The rain was coming down hard on San Francisco last night, but that didn’t stop concertgoers from braving the long lines to get into the sold-out A$AP Rocky show at the Bill Graham Civic. And although the line to get in looked miserable (wet people desperately holding on to broken umbrellas) what was waiting for them inside made it all worth it.
After a quick set from young up and comer Smooky Margiella, (who at just 15 years old is slowly making a name for himself in the rap game) A$AP stormed onto the stage wearing vintage Nike Air Jordans, flame-themed themed sweatpants and a Halloween inspired Mike Meyers looking mask. The popular rapper had recently headlined the Treasure Island Music Festival last year so needed to come out with a bang this time around, and boy did he come through.
One of the founders of the notorious A$AP mob kicked things off with his now classic “A$AP Forever.” Spittin’ rhymes effortlessly while jumping around the stage like a circus performer was no challenge for the 30-year-old who, without skipping a beat, jumped into “Buck Shots,” right before bringing the entire house down with “Praise the Lord.”
The stage was grandiose for this venue, complete with a happy face decorated catwalk and three giant race cars suspended in mid-air. For those wondering why the cars were up, the answer came about halfway into the set, when ASAP appeared like some kind of rap deity in mid-air on the hood of one of the vehicles to perform a series of hit songs.
Everything was touched upon last night. Bangers like “Lamborghini High,” as well as “Babushka,” which had all in the audience waving their yellow bandanas high, and the mega-hit “No Limit,” left nothing to be desired. Things slowed down temporarily for “LSD,” which saw A$AP sprawled down on the stage singing along with all his fans. The rapper welcomed the sincere gesture as he professed, “My voice is kinds
The night was lit from start to finish marking another win for the notorious A$AP Mob. The rap clan that’s given birth to so many groundbreaking lyricists is going stronger than ever, years after overcoming the tragic loss of their founder A$AP Yams.
Photos by Louis Raphael
