Bas
16th October 2019
Neck Of The Woods, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and photography by Sarah Kidd.
Founded by none other than J. Cole himself, Dreamville Records is home to a number of exciting artists; lucky little Auckland getting to play host to not only last night’s Milk Down Under tour but two more label artists in the form of Earthgang and Cozz in early December.
Former member of the Charlotte hip-hop collective Forever FC, Lute may have been a late addition to the bill, but he was a very much welcomed one, fans crowding up against the barrier well before he arrived on stage. Ensuring that people were kept appropriately entertained DJ Nitrane on his first ever tour set about dropping some tracks from Earthgang and Cozz, ‘Zendaya’ and ‘Artificial’ keeping the vibes on high.
Looking rather chill Lute arrived and immediately laid down ‘Morning Shift’ from his seminal album West 1996 Pt. 2, confessing immediately afterwards that the reason for his lazy-smile demeanour was due to being rather inebriated, a fact that both artist and crowd took in their stride.
His confession is part and parcel of who Lute is as an artist, as has been noted by several critics; where most young rappers conform to the habit of stunting, preferring to both speak and rap about their future rather than their past, Lute instead bared all on the follow-up to his 2012 mixtape West 1996. Faced with the responsibility of providing for his own family, and despite a solid local following, if it wasn’t for the Dreamville deal New Zealand may never have had the chance to witness Lute in the flesh. Which would have been a travesty, for Lute makes an impression live with perfectly crafted lyricism delivered with a style that is soulful with an earthy undertone, Lute easily connects with his fans.
He isn’t afraid to show his humorous side either as he demonstrated following ‘Juggin’ by playing russian roulette with DJ Nitrane and allowing him to choose the next track, fans treated to a version of ‘Ambition’ that never made the album cut.
‘Side B’, ‘Queen City Slummin’ and ‘G.E.D’ all kept the audience hanging on his every word, those that knew his work proudly rapping along with him. Handed a USB containing a fans beats, Lute playfully teased the offeree before promising to go backstage and check them out, which no doubt made someone’s night; Lutes’ message of never giving up on your dreams and investing as much time in yourself as you do the job that pays your bills following his double header closer of ‘Still Slummin’ and ‘Under the Sun’ hitting home with more than a few in the crowd.
Filling the gap between sets, fans once again were serenaded with the best of the best, ‘Fall’ from Davido sliding into a little more Earthgang and of course ‘Lambotruck’; ‘The London’ from Young Thug raising the anticipation levels.
Hitting the ground running Bas got the venue jumping with his latest collaboration with A$AP Ferg, ‘Boca Ratan’ an impeccable choice to kick off his set. Accompanied by both DJ Nitrane, the divine Justin Jackson on keys and backing vocals and some exemplary lighting, Bas was hands down going to make it a night Auckland wouldn’t soon forget. Continuing with material from his latest album, last year’s Milky Way, the rapper from Queens smashed out ‘Front Desk’ which was an instant crowd favourite, ‘Purge’ following close behind.
There isn’t a fan alive who doesn’t know the story behind the infamous track ‘Barack Obama Special’ (check out the sublime tiny desk version here), Bas however still asking all who were present if he could take a moment to tell them the story behind it; his new neighbour Peggy one who thankfully refrains from making racist comments.
Renowned for being a technically proficient rapper, Bas is impressive live; despite bouncing across the stage, he never drops a syllable, his words clearly defined as they fall from his lips with ease. Pointing out t-shirts in the audience, Bas much like Lute connects with his followers, his infectious smile and vibrancy hard to ignore. Bas read the crowd like a book, dropping ‘Clouds Never Get Old’, ‘Methylone’ and the insanely popular ‘Housewives’ in a triple header that took the night to another level; stripping off his jacket part way through, his Fiends t shirt almost got a round of applause all of its own.
At no point for the rest of his set did his energy wane, the fans feeding off it and giving Bas their all; one lucky – if somewhat nervous – fan accepting the invitation of Bas to rap with him on stage, Bas showing him genuine appreciation as he acknowledged that it is not an easy thing to do. With Jackson providing the icing on the cake in the form of his accompaniment that left the sweet taste of summer lingering on the tongue and such an intimate venue providing fans with an experience quite like any other, it was no wonder there were enthusiastic demands for an encore, Bas rewarding all with a version of ‘Tribe’ that everyone could get in behind.
Already at the top of his game, keep a close eye on Bas and Lute both, for they are only just getting started.
Were you there at Neck of The Woods to peep this hip hop and rap showcase? Or have you seen Bas perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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