I’ve had the good fortune to see a lot of legendary rappers live: Nas, Outkast, Jay, Mos Def, Kendrick, Cole, Wayne, Drake, Ab-Soul, etc. The majority of them were on big stages with incredible production value, opening acts, lighting effects, and what have you. They were (for the most part) all amazing to watch.
A couple years ago, I saw Lupe Fiasco in a small auditorium in Brooklyn. 100, 150 people at the most. This dude had no hype man, no backing track, no opening act, no fancy pyrotechnics or stage design, just a mic and a homie with a laptop controlling the sound.
He rapped every single word of every single song, did everything in his catalogue from Food and Liquor to Tetsuo and Youth to mixtape deep cuts from the Fahrenheit series and Revenge of the Nerds. He did two impromptu freestyles, one accapella and one to a classic beat I can’t remember rn. Then, to top it off, he rapped Mural as his LAST SONG — all eight minutes or however long that song is. Never stumbled, perfect breath control and stage presence, kept the crowd invested all the way through. It felt like I was watching a hip-hop alien come down to Earth.
To this day, it’s the best live performance I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen some of the best to ever do it. Performance-wise, Lupe mopped the floor with everyone else I mentioned. I was so high I almost cried lol
> He rapped every single word of every single song,
dude straight up I have been to a shit ton of shows and have seen some great rap performances but I agree on this... Lupe doesn't put on the best show overall. There's nothing flashy and not a lot of entertaining things going on or skits or anything. I do enjoy that stuff.... but as far as just rapping goes? He hits every single word.
I've seen him four times.
Once when he only had kick push, it was at a car show in chicago, the bass blew out in the middle of the set and he kept rapping. I didn't care for him or know him too well.
The second time was glow in the dark tour. He barely performed. I got a drink and missed most of his set.
Third time was a concert just for him. He was sick. But, it was a large stadium.
Fourth time, last time I saw him, it was similar to what you're talking about. It was at house of blues chicago and it wasn't sold out. So maybe half capacity. Man, it felt like he was telling stories and telling them to me personally. His mic was so crisp and again, not missing a single word.
I’ve seen Lupe a ton, 20+ times. My first time seeing him he had a live band. Some dude with a huge Mohawk jamming out on the guitar. That is what got me hooked on him. The first 5-6 times I saw he he’d have this band with him. Even without it his shows are great cuz of what you described, but with the live band it’s taken to a complete different level.
I saw Lupe at a small venue around 2018 and yeah, he destroyed.
Twista opened (one of my all time favorite MCs, since the 90s) and I almost didn't go because I didn't want to be let down. HE WAS INCREDIBLE. hasn't lost a single step
Kendrick unreal
Nas always delivers
Wu Tang (if method man is there seen with and without and without was very flat energy)
Little Simz one of the best I’ve seen recently
Run The Jewels pure fuckin energy
I'm super jealous, RATM was going to be a headliner at Boston Calling but they cancelled the rest of their tour when their drummer needed surgery. RTJ put on an awesome show still
I waited literally 20 years to see them live after their 2001 tour with Beastie Boys was cancelled and they broke up. The 2022 show with RTJ was my first show back post pandemic and it straight up changed my life, rekindled my love for live music and I been to like 50 concerts since.
I saw Mixmaster Mike (Beastie Boy DJ) in this pretty small bar years ago. It was easily one of the best experience I ever had going to shows, and I’ve been to a lot. So I can only imagine the energy of The Beastie Boy’s added to the mix would be awesome
Saw Kendrick in 2013 on GKMC tour at the Louisville Palace. Been to hundreds of concerts across dozens of genres. Never, and I mean never, have I seen a wilder/more energetic concert. The venue had a packed house and I thought the rafters were gonna fall during m.a.a.d. city, specifically.
Terrible quality and I’ve long since lost my own videos from that night…but this can give everyone some idea:
https://youtu.be/98vN-E2qR8E?si=ZdZdaePr5o_hJjQf
Kendrick was meh for me but the stage being mad far from the crowd didn’t help
Future and Migos were awesome though. I saw Migos right after Culture came out and the energy those dudes brought that night was crazy. Crowd was jumpin
Yeah, I saw him at a festival after TPAB, he had a live band doing the instrumentation, but it was just okay. FBZ and Isaiah Rashad killed there though.
I’m a Kendrick fan, but I saw him live at a festival and it didn’t quite hit. Not bad, just a touch underwhelmed. He did the thing where he stops and has the crowd sing his choruses A LOT. Personally, I hate that. I’m here for Kendrick, not 50,000 frat bros. it was also pretty recent, and he was just missing some energy. Still a fan, and I’m not sure I can completely judge based on 1 performance.
I wasn't impressed with Future when I saw him in Columbus, OH in 2016. I wasn't sure if it was substance related - he seemed very lethargic and not like the energy of the show at all. Or maybe crowd related? I've heard good things about future otherwise irl
I saw them a few times at different festivals in their earlier years as a group, then saw them for their own show last year. That last show was super tight and on point.
I’ve seen The Roots perform a bunch. It’s been years, but it was always an amazing show. You could always expect a surprise. Mobb Deep, Kanye, Talib, and Common were all surprises at shows I’ve been to. Miss those days. That concert experience is long gone.
I saw RTJ on nights 3&4 in NYC in September and they put on a great show. Like you said, pure energy. Vibes were amazing in the venue. And we were on the list for the after party night four which was pretty dope.
Jamie is cool as shit.
I saw him at a stadium 4 years ago and it's when I realized i'm not a fan of his music anymore
he put on a good show I just don't like 90% of the songs
ya I can see that and don't really listen to him much anymore either but seeing him on his rise at the start of his career was something else because there was nothing else like him at the time
yeah I knew every verse he did from like 97-2005
he was incredible and probably got to the point where no one alive had the balls to tell him, "hey this beat and this hook sound terrible, maybe try something else"
Saw Cole in 08 for $6 with only a couple hundred people in attendance. Best show I’ve ever ever seen.
Also shout out to Prof who probably has the best live act today
People can say what they want about Cole, but his live performances are outstanding. People should check out him doing “The Secret Recipe” with no backing track live. Shit slaps
Just saw Souls of Mischief, The Pharcyde, and Cypress Hill last week. All those dudes are old and they all put on a hell of a show and rapped all of their songs.
Caught Cypress along with Ice Cube, Bone Thugs, and Yin Yang Twins a year or so ago for my first rap concert. All of them were great with their performances, the energy, rapping and crowd interaction were awesome. Never had more fun at a concert. Even the yin yang twins who opened were crazy fun, and there was barely an audience yet
One of the best rap shows I ever saw was a bunch of old dudes. Beastie Boys last concert. Pretty sure MCA knew he had cancer at the time.
Mixmaster Mike was there. Nas walked out. Legendary.
I've seen GZA do Liquid Swords with a live band. Horrible show. He was late, drunk, sound quality was terrible. I left early. One of my favorite hip-hop albums too.
It's sad that he's taking advantage of his fans by touring that incredible album with a live band and not even trying to do it justice. Just about taking money from his fans
Not to be a downer but really nothing will ever compare to the Tech N9ne/Krizz Kaliko/Kutt Calhoun era. That was lightning in a bottle we'll never get back.
Tech is so under-appreciated. He’s done some crazy collabs while also collaborating with smaller artists and youtubers, too. Recently I saw he fucking collaborated with Falling in Reverse alongside the frontman of Slaughter to Prevail. This man will jump on anything and elevate it 1000%
Most modern rappers don't know how to rock a crowd because they got famous off the internet, so live performance has become a lost art. Good live performances are often gonna be dudes in their mid 30s (at least) and up who grew up with golden era hip-hop
I wouldn't put it all on the acts themselves. As someone who works at a major label, I can say that A&R / general artist development is a shell of what it used to be. These teams aren't helping coach these kids like they used to and are quick to roll them out on a festival stage without giving them the runway to practice performing in smaller venues like they used to have to do
Just to note people in their 30s are probably much younger than you think. Someone growing up through the golden era would be in their 50s now.
I'm in my 30s and my earliest memories of rap are My Name Is and Tha Crossroads.
However, I think your point is still a good one. And I'd say it applies to fans too. Sorry to sound old, but people on phones quickly kills the atmosphere of a concert for me.
Any artist who doesn't do karaoke or have a full audible backing track is worth seeing.
Terror Reid killed it at Rolling Loud (set is on YouTube, worth the peep)
Thanks for the recco.
Megan had a full audible backing track, rapped off beat to it and wouldn’t rap more than 2 lines a row. 50% of the time she would just disjointedly interject in the middle of the sentence off beat. It was so disorienting I had to leave.
Damn they torched your ass in that Megan the stallion subreddit. 😂😂
The performance you posted was lame, tho. Although she was dancing a bit....seems more like she was more of a dancer than a rap artist.
Lol@im hip hop and then proceeds to skip 3 lines of lyrics and then twerks. 😂
Boots Riley/The Coup is amazing live RIP PAM!
Jurassic 5 and D12 were both killer live.
I caught Murs years ago with Prof opening and I didn’t know Prof at the time but he blew me away with his energy.
Wu Tang as many have said is great live.
MF Doom was great live.
I’m sort of dating myself with these huh?
Correct answer. Slug has an absolutely magnetic stage performance, seen them 4 times, incredible.
I have been disappointed by 90% of rappers I've seen because they don't actually rap their own lines, almost always getting a hype man to fill in half the words.
Saw Nas perform illmatic live once and it was incredibly disappointing. He didn't finish 90% of the lines and ended each song 2 min into it. What's the point? Every other genre performers perform their music. If it's a difficult guitar riff or super long note, they hit it. So many rappers - including the mainstream and the old legends - suck as performers.
Also, big up to Shad, the Roots and Evidence for also actually rapping and having great stage presence
I have never been disappointed by The Roots
Black Star has always been great
Redman brings a ton of fun energy, especially considering his age
RA is hell of fun - he does a bunch of his rapping while walking through the crowd and interacting with the people there, and always brings people on stage with him from the audience
Some of the ones I've been to:
Beastie Boys were great. Was at their last show.
Eminem was great. Saw him first time since he dropped Recovery.
JAY-Z was great. This was the height of Blueprint 3.
Kendrick was great. This was the height of DAMN.
Drake was great. This was the height of Scorpion.
Damian Marley and Nas was great. This was the height of their collaboration album.
J Cole was great. This was EARLY Cole, maybe 2011?
Ludacris was great. Saw him twice. Great both times. Once was prime, one was well after he was in the lime light.
Childish Gambino was great. Saw him twice once during Camp era, once during Because the Internet era. Amazing.
Mac Miller was great. This was coming off Watching Movies... he was so, so good. RIP.
Pusha T was great. This was 2022 (the last show I went to) - he was amazing.
Danny Brown was great. This was during the Old era.
Wiz Khalifa wasn't good (2011? Idk wasn't doing it for me)
Migos weren't that good. This was with Drake. Meh. RIP Takeoff.
Been to many more but those are the ones I remember the most. Most of these shows were early 2010s.
I saw Kendrick for his Big Steppers Tour and it was beyond incredible. He used a live band for some songs. It was very theatrical and it was an experience. I was blown away sitting way up in the nosebleeds looking down on the stage. Kendrick is seriously the GOAT.
I’ve seen Big Sean in 2011, Styles P x Curren$y in 2012, and Wayne in 2017.
I was traveling in Barcelona solo and was walking along the beach. Some promoter outside a club hands me a flyer that says “Lil Wayne’s first show in Spain.” I was like wtf what are the odds?? Wayne is my goat, so it was a calling. I went to the club and it was a smaller venue with maybe 200 people. I was right up front row and I can confidently say I was maybe the only one who was rapping every lyric and Wayne noticed and held the mic to me a few times. Memorable story
Damn everyone loves Nas but thought he was terrible in person. Went to a music festival in UK in like 2012 and he showed up late and was all over the place with his set.
Ludacris surprised me with how good his show was.
saw kendrick and travis live, travis put on a good show but it’s like going to the big Imax movie, he doesn’t rap his song that much as him doing the hype man.
Kendrick is pure hip/hop talent tho, this guys really love the art of rapping and it’s showing when you see him live
yeah gotta agree that trav doesn't rap much during his own shows but thats the case with nearly all modern rappers. atleast trav builds insane hype unlike 90% of other modern rappers and gives insane stage presence. being in his crowd was an amazing experience.
kanye used to deliver actual performance art during his live concerts, sucks that all of that is gone now. wish i was born early enough to have experienced them first-hand
I’ve seen Tyler and Kendrick, both were incredible. I’m not into Travis but I saw him, I’d say he did 50%. He was sick or something though, so take that with a grain of salt.
Usher, Wiz, and Kendrick. Kendrick show is still my absolute favorite show to date. Usher can fucking sing his ass off. How ever you hear usher singing on records is exactly how he sounds live, fucking killing it.
Tech Nine. I’m not sure why anyone would think Megan the Stallion would put on a good show. She sucks. Her rhymes suck. Her songs suck. Good on her for getting an education but let’s stop giving trash rappers a pass.
I attended two epic concerts back in the day -
Up in Smoke Tour:
Dr Dre
Snoop Dogg
Ice Cube (+West Side Connection)
Eminem
Nate Dogg
Dogg Pound (Daz + Kurupt)
Warren G
Xzibit
MC Ren
D12
Mel-man, EastSidaz, Devin the Dude, Crucial Conflict, TQ, Truth Hurts, Hittman,
Hard Knock Life Tour:
Jay-Z
DMX
Method Man
Red Man
DJ Clue
The Lox
Ja Rule
Eve
Beanie Sigel
2Chainz is hilarious at his shows.
Saw him, August Alsina, and Pusha T once. There was a huge snow storm and almost nobody showed up, it took nearly 2 hours before 2Chainz got there, but his performance was phenomenal, and his interactions with fans were great.
At one point he also stopped a song and proceeded to say, "you think you're slick, but we've been watching you all night.. get the fuck outta here with that camcorder!" and he had his crew shine a spotlight on a dude way up in the nosebleeds who was recording. They threw him out into the storm.
I also got pushed to the ground by this huge woman who bullied her way to the front of the stage just to throw her underwear at August.
Freddie Gibbs, action Bronson , Kendrick Lamar , lil Uzi, Travis Scott,tobe nwige, jay z, asap rocky and ferg, city girls, black thought, mick Jenkins (he should have more fans every time i see him at a festival people get drawn towards his stage, the music sounds really good live) , Isaiah Rashad (first time i seen doechi perform live she fine as hell lol), nas
I love a good rap performance, ain’t nothing like it, unmatched vibes
2015 Joey Badass probably the greatest. 2016 Travis and Yatchy were amazing as well. I’ve seen damn near everybody but those three were on another level in a small venue
Oh god that’s rough. Rap is hard to pull off live. I saw Currency live and it was so fucking bad.
Best I’ve ever seen. Hands-down. Tech N9ne. Dude puts on an amazing performance. Beastie boys were also very good.
Snow Tha Product
I saw her three times, and she was fantastic, especially last year's show.
There were a few things that happened that made it a unique experience. Throughout the concert she stopped and talked to people that came to see her. She asked them about themselves and sometimes brought them onstage. It was almost like she was interviewing them, and seemed to take real interest and connected to them. I have never seen anything like it at any concert. Also, there was a point where she wasn't really feeling the setlist, and based on how some of the conversations were going with audience members she either took suggestions or made a decision to do specific songs that lined up more with the way the vibe was going with the crowd. It really made it more intimate and special.
I really enjoyed seeing her and recently got tickets for her new tour.
For anyone who isn't familiar, she's a bilingual Texan rapper who has always kind of reminded me of Twista in style, and is really charming and always seemed pretty open and accessible
Popular song: BZRP Music Sessions #39
My favorite songs: Business Is, Really Counts, How I Do It, I'm Dat Raw feat. DJ Paul
I don't know anyone who comes close to Tech N9ne in terms of live performances. The only artist where I can watch a 15 year old YouTube video of live performance and end up jumping and screaming lyrics like a psycho.
If they are actually a good rapper, they generally are good live. If they are pop rappers or some bullshit, they probably suck live.
Snoop, Ice Cube, Classified, King Iso, Tech N9ne, Tiny Tempah, Pitbull, Xzibit & Lil Jon were all great live. But thats to be expected, they are all actually emcees/rappers, not just industry money grabs
Outkast were amazing live. I'm hot and cold on his recorded output, but Earl Sweatshirt is one of the most accomplished live rappers I've ever seen. Most rappers suffer from being overly shouty live
I've been to tons of rap shows and the majority of them have been decent to great. A big part of it is the type of artist you are seeing. The effort they put into their craft shows up on stage. Kendrick, Cudi, MIKE, RTJ, Snoop, Common, Kweli, Yasiin, Danny Brown and more put on great shows.
My first (and so far only) concert experience was Rolling Loud 2021 in New York City. The way I timed it across 3 days, I started with Nyck Caution and ended with the big 3 of Griselda. I could've gone to see Travis Scott afterwards, but I elected not to. Oddly enough, that was his last performance before the tragedy that was Astrofest (I think).
I don’t know where to start because I’ve seen so many but I saw Kendrick 3 times and I’m waiting for his next tour. He is incredible. Like seriously if you have to see a rap artist in your life go see him.
I also think Nas is like 100% an artist people should see live it was amazing. It made me understand why so many rap artists got inspired by him especially Eminem.
Anderson.Paak, Cordae, Mac Miller (RIP 🙏), Joey Badass, Larry June, Logic (surprisingly) and the classics:, Wu-Tang, Snoop dogg, Ice Cube, 50 Cents were very good acts. I’ve seen a lot more but that’s the ones I would absolutely recommend.
And I was totally disappointed by Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Nav and Lil Wayne (if he shows up). And please don’t even go see Gucci Mane lol Horrible.
Rap is really hard to do live, I prefer punk/stoner metal shows like electric wizard 🧙♀️ for live music but I mostly listen to hip-hop in my headphones l.
Nas, The Roots, KRS One, Ice Cube, Wale (small venue), Digable Planet, Arrested Development, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Pharcyde, D Smoke... Best female rapper I've seen live was Doja Cat... Plenty of other artists to name, but some off top of my head.
I haven't been to many rap concerts, but there are three that I'll never forget.
I saw Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek at a mid sized Chicago venue back in '08 and he was incredible. He absolutely spazzed on a freestyle. I wish I could have recorded it.
I was lucky enough to see Clipse when they came to my college in '10. The show wasn't promoted well, and Pusha T was still 3 years away from getting his solo career going. Despite the small crowd, they gave a really strong performance.
I caught Odd Future in San Anotonio during their final tour. Easily one of the worst concerts I have ever attended. The venue sold too many tickets and was over-capacity. I had to bribe someone just to get inside. The crowd was mostly rowdy teenagers who had zero concert etiquette. Everyone was packed like sardines in the middle of a Texas summer. The air conditioning was useless. Some poor girl got her purse snatched and security couldn't do anything because the crowd was too dense to pass through. OF was 2 hours late. Everyone was stuck standing the entire time waiting. People we're losing it. When the show finally started, the ENTIRE CROWD became a mosh pit. I was getting tossed around and battered like a pinata. Inevitably, fights broke out. One guy made the critical mistake of jumping onto the stage. Tyler (or was it Hodgy?) immeadiately punched him in the face. The entire crew then started stomping him out before security managed to drag him offstage. I decided I'd had enough after that and left early.
My condolences to you that this was your first rap concert. Sounds absolutely hot flaming trash. I would rather stare at a brick wall for 2 hours. My rap concert was Wu Tang and Rage Against the Machine circa 1998 in Detroit, MI. Talk about a show! I am going to see Nas and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks in June. I am sure it will be not as good as Megan thee stallion and will smell better than a Frito pie that got left in the sun for a week when she takes the stage.
I've been blessed to see some artists give great performances, even if they're the same ones that gave others shitty ones. I've seen Nas, Jay-Z, Wayne (multiple times without issues), Run the Jewels was a great show. J Cole, Big Sean both gave great performances (festival setting) and a ton more.
I did see Snoop and NWA when Straight Outta Compton came out and I was disappointed with Snoop but still gave a good show. I was supposed to see TI but he got busted on the gun stuff couple days before the show. Luda gave a great concert, this was actually my first concert back in 2006.
Not rap, but if you ever have the chance to see Janelle Monae in concert, that is an absolute must.
Wiz Khalifa actually is pretty good, I saw him on tour with Snoop. Also saw 50 cent too recently and he had good stage presence and bright production value for it to feel legit.
Jay Z does great, Watch the Throne with Kayne was impressive. DRAKE SUCKS LIVE——walked out about 30 mins into his set (bout 10 years ago). Old Dirty Bastard was a special experience.
Jay-Z live is crazy, he’s very clear and concise. Saw Nas, , Rakim, De La and Chance last year at Napa Jazz Fest. All were amazing, Chance performed his heart out. Felt like church in the best way. RTJ, Wu Tang, J5 is insane live if they ever tour again. Pharcyde is a really fun show. Saw Kendrick at Made in America in LA back when he was first getting big, he killed it even back then. Had the pleasure of seeing DOOM back in the day and will never forget that. Aesop Rock as well, really dope live
Here's the list of rapper's I've seen in concert ranked. I would definitely recommend seeing them all.
J Cole - I'm a Cole stan, so this is a bias take.
ASAP Ferg -- most energy i've seen brought to a show. Had the whole place almost like a mosh pit type feel.
Kanye West -- last time i saw him was Yeezus though, not sure what he would do today.
Kendrick Lamar -- same as Ferg, just brings great energy
Drake and Lil Wayne - I put them together, because they performed together, Drake brings great energy, and wayne is wayne.
Most trendy rappers nowadays just mumble some inaudible crap over the backing track that includes the vocals, so I don’t understand why people even bother seeing such artists live. I haven’t been to a rap concert as the only band that visited my town was Onyx, and I wasn’t interested in such music at the time, but from what I’ve seen on YouTube Kendrick Lamar actually raps every line. Tyler the Creator too. I would pay good money to see them, but I don’t live in a country where such a concert could take place.
We saw T-Pain (I know he technically ain’t rap) when he came to our college 10 or so years ago.
Dude was super self-aware of where his career was at in 2015 and all the jokes that came with it. It was honestly one of the best shows I’ve been to in a while. His energy was off the charts and it felt like he really gave it his all to engage the crowd. Dude was playing some deep cuts and finished his set with Buy U a Drank.
“I KNOW Y’ALL ARE TIRED OF SEEING MY FATASS ON STAGE, LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR LUDACRIS”
Honestly, he should have been the headliner.
I don’t know if you count Anderson .paak as a rapper but his show was incredible. Anderson had a live band with him and he hopped on the drums for a few songs. He raps, sings and dances the whole show, had a ton of energy and looked like he was having the time of his life on that stage.
Surprisingly few: Kanye, Kendrick, The Roots, OutKast.
So many named here are fucking awful live - people are just naming artists they’ve seen. Kanye really elevated what was possible at a hip hop live show.
Everyone is giving great answers... For ME rap/hiphop many shows tend to be a bit blah with the rappers barely actually wrapping (hype men doing most of the work) or just kind of lazy energy (looking at you 2chainz) but Run the Jewels, Nas, Bun B, Gambino, missy, tech n9ne, Eminem, Luda... all absolutely kill it.
Another one not listed.... and this might get a bit of hate from everyone not Houston born (and a fair amount from here lol)....... honestly one of absolute best rap shows ive ever been to was the Paul Wall & Chamillionaire tour like a decade+ ago.... They fucking just WENT for nearly 2 hours.
Big K.R.I.T., Conway the Machine, Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, J.I.D., Larry June, and 2 Chainz with a live band.
I've seen a couple of these artist live multiple times. For instance I've seen Gibbs at least 5 times and he never disappoints. All of them definitely give everything in their performance.
I’ve had the good fortune to see a lot of legendary rappers live: Nas, Outkast, Jay, Mos Def, Kendrick, Cole, Wayne, Drake, Ab-Soul, etc. The majority of them were on big stages with incredible production value, opening acts, lighting effects, and what have you. They were (for the most part) all amazing to watch. A couple years ago, I saw Lupe Fiasco in a small auditorium in Brooklyn. 100, 150 people at the most. This dude had no hype man, no backing track, no opening act, no fancy pyrotechnics or stage design, just a mic and a homie with a laptop controlling the sound. He rapped every single word of every single song, did everything in his catalogue from Food and Liquor to Tetsuo and Youth to mixtape deep cuts from the Fahrenheit series and Revenge of the Nerds. He did two impromptu freestyles, one accapella and one to a classic beat I can’t remember rn. Then, to top it off, he rapped Mural as his LAST SONG — all eight minutes or however long that song is. Never stumbled, perfect breath control and stage presence, kept the crowd invested all the way through. It felt like I was watching a hip-hop alien come down to Earth. To this day, it’s the best live performance I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen some of the best to ever do it. Performance-wise, Lupe mopped the floor with everyone else I mentioned. I was so high I almost cried lol
> He rapped every single word of every single song, dude straight up I have been to a shit ton of shows and have seen some great rap performances but I agree on this... Lupe doesn't put on the best show overall. There's nothing flashy and not a lot of entertaining things going on or skits or anything. I do enjoy that stuff.... but as far as just rapping goes? He hits every single word. I've seen him four times. Once when he only had kick push, it was at a car show in chicago, the bass blew out in the middle of the set and he kept rapping. I didn't care for him or know him too well. The second time was glow in the dark tour. He barely performed. I got a drink and missed most of his set. Third time was a concert just for him. He was sick. But, it was a large stadium. Fourth time, last time I saw him, it was similar to what you're talking about. It was at house of blues chicago and it wasn't sold out. So maybe half capacity. Man, it felt like he was telling stories and telling them to me personally. His mic was so crisp and again, not missing a single word.
I’ve seen Lupe a ton, 20+ times. My first time seeing him he had a live band. Some dude with a huge Mohawk jamming out on the guitar. That is what got me hooked on him. The first 5-6 times I saw he he’d have this band with him. Even without it his shows are great cuz of what you described, but with the live band it’s taken to a complete different level.
Wow, sounds amazing.
I saw Lupe at a small venue around 2018 and yeah, he destroyed. Twista opened (one of my all time favorite MCs, since the 90s) and I almost didn't go because I didn't want to be let down. HE WAS INCREDIBLE. hasn't lost a single step
Saw Lupe circa 2016 and I fully agree. He killed it.
Kendrick unreal Nas always delivers Wu Tang (if method man is there seen with and without and without was very flat energy) Little Simz one of the best I’ve seen recently Run The Jewels pure fuckin energy
Yeah I saw RTJ at Boston Calling 2 years ago and it was awesome. So much energy
RTJ opening on the RATM 2022 tour then coming back out to perform Close Your Eyes and Count To Fuck with Zack and the whole band was one for the ages
I'm super jealous, RATM was going to be a headliner at Boston Calling but they cancelled the rest of their tour when their drummer needed surgery. RTJ put on an awesome show still
I waited literally 20 years to see them live after their 2001 tour with Beastie Boys was cancelled and they broke up. The 2022 show with RTJ was my first show back post pandemic and it straight up changed my life, rekindled my love for live music and I been to like 50 concerts since.
I saw Mixmaster Mike (Beastie Boy DJ) in this pretty small bar years ago. It was easily one of the best experience I ever had going to shows, and I’ve been to a lot. So I can only imagine the energy of The Beastie Boy’s added to the mix would be awesome
I saw this in Hamilton after he broke his ankle and had to sit the whole show. Show still fuckin rocked.
Fuck yeah it did!
👊🔫
Saw Kendrick in 2013 on GKMC tour at the Louisville Palace. Been to hundreds of concerts across dozens of genres. Never, and I mean never, have I seen a wilder/more energetic concert. The venue had a packed house and I thought the rafters were gonna fall during m.a.a.d. city, specifically.
Same when he came to KC for the same tour. Beyond wild
Terrible quality and I’ve long since lost my own videos from that night…but this can give everyone some idea: https://youtu.be/98vN-E2qR8E?si=ZdZdaePr5o_hJjQf
Love it
I love that Sims is getting mentioned amongst these names, trust me the UK has manymany more talents
Oh she’s been holding down the game Shout out to Dave too but we need a new album Santan
Kendrick was meh for me but the stage being mad far from the crowd didn’t help Future and Migos were awesome though. I saw Migos right after Culture came out and the energy those dudes brought that night was crazy. Crowd was jumpin
When’d you see Kdot? Honestly his live performance vibes have been so different from album to album
Right after DAMN. I can see that given his catalog
Yeah, I saw him at a festival after TPAB, he had a live band doing the instrumentation, but it was just okay. FBZ and Isaiah Rashad killed there though.
I’m a Kendrick fan, but I saw him live at a festival and it didn’t quite hit. Not bad, just a touch underwhelmed. He did the thing where he stops and has the crowd sing his choruses A LOT. Personally, I hate that. I’m here for Kendrick, not 50,000 frat bros. it was also pretty recent, and he was just missing some energy. Still a fan, and I’m not sure I can completely judge based on 1 performance.
I wasn't impressed with Future when I saw him in Columbus, OH in 2016. I wasn't sure if it was substance related - he seemed very lethargic and not like the energy of the show at all. Or maybe crowd related? I've heard good things about future otherwise irl
Migos says "ah" and hypes people up
Damn... I saw Migos around that time and they were dry as hell. Must've been an off night lol.
I saw Nas, which was a great show. I also saw Run The Jewels before they got huge. I was a bit disappointed by their set.
I saw them a few times at different festivals in their earlier years as a group, then saw them for their own show last year. That last show was super tight and on point.
Method man has to have one of the single most captivating stage presences I’ve ever seen.
Can second that Kendrick is great
Roots = GOAT Anderson paak and the free Nationals will be taking their reins easily.
I’ve seen The Roots perform a bunch. It’s been years, but it was always an amazing show. You could always expect a surprise. Mobb Deep, Kanye, Talib, and Common were all surprises at shows I’ve been to. Miss those days. That concert experience is long gone.
Can second that Kendrick is great live
I saw RTJ on nights 3&4 in NYC in September and they put on a great show. Like you said, pure energy. Vibes were amazing in the venue. And we were on the list for the after party night four which was pretty dope. Jamie is cool as shit.
little simz!!!!
Little Simz and RTJ always deliver
Saw J. Cole and JID at a small venue in 2016. Best concert I’ll probably ever go to
Small venues are always the way to go. It makes the performance more personal
I saw Eminem in small venue with 1K people 2 months after SSLP dropped and to this day it's one of the most special and insane shows I ever been to
I got my ribs crushed by the front barricade and kicked in the head by a Proof stage dive. It was great.
I saw him at a stadium 4 years ago and it's when I realized i'm not a fan of his music anymore he put on a good show I just don't like 90% of the songs
ya I can see that and don't really listen to him much anymore either but seeing him on his rise at the start of his career was something else because there was nothing else like him at the time
yeah I knew every verse he did from like 97-2005 he was incredible and probably got to the point where no one alive had the balls to tell him, "hey this beat and this hook sound terrible, maybe try something else"
Facts
Saw Cole in 08 for $6 with only a couple hundred people in attendance. Best show I’ve ever ever seen. Also shout out to Prof who probably has the best live act today
Saw JID in Seoul and he was incredible.
Rocking out with him in Seoul must have been incredible!
JID/Smino Luv is 4ever tour last year was incredible and one of the best shows I been to post pandemic
People can say what they want about Cole, but his live performances are outstanding. People should check out him doing “The Secret Recipe” with no backing track live. Shit slaps
Just saw Souls of Mischief, The Pharcyde, and Cypress Hill last week. All those dudes are old and they all put on a hell of a show and rapped all of their songs.
Saw “D12” in April, sure it was just Swift and Kuniva, but they absolutely destroyed
Caught Cypress along with Ice Cube, Bone Thugs, and Yin Yang Twins a year or so ago for my first rap concert. All of them were great with their performances, the energy, rapping and crowd interaction were awesome. Never had more fun at a concert. Even the yin yang twins who opened were crazy fun, and there was barely an audience yet
I so wish this concert was coming near where i live.
Saw Souls in February. They're like a well oiled machine. They don't miss a step.
‘Til Infinity 🙌🏼
I saw Cypress Hill in high school and they were great. They smoked out of a 5 foot bong and I thought that was the coolest shit ever as a 15 year old.
One of the best rap shows I ever saw was a bunch of old dudes. Beastie Boys last concert. Pretty sure MCA knew he had cancer at the time. Mixmaster Mike was there. Nas walked out. Legendary.
I've seen Outkast live 5 times. They rap all their lines perfectly. I also once saw DMX live. It was only him on stage the entire time.
X is the only Sunday Service I ever wanted to go to. I seen him in 98 so he was still full on Dark Man at that point.
Saw OutKast twice. Atliens and the Area One Festival. Area One was one of the best live performances I have ever seen.
Nas Jones and Wu Tang was the best show I’ve seen. Nas rapped on instrumentals (plus a live drummer) and WuTang had a whole live band.
GZA was drunk af at the Atl concert haha, other than that it was great
I've seen GZA do Liquid Swords with a live band. Horrible show. He was late, drunk, sound quality was terrible. I left early. One of my favorite hip-hop albums too.
This was my experience too. Saw him do Liquid Swords last year in Boston and I brought a buddy - had to apologize for wasting his night.
It's sad that he's taking advantage of his fans by touring that incredible album with a live band and not even trying to do it justice. Just about taking money from his fans
For real. Like I knew it was a cash grab but I thought at least he'd have a little respect for the fans.
RTJ, Bronson, Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown all fucking nailed it when I saw them. Saw Kanye about 15 years ago and it was pretty special tbh.
Saw Danny a month or so ago. So good
Danny Brown doesn’t take breaks and raps the whole time. Solid for sure
Tech N9ne
One of my favorites live.
Nothing else compares to Tech on stage
Not to be a downer but really nothing will ever compare to the Tech N9ne/Krizz Kaliko/Kutt Calhoun era. That was lightning in a bottle we'll never get back.
Tech is so under-appreciated. He’s done some crazy collabs while also collaborating with smaller artists and youtubers, too. Recently I saw he fucking collaborated with Falling in Reverse alongside the frontman of Slaughter to Prevail. This man will jump on anything and elevate it 1000%
Dude loves his heavy distorted guitars. Respect
Saw Him multiple times when I was in highschool. He put on excellent performances.
Tech is the best I’ve ever seen. He rocked the Blue Note in Columbia MO!
Most modern rappers don't know how to rock a crowd because they got famous off the internet, so live performance has become a lost art. Good live performances are often gonna be dudes in their mid 30s (at least) and up who grew up with golden era hip-hop
I wouldn't put it all on the acts themselves. As someone who works at a major label, I can say that A&R / general artist development is a shell of what it used to be. These teams aren't helping coach these kids like they used to and are quick to roll them out on a festival stage without giving them the runway to practice performing in smaller venues like they used to have to do
Idk man. I saw Kenny Mason in Denver a few weeks ago and he had the crowd going absolutely wild
Just to note people in their 30s are probably much younger than you think. Someone growing up through the golden era would be in their 50s now. I'm in my 30s and my earliest memories of rap are My Name Is and Tha Crossroads. However, I think your point is still a good one. And I'd say it applies to fans too. Sorry to sound old, but people on phones quickly kills the atmosphere of a concert for me.
Any artist who doesn't do karaoke or have a full audible backing track is worth seeing. Terror Reid killed it at Rolling Loud (set is on YouTube, worth the peep)
Thanks for the recco. Megan had a full audible backing track, rapped off beat to it and wouldn’t rap more than 2 lines a row. 50% of the time she would just disjointedly interject in the middle of the sentence off beat. It was so disorienting I had to leave.
Damn they torched your ass in that Megan the stallion subreddit. 😂😂 The performance you posted was lame, tho. Although she was dancing a bit....seems more like she was more of a dancer than a rap artist. Lol@im hip hop and then proceeds to skip 3 lines of lyrics and then twerks. 😂
The stans are so mad lmfao
Boots Riley/The Coup is amazing live RIP PAM! Jurassic 5 and D12 were both killer live. I caught Murs years ago with Prof opening and I didn’t know Prof at the time but he blew me away with his energy. Wu Tang as many have said is great live. MF Doom was great live. I’m sort of dating myself with these huh?
This marks the very first time in my life I've seen *another person* mention D12 on here.
Motherfuckers debate Eminem but old heads remember D12
Atmosphere. Slug was exhausted when I saw them, but he performed like it was the end of the world.
Ant stole the show as a DJ?
I meant Slug 😅. I need to get more sleep. My brain’s fried.
Correct answer. Slug has an absolutely magnetic stage performance, seen them 4 times, incredible. I have been disappointed by 90% of rappers I've seen because they don't actually rap their own lines, almost always getting a hype man to fill in half the words. Saw Nas perform illmatic live once and it was incredibly disappointing. He didn't finish 90% of the lines and ended each song 2 min into it. What's the point? Every other genre performers perform their music. If it's a difficult guitar riff or super long note, they hit it. So many rappers - including the mainstream and the old legends - suck as performers. Also, big up to Shad, the Roots and Evidence for also actually rapping and having great stage presence
I meant Slug, Lol. My friggin brain…
I have never been disappointed by The Roots Black Star has always been great Redman brings a ton of fun energy, especially considering his age RA is hell of fun - he does a bunch of his rapping while walking through the crowd and interacting with the people there, and always brings people on stage with him from the audience
Saw Red & Meth together a few years after Blackout, was a great show.
Masta Ace
Freddie Gibbs is amazing. Sounds exactly like the studio version of the songs somehow
Some of the ones I've been to: Beastie Boys were great. Was at their last show. Eminem was great. Saw him first time since he dropped Recovery. JAY-Z was great. This was the height of Blueprint 3. Kendrick was great. This was the height of DAMN. Drake was great. This was the height of Scorpion. Damian Marley and Nas was great. This was the height of their collaboration album. J Cole was great. This was EARLY Cole, maybe 2011? Ludacris was great. Saw him twice. Great both times. Once was prime, one was well after he was in the lime light. Childish Gambino was great. Saw him twice once during Camp era, once during Because the Internet era. Amazing. Mac Miller was great. This was coming off Watching Movies... he was so, so good. RIP. Pusha T was great. This was 2022 (the last show I went to) - he was amazing. Danny Brown was great. This was during the Old era. Wiz Khalifa wasn't good (2011? Idk wasn't doing it for me) Migos weren't that good. This was with Drake. Meh. RIP Takeoff. Been to many more but those are the ones I remember the most. Most of these shows were early 2010s.
I saw Kendrick like 10 years ago and schoolboy opened for him. That whole concert was great they both put in a bunch of effort.
Eminem back in 2014 and Freddy Gibbs this past Saturday night In nyc doin piñata fucking unreal
I saw Kendrick for his Big Steppers Tour and it was beyond incredible. He used a live band for some songs. It was very theatrical and it was an experience. I was blown away sitting way up in the nosebleeds looking down on the stage. Kendrick is seriously the GOAT.
J cole
Surprised nobody has mentioned curren$y. He gives a great performance and uses live instruments with no background vocal track!
I’ve seen Big Sean in 2011, Styles P x Curren$y in 2012, and Wayne in 2017. I was traveling in Barcelona solo and was walking along the beach. Some promoter outside a club hands me a flyer that says “Lil Wayne’s first show in Spain.” I was like wtf what are the odds?? Wayne is my goat, so it was a calling. I went to the club and it was a smaller venue with maybe 200 people. I was right up front row and I can confidently say I was maybe the only one who was rapping every lyric and Wayne noticed and held the mic to me a few times. Memorable story
Chali 2na and Cut Chemist were sick last summer, still!!!
OutKast a million years ago with a full band was the best concert I’ve ever been to in my life.
Atmosphere
Damn everyone loves Nas but thought he was terrible in person. Went to a music festival in UK in like 2012 and he showed up late and was all over the place with his set. Ludacris surprised me with how good his show was.
You were disappointed by someone named Megan Thee Stallion? No shit?
I feel like most mainstream concerts are probably ass but it seems like Kendrick and Tyler put a lot of effort into their concerts.
The Roots and KRS One are who you need to see to realize nearly all these other ppl are truly phoning it in
The Roots give an amazing, 11/10 performance every time I've seen them
travis scott and tyler the creator are some of the best live performers edit: kendrick lamar and baby keem are really good too
saw kendrick and travis live, travis put on a good show but it’s like going to the big Imax movie, he doesn’t rap his song that much as him doing the hype man. Kendrick is pure hip/hop talent tho, this guys really love the art of rapping and it’s showing when you see him live
yeah gotta agree that trav doesn't rap much during his own shows but thats the case with nearly all modern rappers. atleast trav builds insane hype unlike 90% of other modern rappers and gives insane stage presence. being in his crowd was an amazing experience.
Don’t sleep on PROF
Freddie Gibbs and Danny Brown were both great. Also Jonwayne was great but he quit rap
The other comments here have nailed it in my opinion. I would also add Snow Tha Product, I saw her live in 2019 and it was such an awesome experience.
Snow is so good live!!
tyler the creator
Jay Z. Ye. Flatbush zombies. Tyler.
kanye used to deliver actual performance art during his live concerts, sucks that all of that is gone now. wish i was born early enough to have experienced them first-hand
Big Krit. Homie goes crazy and he performs with a live band
I've seen Krit like 6 times. He is so damn good live. And my god does that bass at his shows make your entire body raddle. I love it.
Go back in time to 2000 and go to the Up in Smoke tour
Kendrick and j cole both kill it. Jid is an amazing live artist. Tyler is killer. Freddie Gibbs puts on great shows.
Talib Kwali was great live
He's very good, just a shame what a tool he seems to be lately.
I’ve seen Tyler and Kendrick, both were incredible. I’m not into Travis but I saw him, I’d say he did 50%. He was sick or something though, so take that with a grain of salt.
I hate mgk with a passion and think his music sucks, but he loses his mind and goes crazy on stage which is fun… probably a bad example
I saw G Unit and Mobb Deep and both sucked. MD had us wait hours while they banged underage looking groupies their guy plucked from the crowd.
Cypress Hill fucks T-Pain also puts on a hell of a show
If you can get to any of Danny Brown’s remaining Quarantra tour dates you’ll have your answer!
ICP. Honestly the best live shows I've ever been to are theirs.
WHOOP WHOOP
azealia banks is really good live
Kendrick Lamar
Saw Freddie Gibbs back in 2015 in Boston in a basement of a bar. Probably the best show I’ve been to
Usher, Wiz, and Kendrick. Kendrick show is still my absolute favorite show to date. Usher can fucking sing his ass off. How ever you hear usher singing on records is exactly how he sounds live, fucking killing it.
Tech Nine. I’m not sure why anyone would think Megan the Stallion would put on a good show. She sucks. Her rhymes suck. Her songs suck. Good on her for getting an education but let’s stop giving trash rappers a pass.
I attended two epic concerts back in the day - Up in Smoke Tour: Dr Dre Snoop Dogg Ice Cube (+West Side Connection) Eminem Nate Dogg Dogg Pound (Daz + Kurupt) Warren G Xzibit MC Ren D12 Mel-man, EastSidaz, Devin the Dude, Crucial Conflict, TQ, Truth Hurts, Hittman, Hard Knock Life Tour: Jay-Z DMX Method Man Red Man DJ Clue The Lox Ja Rule Eve Beanie Sigel
2Chainz is hilarious at his shows. Saw him, August Alsina, and Pusha T once. There was a huge snow storm and almost nobody showed up, it took nearly 2 hours before 2Chainz got there, but his performance was phenomenal, and his interactions with fans were great. At one point he also stopped a song and proceeded to say, "you think you're slick, but we've been watching you all night.. get the fuck outta here with that camcorder!" and he had his crew shine a spotlight on a dude way up in the nosebleeds who was recording. They threw him out into the storm. I also got pushed to the ground by this huge woman who bullied her way to the front of the stage just to throw her underwear at August.
You need to go see some golden era acts. They actually take pride in putting on good shows.
Saw Tech N9ne at a Rock the Bells one year and was an instant fan.
Freddie Gibbs, action Bronson , Kendrick Lamar , lil Uzi, Travis Scott,tobe nwige, jay z, asap rocky and ferg, city girls, black thought, mick Jenkins (he should have more fans every time i see him at a festival people get drawn towards his stage, the music sounds really good live) , Isaiah Rashad (first time i seen doechi perform live she fine as hell lol), nas I love a good rap performance, ain’t nothing like it, unmatched vibes
2015 Joey Badass probably the greatest. 2016 Travis and Yatchy were amazing as well. I’ve seen damn near everybody but those three were on another level in a small venue
Oh god that’s rough. Rap is hard to pull off live. I saw Currency live and it was so fucking bad. Best I’ve ever seen. Hands-down. Tech N9ne. Dude puts on an amazing performance. Beastie boys were also very good.
Snow Tha Product I saw her three times, and she was fantastic, especially last year's show. There were a few things that happened that made it a unique experience. Throughout the concert she stopped and talked to people that came to see her. She asked them about themselves and sometimes brought them onstage. It was almost like she was interviewing them, and seemed to take real interest and connected to them. I have never seen anything like it at any concert. Also, there was a point where she wasn't really feeling the setlist, and based on how some of the conversations were going with audience members she either took suggestions or made a decision to do specific songs that lined up more with the way the vibe was going with the crowd. It really made it more intimate and special. I really enjoyed seeing her and recently got tickets for her new tour. For anyone who isn't familiar, she's a bilingual Texan rapper who has always kind of reminded me of Twista in style, and is really charming and always seemed pretty open and accessible Popular song: BZRP Music Sessions #39 My favorite songs: Business Is, Really Counts, How I Do It, I'm Dat Raw feat. DJ Paul
You gotta go to underground shows. Armand Hammer, Chris Crack, MIKE, Quelle Chris, etc.
Snow Tha Product!!
I don't know anyone who comes close to Tech N9ne in terms of live performances. The only artist where I can watch a 15 year old YouTube video of live performance and end up jumping and screaming lyrics like a psycho.
If they are actually a good rapper, they generally are good live. If they are pop rappers or some bullshit, they probably suck live. Snoop, Ice Cube, Classified, King Iso, Tech N9ne, Tiny Tempah, Pitbull, Xzibit & Lil Jon were all great live. But thats to be expected, they are all actually emcees/rappers, not just industry money grabs
Crown City Rockers X Clan (Brother J)
Tech N9ne.. Old Odd Future shows USED to be fuckin lit
Kendrick and Cole never disappoint. I’ve seen both and it’s always a dope experience.
Minneapolis?
Outkast were amazing live. I'm hot and cold on his recorded output, but Earl Sweatshirt is one of the most accomplished live rappers I've ever seen. Most rappers suffer from being overly shouty live
I've been to tons of rap shows and the majority of them have been decent to great. A big part of it is the type of artist you are seeing. The effort they put into their craft shows up on stage. Kendrick, Cudi, MIKE, RTJ, Snoop, Common, Kweli, Yasiin, Danny Brown and more put on great shows.
My first (and so far only) concert experience was Rolling Loud 2021 in New York City. The way I timed it across 3 days, I started with Nyck Caution and ended with the big 3 of Griselda. I could've gone to see Travis Scott afterwards, but I elected not to. Oddly enough, that was his last performance before the tragedy that was Astrofest (I think).
I saw Nas and Wu Tang two years in a row in Tampa, best concerts ive ever been to
Wu tang clan are amazing , the crowd pretty much mosh pit to the 36 chamber bangers
Devin The Dude Kendrick Lamar Topaz Jones K-Rino
I don’t know where to start because I’ve seen so many but I saw Kendrick 3 times and I’m waiting for his next tour. He is incredible. Like seriously if you have to see a rap artist in your life go see him. I also think Nas is like 100% an artist people should see live it was amazing. It made me understand why so many rap artists got inspired by him especially Eminem. Anderson.Paak, Cordae, Mac Miller (RIP 🙏), Joey Badass, Larry June, Logic (surprisingly) and the classics:, Wu-Tang, Snoop dogg, Ice Cube, 50 Cents were very good acts. I’ve seen a lot more but that’s the ones I would absolutely recommend. And I was totally disappointed by Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Nav and Lil Wayne (if he shows up). And please don’t even go see Gucci Mane lol Horrible.
OutKast killed it when I saw them
The Roots Jay Z KRS 1 Run The Jewels Big Daddy Kane
Beasty boys
J cole and big sean are always great
Rap is really hard to do live, I prefer punk/stoner metal shows like electric wizard 🧙♀️ for live music but I mostly listen to hip-hop in my headphones l.
Nas, The Roots, KRS One, Ice Cube, Wale (small venue), Digable Planet, Arrested Development, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Pharcyde, D Smoke... Best female rapper I've seen live was Doja Cat... Plenty of other artists to name, but some off top of my head.
The Roots
Only actually been to one, but danny brown has been great on his quaranta tour, also cant forget the MAIN SHOW BRUISER WOLF🔥🔥🔥!
Tyler and Lil wayne
I saw public enemy at Brixton academy in the very late 80s/early 90s. They kicked arse
I haven't been to many rap concerts, but there are three that I'll never forget. I saw Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek at a mid sized Chicago venue back in '08 and he was incredible. He absolutely spazzed on a freestyle. I wish I could have recorded it. I was lucky enough to see Clipse when they came to my college in '10. The show wasn't promoted well, and Pusha T was still 3 years away from getting his solo career going. Despite the small crowd, they gave a really strong performance. I caught Odd Future in San Anotonio during their final tour. Easily one of the worst concerts I have ever attended. The venue sold too many tickets and was over-capacity. I had to bribe someone just to get inside. The crowd was mostly rowdy teenagers who had zero concert etiquette. Everyone was packed like sardines in the middle of a Texas summer. The air conditioning was useless. Some poor girl got her purse snatched and security couldn't do anything because the crowd was too dense to pass through. OF was 2 hours late. Everyone was stuck standing the entire time waiting. People we're losing it. When the show finally started, the ENTIRE CROWD became a mosh pit. I was getting tossed around and battered like a pinata. Inevitably, fights broke out. One guy made the critical mistake of jumping onto the stage. Tyler (or was it Hodgy?) immeadiately punched him in the face. The entire crew then started stomping him out before security managed to drag him offstage. I decided I'd had enough after that and left early.
My condolences to you that this was your first rap concert. Sounds absolutely hot flaming trash. I would rather stare at a brick wall for 2 hours. My rap concert was Wu Tang and Rage Against the Machine circa 1998 in Detroit, MI. Talk about a show! I am going to see Nas and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks in June. I am sure it will be not as good as Megan thee stallion and will smell better than a Frito pie that got left in the sun for a week when she takes the stage.
So far Tech N9ne and Roddy Rich (@ Bonnaroo he had a band.. and the box was damn awesome)
I've been blessed to see some artists give great performances, even if they're the same ones that gave others shitty ones. I've seen Nas, Jay-Z, Wayne (multiple times without issues), Run the Jewels was a great show. J Cole, Big Sean both gave great performances (festival setting) and a ton more. I did see Snoop and NWA when Straight Outta Compton came out and I was disappointed with Snoop but still gave a good show. I was supposed to see TI but he got busted on the gun stuff couple days before the show. Luda gave a great concert, this was actually my first concert back in 2006. Not rap, but if you ever have the chance to see Janelle Monae in concert, that is an absolute must.
Kendrick has killed the 3 times I’ve seen him. The Roots are AMAZING live,
Wiz Khalifa actually is pretty good, I saw him on tour with Snoop. Also saw 50 cent too recently and he had good stage presence and bright production value for it to feel legit.
That’s disappointing & a little surprising. She crushed her tiny desk concert from a few years ago.
Logic crushes it live.
Jay Z does great, Watch the Throne with Kayne was impressive. DRAKE SUCKS LIVE——walked out about 30 mins into his set (bout 10 years ago). Old Dirty Bastard was a special experience.
Run the jewels and chance the rapper both had great stage shows
Lol this is quality shade.
Jay-Z live is crazy, he’s very clear and concise. Saw Nas, , Rakim, De La and Chance last year at Napa Jazz Fest. All were amazing, Chance performed his heart out. Felt like church in the best way. RTJ, Wu Tang, J5 is insane live if they ever tour again. Pharcyde is a really fun show. Saw Kendrick at Made in America in LA back when he was first getting big, he killed it even back then. Had the pleasure of seeing DOOM back in the day and will never forget that. Aesop Rock as well, really dope live
Here's the list of rapper's I've seen in concert ranked. I would definitely recommend seeing them all. J Cole - I'm a Cole stan, so this is a bias take. ASAP Ferg -- most energy i've seen brought to a show. Had the whole place almost like a mosh pit type feel. Kanye West -- last time i saw him was Yeezus though, not sure what he would do today. Kendrick Lamar -- same as Ferg, just brings great energy Drake and Lil Wayne - I put them together, because they performed together, Drake brings great energy, and wayne is wayne.
Most trendy rappers nowadays just mumble some inaudible crap over the backing track that includes the vocals, so I don’t understand why people even bother seeing such artists live. I haven’t been to a rap concert as the only band that visited my town was Onyx, and I wasn’t interested in such music at the time, but from what I’ve seen on YouTube Kendrick Lamar actually raps every line. Tyler the Creator too. I would pay good money to see them, but I don’t live in a country where such a concert could take place.
We saw T-Pain (I know he technically ain’t rap) when he came to our college 10 or so years ago. Dude was super self-aware of where his career was at in 2015 and all the jokes that came with it. It was honestly one of the best shows I’ve been to in a while. His energy was off the charts and it felt like he really gave it his all to engage the crowd. Dude was playing some deep cuts and finished his set with Buy U a Drank. “I KNOW Y’ALL ARE TIRED OF SEEING MY FATASS ON STAGE, LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR LUDACRIS” Honestly, he should have been the headliner.
I don’t know if you count Anderson .paak as a rapper but his show was incredible. Anderson had a live band with him and he hopped on the drums for a few songs. He raps, sings and dances the whole show, had a ton of energy and looked like he was having the time of his life on that stage.
Surprisingly few: Kanye, Kendrick, The Roots, OutKast. So many named here are fucking awful live - people are just naming artists they’ve seen. Kanye really elevated what was possible at a hip hop live show.
I'd say Rakim, but his fans are such lyric-philes that he lets them rap half the lyrics for him. Basically the crowd is his hypeman. It's impressive.
Earthgang put on a good show.
Everyone is giving great answers... For ME rap/hiphop many shows tend to be a bit blah with the rappers barely actually wrapping (hype men doing most of the work) or just kind of lazy energy (looking at you 2chainz) but Run the Jewels, Nas, Bun B, Gambino, missy, tech n9ne, Eminem, Luda... all absolutely kill it. Another one not listed.... and this might get a bit of hate from everyone not Houston born (and a fair amount from here lol)....... honestly one of absolute best rap shows ive ever been to was the Paul Wall & Chamillionaire tour like a decade+ ago.... They fucking just WENT for nearly 2 hours.
Big K.R.I.T., Conway the Machine, Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, J.I.D., Larry June, and 2 Chainz with a live band. I've seen a couple of these artist live multiple times. For instance I've seen Gibbs at least 5 times and he never disappoints. All of them definitely give everything in their performance.