G-Easy at the Midland, 1/12/16
Walking up to the massive crowd lined up for the G-Easy show on Tuesday night, my mind was blown. He had sold out the 3,000 capacity Midland Theater, in Kansas City, months in advance. The crowd was mostly young white kids, between the ages of 13 and 19. It was like a teen riot outside the Midland.
I went to college with G-Easy, at Loyola University New Orleans. His fashion sense was always over the top and he had a vision for himself even back then. I hadn’t seen G-Easy live in at least eight years. The Oakland-based rapper has improved greatly since his NOLA days.
It seems like the mainstream has really caught up to G-Easy. His rapping was strong and on-point all night and the beats were fresh and lush. Backed by a drummer and a DJ, he rapped with confidence and ability throughout his show. His stage set up had a very NOLA vibe. The Saint bar scene was a nice shout out to the CBD dive bar. It was like some amped up version of NOLA run through the G-Easy filter.
G-Easy at the Midland, 1/12/16
Over the years, G-Easy has stayed focused on his vision of grinding hard and moving towards success. His party-centric music seems true to who he is as a person. His music feels like a natural extension of himself and he’s not trying to be a poser. Maybe that’s why he does so well with younger rap fans. He held the crowd’s attention during his 1 hour and 40 minute set. As local music critic Bill Brownlee put it in his review of the show, “The immediately accessible music is ideal for party-minded young adults who have outgrown the output of boy bands but aren’t yet prepared to embrace more challenging sounds.”
His style of rap might not be for everyone, but it’s great to see someone be successful and do what they love. You can hate all you want, but no one can argue with a sold out tour. Tech N9ne even joined him onstage in KC. That is some serious business. G-Easy is doing something right and knows his market. It’s amazing to see him go from the basement of the student center at Loyola to selling out a venue that holds 3,000 people in Kansas City. Never give up on your dreams and keep pushing forward. G-Easy knew that a long time ago.
G-Easy crowd at the Midland, 1/12/16
Tags: 2016, G-Easy, Hip hop, Midland Theater, Oakland, Rap, sold out
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