It was an electric night for Quality Control Music in Grand Rapids. Plenty of fans gathered for a good time with rap’s most prominent newcomers. Newly signed, Detroit-native 42Dugg was a strategic addition to the show. He was welcomed by an energized home-state crowd. The artist’s stage presence was matched by the audience’s willingness to accept a new face.
Lil Baby affiliate, Marlo, was also a perfect addition to the already stacked lineup. Marlo, known for his joint album with the headliner, performed a few of his favorite songs for the overly-anxious crowd. The two artists were surely more than the audience had anticipated in the best way possible. Adding to the list of performers was Blueface, a rising star in the hip hop community. Breaking into the industry with viral hit “Thotiana,” it was the most anticipated song of his set. The crowd’s intensity increased when the first notes of “Bleed It” trickled through the speakers. In a reference to the song’s video, Blueface brought a mop to the stage cleaning up the water he dumped on himself in the previous tune.
Miami-duo City Girls opened their short-but-sweet set with fan favorite “Take Your Man”. Being short one member did not stop Yung Miami and her dancers from commanding the attention of everyone in the room. The electric performance continued with a snippet from Drake’s “In My Feelings” and hit “Act Up.” To complete the night, Yung Miami pulled three guests from the audience to participate in a contest for the song “Twerk.”
Making a fashionably late appearance, Lil Baby’s entrance to the stage was the most exciting event of the night. Opening with “Yes Indeed,” a popular song from his 2018 album “Harder Than Ever,” Lil Baby demanded strong energy from the audience. Production-wise, the show featured assorted pyrotechnics and laser sequences. The crowd was ecstatic to hear favorites such as “Pure Cocaine” and “Drip Too Hard,” a track he and longtime collaborator, Gunna, coined together. To close out the show, Lil Baby performed another Gunna-related song “Sold Out Dates.” Confetti spread across the room while the faces in the audience lit up. Even though it wasn’t a sold out date, the artists sure made it feel like it was.
By: Veronica Anderson | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!
****
