The show opened with Nick Hook and a short dj set. He highlighted some tracks he produced for RTJ and discussed the recording process of working with them. With Hook remaining as the dj Cuz came out to perform a few of his tracks. According to the internet he is a protégé of Killer Mike’s and has a collaborative track out now. Cuz gave the crowd his phone number and after leading the crowd in a chant of “What up Cuz” said that the first person to text him “What up Cuz?” would get a chance to come backstage and meet everyone.
Gangsta Boo was next on the bill and entered the stage with her phone up in the selfie pose as she was sending a video live to the internet. Her performance as well as the other two openers were relatively short. The Gaslamp Killer was the last opener and this dude was hyper as all get out. His dj set was a mix of up-tempo tracks that mixed in everything from Kendrick Lamar to Death grips.
Engaging with the crowd beyond just the music he spoke on a couple of instances to his Middle Eastern heritage as he told us where his grandparents were from in Syria and he then mixed middle-eastern-flavored music into his hectic set.
Hyping the crowd for RTJ Gaslamp Killer played for a second time Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” commenting that in spite of the day’s events (Trump’s inauguration) that we would be alright.
Run the Jewels took the stage and immediately got in their groove while taking the time to pose and smile for the crowd. There are so few rap “groups” today that it’s really cool to see two mc’s hand off verses and interact on the stage.
Killer Mike and El-P took many instances to talk with the crowd and on occasion also remarked to the story of the day which was the inauguration of Trump. Offering solace in their music RTJ proved that nothing was going to bring down the mood in the Ritz.
Before jumping in to “Close Your Eyes (And Count To F**k)” El-P took a moment to warn that this song usually erupts the crowd into a mosh pit and encouraged everyone to be respectful and help each other out if needed.
The night before at their DC show Zach De la Rocha joined them live to offer his verse on this song and I was hoping for the slim chance that he may have jumped on the bus to Raleigh and would pop up for this track and his guest appearance on the track from RTJ 3 “A Report to the Shareholders: Kill your Masters”, alas he did not.
If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the newest RTJIII release, but want to know if it’s worth it, check out our friends at Goin’ Off podcast with Mues and Rap Critic who review the album:
And if you’re lucky, you might still have a chance to buy tickets to a show near you, but hurry!
With Hook remaining as the dj Cuz came out to perform a few of his tracks. According to the internet he is a protégé of Killer Mike’s and has a collaborative track out now. Cuz gave the crowd his phone number and after leading the crowd in a chant of “What up Cuz” said that the first person to text him “What up Cuz?” would get a chance to come backstage and meet everyone.
