Photo Credit: Shane Lopes
From the window to the wall, The Wiltern is filled to capacity with concert goes attending Red Bull’s second-to-last #30DaysInLA concert, featuring YG. Throughout the venue, people are cramped like sardines in between unrealistic constraints outlined by aggressive flashlights from event security and haphazard masking tape, zoning off any hopes of having uninvaded personal space. The spirit in the air is anxious, and tangible excitement buzzes through the crowd. DJ Vision exacerbates the situation with nothing but hype, egging the crowd on with Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” and Lady M.A’s “Oooouuu.” His setup resides on an elevated platform overlooking the heads of the people, seeming much like Humpty Dumpty figure. A huge LED wall displays DJ VISION in jarring red letters. Simple yet effective publicity.
Lights go out. A recording of a news report begins; it’s actual news coverage of the rapper’s shooting incident. The reporter outlines the details surrounding the rapper’s run in with bullets from unknown assailants. Red and blue lights shine bright on the jumbotron-sized LED wall. YG is wheeled onstage laying on a stretcher and positioned facing the crowd performing the opening song of the night, “Who Shot Me”. Sporting black ‘locs, a red flannel and the skinniest of black jeans, YG resurrects himself from the stretcher to perform “BPT” which is a derivative of “CPT,” which represents Compton, the city from which the rapper hails.
The visuals behind YG are the perfect ode and compliment to street life and gang bangin’. A loop of a 40oz being poured out in a continuous stream is just one of the illustrations depicted among the high quality CGI and B roll footage recordings that seems to also feature friends of his. With every burst of light from the stage one can see about 20 others, presumably friends and family watching the performance from backstage. Friendship, loyalty and togetherness seem to make up the underlying spirit behind the support he receives from those closest to him.
“Make some noise if you came here with your ‘Real Friends’!”
In a previous interview, YG mentions that it may have been some of his so-called friends that were the antagonists in the story of his shooting, thus, perhaps being the reason he takes the time to express a sincere respect for and the importance of genuine friendships. There could not have been a better segue into “My Nigga”, a 3 minute and 59 second display of fervent loyalty and down-ness for “day ones.” 10 individuals burst from backstage in celebratory fashion, hyped up, jumping and spraying water on the crowd, blood walking, smiling, laughing and enjoying the moment.
Meanwhile the jumbotron displays footage of women in G-strings tantalizingly shaking their “jelly” while other clips show a close up of hands making gang signs. Pulling from what seems to be a nod to Apple’s iPod Silhouette campaign, most, if not all of his featured humans’ forms are overlaid in a red filter further reiterating YG’s allegiance to the ideology of his neighborhood. As of the release of his latest album, red appears to be the new black. Playing on the holiday season’s Black Friday, YG’s latest “leaked” project is rightfully titled “Red Friday.” Although equipped with a full 16 tracks of new music, YG opts to play earlier songs like “Toot it and Boot it”, his very first single release and the crowd goes “Gorillas”! A slew of tracks from his project “My Krazy Life” like “Really Be” and “Who Do You Love” are in the line-up as well.
On “Twist my Fingaz,” his hypeman encourages him while the rapper does a quick blood walk on stage. YG holds an impromptu intermission, with impeccable crowd interaction calling for “ass shaking” from the ladies and “grab assing” from the fellas as his prelude to Ying Yang Twins’ “Get Low”; with the assurance of a check on payday, the crowd, instinctively, again, goes “GORILLAS.” While the hype from the Twins’ still sizzles, YG performs “Left, Right”, an homage of sorts celebrating feminine anatomy. Images of women similar to an XXL magazine spread grace the backdrop on the LED screen wall. And as if flaunting beautiful woman isn’t enough, RJ, another Los Angeles rapper makes a special guest appearance stuntin’ on anyone who lacks financial confidence and stability with “Richer Than You”.
“This is LA right? Then its only right that I take y’all to Bompton!”
A video reel of bright blue skies and a continuous line of palm trees loops in the background which serves as the backdrop to “Bicken Back Being Bool.” The imagery changes to black men standing in a police lineup holding placards with their inmate numbers on them and wearing t-shirts that read “Police Get Away With Murder.”A staunch look at politics’ effects on popular culture, namely Keenon’s music.
YG then asks the crowd what they would do if they saw Trump. Those same individuals are invited on stage, as YG completes his roster of participants and hands them all large wooden planks, then giving them a set of rules:
“Bring him out so they can meet him.” Cue an effigy of Donald Trump dropped on stage. You can only imagine what happens next, as paper mache flew everywhere.
On comes the politically fueled exhortation about why Trump “ain’t the answer,” “FDT,” also known as “Fuck Donald Trump.” G-Easy comes onstage mid-song in a late set surprise, before YG drops the mic and exits stage left.
Setlist:
Who Shot Me?
BPT
I Just Wanna Party
My Nigga
Toot It and Boot It
Really be
Don’t Tell Em
Who Do You Love?
Why You Always Hatin?
FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)
Tasha the Amazon
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