming bass and snappy flows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48-PqACOvnY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=M-ROEAZUwVo
The rapper had plenty of other tricks up his sleeve. Near the end of the show, Carti abandoned the stage to hop on a rail near the side of the venue. He performed “Shoota” for a second time and “Long Time (Intro),” both from his latest album Die Lit. “Shoota” was truly a highlight because of its epic buildup from Lil Uzi Vert to a boisterous, grand climax from Carti. The crowd relished in the moment, captivated by the potent rockstar personality of the rapper just several feet away from them.
Overall, Playboi Carti’s outing at Showbox SoDo was insane. The stunning, vibrant visuals on the enormous LED screen, the rapid yet colorful lighting, and the gunshot and siren sound effects all complemented the rapper well, but the true highlight was Carti himself. Watching him orchestrate a crowd of hundreds into a gigantic feverish rampage for over an hour was a sight to be seen. It made the almost unbearable heat and crowdedness worthwhile. If you ever have a chance to see Playboi Carti, I recommend it. He exemplifies how rap shows don’t need to be immensely technical to be entertaining by providing some of the most off-the-wall shows in rap right now.
DUKE DENHAM | **!!+Woke up with my toolie wat it do+!!** | KXSU Music Reporter
MAXWELL SLADE | KXSU Music Reporter