“First things first… Rest in peace Uncle Phil. For real!“
The early to mid-2010s was the golden era for rap lyricism. Rappers like J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Chance The Rapper, and Mac Miller veered away from gangsta rap and trap sounds to something with more emotion and vibes. Let’s face it… most Hip Hop fans aren’t out there dealing drugs and ridings slabs all night. These blog era rappers tuned into their frequency and provided more accessible motifs combined with a revival of boom-bap beats. And it was awesome!
I say this because I lived through this era in the photo pit at Warehouse Live. During this timeframe, concert promoter Scoremore Shows brought all of these artists through Texas for the first time, including J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Wiz Khalifa and many more. The principal focus of this era of rap was storytelling and social commentary, leaving behind the club anthems and street politics.
Even prior to J. Cole stepping onto the stage, the opening DJ played a mix of bangers including “Work” by A$AP Ferg, “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes and “Hot N*gga” by Bobby Shmurda. He even enticed the audience to hug their neighbors for a massive “Swag Surf” which shook the arena floor! I thought in my head “This reminds me of the old Warehouse Live days!” (RIP). Isn’t it crazy how we live through “the good ol’ days” without knowing that we are living in “the good ol’ days?”
In typical J. Cole fashion, he doesn’t do what is expected from a modern rapper. He began his headlining set by sitting in the lower 100s section surrounded by his fans. No fancy chain, no Rolex on. Just him, his dreads and his microphone. As he made his way onto the arena floor, he dapped up his fans while performing a few new tracks from his latest album.
The stage itself was dominated by a replica of the Fayetteville Market House, and also included a flying Honda Civic, which is emblematic of Cole’s hometown and upbringing.
“We have been waiting to see you Houston!” he announced as he took a quick break from the action. He took this time to recognize Houson legends that inspired him, including Bun B, Pimp C, Scarface and DJ Screw. “Y’all are spoiled with these rap pioneers! Compared to y’all, we ain’t got shit!”
He also took some time to to give shout outs to El Paso and the Mexican people. It was after all September 16, which is Mexican Independence Day. He continued to share some of his dreams, which included being added to the Mount Rushmore of Rap, and also putting his city on the map.
“I really did both of them thangs!” he proclaimed to an immense applause. The arena was filled to the brim him almost 20,000 J. Cole fans, and the energy inside Toyota Center was electric all night long. One of my favorite parts of the set was when he performed a cover of “Raise Up!” by fellow North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo, and everyone in the crowd waved their Fall-Off Tour towels that were left on every single seat
Next up was the viral “bar for bar” section of the show where Cole picks one fan from the crowd to perform his verse from “Johnny P’s Caddy”. The fan at Toyota Center last night just so happened to be sitting a few rows behind me in Section 108. She wore a red hoodie and matched J. Cole’s energy perfectly! I admit she slowed down at the end of the verse, but not because she didn’t know the lyrics, but rather she didn’t have the vocal and breath training an elite vocalist like J. Cole uses as a superpower.
The evening came to a close with some of his greatest hits, including “She Knows”, “Love Yourz”, “No Role Models” and “Wet Dreamz”.
Is J. Cole the “Greatest Rapper Alive”? He sure does make his case on this tour.
“Don’t save her, she don’t wanna be saved!“
