Wow. I’m speechless. I have just returned from the sold out XXXTENTACION show at The NOVO in Los Angeles, and all I can say is … wow. I’ve honestly never seen anything like this. From someone who goes to concerts more than the average, this was an experience I will never forget.
If you follow XXX at all, you’d probably know him more for his obscene outbursts and unnecessary turmoil in the rap game. First and foremost, he called out and accused Drake of biting his style. Sources who have worked with him directly have told me he’s actually crazy in the head. Given his actions, it’s hard to be surprised by such claims.
Before I proceed, I have to give a disclaimer. XXXTENTACION is actually really talented. One listen to his Revenge mixtape should make you notice that XXX isn’t just a rapper. He goes beyond a single genre, touching on trap, pop, rock, and whatever else he’s inspired by at the time. As I walked into the show with his publicist (shout out Aishah), she shared a time when they were in the studio together and he sang her a record a cappella. Moral of the story: homeboy can sing.
But for this particular show, there was no real singing. Instead, it was a straight hour of “turn up and lose your FUCKING MIND.” In preparation for the circus I was set to enter, I watched viral clips of him on the internet, including one where he leads a chant of “fuck the KKK.”
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Being in the photo pit was the worst decision of my life. I mean, obviously, I had a choice. But I wanted to get the best footage. Being on the floor was the game changer — hands down. The craziest part is, although I was terrified for my life, the kids raging next to me were having the best night of theirs. Go figure.
After his first song, which was a slower joint off Revenge, he lets the sold out venue know that L.A. was the best crowd yet. He actually graces the stage fully clothed, but soon the only thing left on his body were boxers and some basketballs shorts. Those things were resting right underneath his gluteus maximus, and it still baffles me how they stayed on the majority of the show. Where the hell did his shoes go?
I got kicked out of the photo pit a whopping one song in for my own safety. (We usually get three songs, FYI.) I’ve never seen so much security in a photo pit, either. It was all hands on deck for regulating the crowd and making sure no one was hurt. It was so crazy. For the second song, XXX brings out his good friend Ski Mask The Slump God for “Take A Step Back.” Yeezus! The bass was so loud, you could feel it through your entire body.
These guys were NOT playing. They kept screaming at the crowd telling everybody to “get the fuck down.” Like, you didn’t have a choice. Peer pressure aside, you either got down or got yelled at. XXX was going in on anyone standing up. His aggression was the scariest part. Don’t know how many times he was yelling into that microphone like he was going to kill someone. They played “RIP Roach” before the first stage dive of the night.
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This was only the beginning. Who does this? Being so close to the stage, I heard everything. Fans were screaming their heads off, including many “Fuck Rob $tone” bursts. Sad. I actually was at the Desiigner show when Rob $tone and his squad jumped Ski Mask on stage. XXX, of course, inserted himself into the beef.. Most recently, he threatened A$AP Lotto in the DMs over a beat. XXX stays with the threats.
The reason I say don’t bring your kids to this show is pretty obvious. Check out of this clip of him hanging off the balcony, literally giving a fuck less about the rules security had implemented. If it wasn’t for that one guy holding him back, he almost definitely would have jumped. All this while chanting “Suicide Pit.” Gulp. I guess to me, the word “suicide” should never be glorified.
“Look At Me!” is definitely his biggest song to date, and he brought out his entire squad (Ski Mask, Lil Pump, Yung Gleesh, etc.). This performance wasn’t all that smooth, either.
The thing was, XXX was extremely disappointed with how turnt the crowd was at this point. Although enthusiasm was through the roof, he literally told them if someone didn’t break a leg, he didn’t do his job. Smh.
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Even after take two of the hit single, XXX still wasn’t pleased. He proceeded to stop the show for 10 minutes while everybody got it together. We had one more shot (well, the kids did). At this point, I made the conscious decision of moving and observing from the back. It was for my own well-being. After performing “Gospel,” his track with Rich Chigga (which undeniably slaps), the crowd got even rowdier. Two girls even decided to sit on top of shoulders and take off their tops. Titties. Were. Out.
So, how was your Tuesday?
