Pusha T at The Fillmore Philly | photo by Sean Henry | @concertcrewpodcast | courtesy of the artist
Pusha T gives philly a dose of DAYTONA
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After dropping his critically acclaimed third album DAYTONA and coming out with a win after engaging in lyrical battle with the biggest rap star on the planet, Drake, it’s safe to say that hip hop veteran Pusha T is having a phenomenal year in 2018.
Since the end of July, the Virginia native has been taking his talents to different cities across the country even across the border in the city of his nemesis, giving his fans a sample of what DAYTONA and performing his cult classic kingpin anthems. Last Friday at The Fillmore, Philadelphia, a city that Pusha T claims was the first to embrace him and his brother No Malice’s hip hop duo the Clipse, got a chance to be served a dose of what Pusha T calls rap album of the year.
The first opening act for the show was a young rapper from Tifton, Georgia named Bernard Jabs. He wasn’t great at interacting with the crowd during his set, but considering that this was his first tour and first time performing in Philadelphia, the crowd seemed understanding and continued to rock out with him — especially when he performed his song “Super Saiyan.”
The second opening act was a music group from Brooklyn called Phony Ppl, comprised of vocalist Elbee Thrie, guitarist Elijah Rawk, drummer Matt “Maffyuu” Byas, keyboardist Aja Grant, and bassist Bari Bass. If you’re a fan of musicianship and saw these guys perform last Friday, then you may have left thinking that Phony Ppl stole the show. Watching each musician get a chance to show their abilities on their instrument was like watching titans have a jam session on Mt. Olympus. Whether they played their own cuts “Cookie Crumble,” “Move Her Mind,” “Why iii Love the Moon,” “Before You Get a Boyfriend” or covering classics like “You Rock My World,” “Do You Remember The Time,” and “So Fresh So Clean,” Phony Ppl had Philly vibing out with them.
Finally it was time for the headliner to make his presence known on stage. The crowd chanted King Push’s name before he spit the first verse of “If You Know,” and once the beat dropped, the crowd went wild. The thing about Pusha T is that he isn’t animated like, say, a Busta Rhymes. He doesn’t come with a band to back him up during his performance, either. All he had at his disposal was a microphone and a DJ, and for a lyrical assassin like him, sometimes that’s all you need, along some flashing lights that highlight the D’Evil soul in a trapper turned rapper’s verse.
Pusha T entertained with his hard hitting bars and D Boy hymns like “The Games We Play,” “Numbers On the Boards, “Come Back Baby”, “Nosetalgia” and “M.F.T.R.” The soul crushing lines from “New God Flow” and “Infrared” Pusha T had the city of Brotherly love boppin their heads and reciting dope dealing lyrics all night long. If the rap game is indeed like the crack game, then the Super Fly known as Pusha T had The Fillmore filled with hip hop fiends who came to be served DAYTONA.