Lines around the corner and up the alley beside the iconic Metro Theatre brimmed with excitement and dripped with anticipation as fans were slowly shunted through the doors and up the stairs.
On the other side of the foyer and through the small tunnel lay a room packed to the rafters – with a crowd already going gangbusters – well before the main event looked to be coming on stage. DJs dropped enormous hip hop anthems covering the big names, including Drake, Kendrick, and Jay Z, to a rousing reception. Bouncing, singing, and dancing maniacally, the two DJs drew a reaction from punters that made the term ‘warm-up’ almost unfair. It’s always exciting, and not too common, to be in a crowd so keen to let loose.
When A$AP Ferg arrived, fans were treated to the headliner’s favourites, ‘Shabba’ and ‘Work REMIX’.
The druggy, tripped out ballad ‘Cocaine Castle’ was a nice change of pace in the set, but definitely a weaker moment. It was clear that banger territory is where A$AP Ferg belongs – party music and big beats is where his deep, booming voice, ability to craft a good hook, and charisma fits best.
Like his A$AP Mob compadre Rocky, the “Trap Lord” (his nickname and the title of his debut solo album) was loaded with swagger and attacked the stage with a level of confidence that allowed him to glide over moments that didn’t go quite right. There were parts in the show where he struggled to hear himself, however this was saved by the performer letting out a loud cry, whipping the audience into a frenzy.
The artist also showed his sense of humour when a punter was invited up to freestyle. When the fan didn’t show any chops, Ferg brushed it off with an off colour look and a wave of a hand. He followed through, though, with two more audience members up on stage. The two dudes were actually quite impressive, showing there was method to Ferg’s madness. This appreciation for audience participation was evident throughout the set.
The rapper’s penchant to be a bit of a joker came through multiple times; he was the funny one in the group compared Rocky’s cool. Hilariously, this included introducing his best friend “Schoolboy Q”, and instructing the crowd to rush towards him as the beat dropped in ‘Murda Something’. Of course, Schoolboy Q turned out to be a tall white guy wearing a bucket hat – who Ferg later taught how to crowd surf.
The ubiquitous party jam ‘Wild For The Night’ went off, and he once again invited punters up on stage to dance during the tune. For a rapper with one album worth of material, between-song banter and inviting fans up all proved to be excellent ways to fill the time in without letting the energy or mood drop.
An artist must have some serious bangers in his catalogue to live up to the title of “Trap Lord”, and Ferg doesn’t let anyone down on this front. ‘Dump Dump’ was a completely raucous highlight, making the room lose it when the beat dropped for the chorus.
The headliner last came to Sydney as hype man and opening act for superstar rapper A$AP Rocky. In the middle of his growing hype within the hip hop community, Ferg showed the city that he is every bit the headliner in his own right, with a performance that was as enthusiastic as it was received. Stay tuned for the next cab off the A$AP Mob rank.
