Graeme Jackson
Photo Editor
The Los Angeles stop on A$AP Ferg’s 33-stop “Floor Seats” tour had hip-hop fans lining up outside in the rain to see several contemporary hip-hop titans. The show at the Hollywood Palladium featured Atlanta rapper MadeinTYO opening, followed by Dreamville artist Bas to hype the crowd for the headliner.
The packed general admission section in the Palladium was nothing short of chaotic even prior to the first opener’s appearance on stage. Their energy served to set the tone for the performance styles that would be delivered by every artist present on the night. MadeinTYO was welcomed by the crowd with a rowdy energy, as he performed some of his most popular hype tracks such as “Uber Everywhere,” “Skateboard P,” and “Learn How to Watch.”
Next to grace the stage was New York’s very own Bas, coming off of multiple appearances on the Dreamville Records compilation project, Revenge of the Dreamers III. Bas is known for occupying a slightly different sector of the contemporary hip-hop scene, often tip-toeing the genre line between hip-hop and Afrobeat music.
Bas’ performance included some of his well-known tracks off recent studio albums like “Housewives,” “Night Job,” and “Fragrance.” With a definitively more laid-back style than the previous performer, Bas still retained investment from the crowd and energetically concluded his set with songs from Revenge of the Dreamers III.
Coming up on 9:30 p.m., the opening piano chords to “Coach Cartier” greeted the crowd in a pitch dark Palladium. A$AP Ferg came out to join the crowd in a wild rendition of the standout track from his 2017 project Still Striving. Ferg took a moment to make it clear to the audience that he needed crazy energy from everyone in the building as he encouraged crowd surfing, mosh pits, and all the like.
Ferg then wasted no time in sharing the stage with MadeinTYO, bringing his contemporary out to perform their collaborative track “Ned Flanders.” Taking direction from the headliner, MadeinTYO took a quick stage dive during his performance of the song. Ferg followed this joint performance with another as he brought out Bas to perform their song “Boca Raton” off Bas’ 2018 album Milky Way. Clear cohesion between the pair brought a communal vibe into the theater, with Boca Raton’s tempo serving as a brief reprieve from A$AP’s more vigorous tracks.
After bringing out two guests to assist him in his performance, Ferg declared it was time to get into some A$AP Ferg classics. Ferg invited a girl from the front row to the stage to hype the crowd and dance during his performance of “Hummer Limo,” and handed the mic off to another guy who hopped on stage during the song.
When talking to the crowd, Ferg admitted the next track was his favorite off his latest project Floor Seats. “Dreams, Fairytales, Fantasies” revealed itself to be the song he was alluding to, and Ferg began a soulful rendition of the track that captivated everyone in attendance. The intimate atmosphere created by this performance led Ferg to take an opportunity to ask for a moment of silence in memory of the late A$AP Yams.
The momentum of the show was revitalized following this brief pause, and Ferg launched into high energy tracks “Yamborghini High,” “Black,” and “WAM” all back-to-back. Following these tracks, Ferg announced he had one more gift to bestow upon the LA crowd that night. Detroit native Big Sean took the stage shortly after, joining Ferg in a spirited rendition of their latest single together, “Bezerk.”
Hip-hop heavy hitter Big Sean also took the spotlight with a performance of the fan-favorite “Bounce Back” off his 2017 record I Decided. Ferg recognized the show was winding down to the song everyone was waiting for, and he demanded a colossal energy from the true fans who stayed until the very end.
After briefly speaking on the significance of this particular track, the initial keystrokes of “Plain Jane” were greeted with an eruption of praise from the crowd. With an electrifying energy, Ferg and the diehard fans in attendance concluded the show with a united performance of his hit song.
“Ned Flanders.” is the rocking performance of MadeinTYO i live this.
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