Urban Music Enthusiast

Big As The What, Concert Review

One chilly Saturday in February, we crammed our stuff into the car and set out on the fastest road trip ever. Our goal? To catch the most amazing rap show we’d ever seen. The whole journey took a solid 24 hours—including four hours driving from Washington DC to Pittsburgh and back. We scored tickets to the second show of Big As The What Tour, and it was better than we could’ve ever imagined.

I have been to countless Rap concerts in my adulthood, including Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Meek Mill, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Rick Ross, Jeezy, and Latto. But up until this tour, Drake and J. Cole had eluded me. So, the excitement was sky-high.

And though J. Cole has not released new music recently, Drake’s most recent 2 albums are some of my favorites in his catalog, and you can find my thoughts on his newest album at the link below.

Of note, Drake recently ended a nationwide tour, 2 months before the start of Big As The What, titled It Was All A Blur with 21 Savage. 

2 weeks before the start date of the tour, and the week immediately following the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, Drake announced that Lil Durk would also be joining them on tour. 

This news arrived days after Lil Durk won his very first Grammy for ‘All My Life’, feat J. Cole. 

Combining the leaders of the Old School of Rap with a New School forerunner feels like the best of both worlds and only maximized my excitement. 

This was my fourth time seeing Lil Durk in concert, and it was hands down his best performance to date. His engagement with the crowd has significantly improved, and his energy throughout his entire almost 30-minute set was calm but steady. The Chicago native, and Grammy Award winner, has grown immensely as an artist and you could see he’s come a long way as a performer during his segment. 

Drake kept the energy consistently high,  for the entire show and J. Cole brought the same intensity in both solo and joint appearances. 

Drake has so many number 1 hits, that he could go on two world tours annually, do a completely different song set list for each tour, and have the audience be as equally enthused at both shows. Anyhow, the artist performed hits from Thank Me Later, all the way up to his most recently released For All The Dogs, Scary Hours Edition-spanning 14 years of music. 

The stage props were also unforgettable—there was a giant model of Virgin Abloh holding a paper plane in the rear, a huge Travis Scott head roaming around during ‘Sicko Mode,’  and yeah—a giant bra and floating… um, sperm during ‘Childs Play’. Spiderman even popped up while Drake and J. Cole did ‘First Person Shooter.’  And when Drake performed ‘Work,’ his song with Rihanna, a Shark circled the stage, a nod to one of their rumored dates at an aquarium in Toronto leading to matching Shark tattoos (which Rihanna later had removed).

Drake and J. Cole are both in their late 30s, but their energy and rapport with the audience transcend that of performers half their age. It’s a testament to their physical health, catalog, and continued connection with their ever-growing fan base. 

They both possess performance skills honed over more than a decade, resulting in exceptional stage presence, infectious enthusiasm, and masterful vocal control.

Drake specifically is a natural performer and commands authority of the stage and audience in a way I have never seen another rapper,  while also still appearing to be enjoying himself. 

All of this was done, without an entourage on stage or substances in hand to keep him invigorated.  

There was no shortage of hits during J. Cole’s set either. The rapper performed ‘Power Trip’, ‘A Lot’, ‘Love Yourz’, ‘The Secret Recipe’, ‘No Role Models’, and ‘In The Morning’. During ‘In The Morning’, Drake returned to the stage and performed with him, immediately before they shifted into ‘First Person Shooter’ and the Spiderman appearance. 

The energy on stage was electric, and the various flashing neon lights, smoke, and fire effects only intensified that electricity. 

Concert highlights include Drake’s performance of ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ with Durk along with Drake’s performance of ‘First Person Shooter’ with J. Cole.

Also, during our concert, Drake gave $25,000 to a Single Mother, which was very gracious.

Drake has a history of giving money to fans at previous concerts, the night before he gave a woman holding a sign ‘Ur music carried me through Cancer’ $50,000 and the week prior gave a fan in Nashville who just finished Chemotherapy, $100,000.

Even though the rapper is wealthier than most, these monetary acts of kindness, are not customary at any concert, especially back-to-back. 

For this, as a firm believer in reciprocity of energy, I believe he will be rewarded in this life and the next. 

‘I’m just tryna stay alive and take care of my people. And they don’t have no awards for that.’-Drake, Trophies

The silver lining was witnessing two living Rap legends, still in their prime sharing the stage. There have been many collaborative tours, between Hip-Hop artists over the years, but none that displayed the talents of 2 of the top 3 rated artists. There is very little footage of Biggie and 2 Pac sharing the stage before their differences and passing, and unfortunately, Nas and Jay Z never collaborated in their prime, before Black Republican in 2006. All five of their collaborations occurred, after reconciliation in 2005. 

This will be the first time in my adulthood that two rappers of this caliber, share the tour stage, and as a long-time fan of Hip-Hop, I was undeniably elated for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Especially after recently celebrating Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary in 2023.

Drake and J. Cole touring together after more than a decade of domination in the rap world is a testament to their consistency and authenticity. The exhibition of their Brotherhood on stage was also beautiful to witness, with shared compliments and many embraces, especially in a genre that historically thrives off ‘beef’ among colleagues.

‘This watch came from Drizzy, he gave me a gift. Back when the rap game was prayin I’d diss, They act like two legends cannot exist. But I’d never beef with a N*gga for nothin.’-J. Cole, Middle Child

Rap concerts tend to be more chaotic and less organized than other live performances, but this concert was neither. This concert was undeniably the most timely, organized, and seamless Rap concert I’ve ever attended, and the energy on stage and in the audience was consistently high for the entire duration.

Big thanks to Aubrey Graham for a concert I’ll never forget. I won’t be missing any more shows, especially the ones that are just a short drive away 😂

Easy Listening, The Urban Music Enthusiast

Link to previous Drake album review below

https://urbanmusicenthusiast.blog/2023/11/18/drake-for-all-the-dogs-album-review/