By the time Atlanta rapper Lil Baby began his performance on Thursday night, thousands of people were still vying for a seat near the Bud Light Seltzer stage, with some of them having waited since the gates opened almost 10 hours earlier.
Fans cheered Baby on as he strutted across the stage, jewels glistening on his neck and wrists through the fog and fireworks as they leaped, danced, blew smoke, and screamed each bar back at him word-for-word.
Lil Baby then launched into a hit parade of some of his best tunes and features, delivering verses for songs like “Pure Cocaine,” “On Me,” “We Paid,” and others.
The constant barrage of singles amounted to a quick overview of the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning artist’s rapid ascent over the course of his brief five-year career.
Lil Baby took the stage in front of two enormous set pieces that resembled businesses in a neighborhood, with the exception of backup dancers who occasionally joined him onstage for a few songs.
His DJ, DJ Champ, joined him as well. DJ Champ carefully observed Baby’s nonverbal cues and body language to gauge the tone of the upcoming song or when to play a Kendrick Lamar or Meek Mill song to keep the crowd energized so that the rapper could take a brief break during his over an hour-long set.
The song “Drip Too Hard” from his 2018 mixtape “Drip Harder,” featuring fellow Georgia rapper Gunna, was another highlight of the performance. Following the conclusion of his verse, Lil Baby proceeded to rap Gunna’s as a sort of tribute to his pal, who is presently in jail and will go on trial in January.
Baby asked the crowd to turn up briefly as his DJ dropped a few bars of “pushin P,” Gunna and Young Thug’s song with Future. Both artists are currently in prison. Baby also made references to Young Thug.
Following his 2019 Grant Park debut, Lil Baby returned to Lollapalooza on an off day while on a roughly 30-date U.S. tour with troubled pop star Chris Brown.
Baby’s career decision to tour with a performer who has been accused of domestic violence repeatedly over the years is disappointing given the rise in popularity he has had in the three years since his initial Lollapalooza performance.
The palpable excitement among the thousands of fans gathered inside to watch him on Thursday night made it clear.
His skill on the microphone remained the highlight of his performance despite the music, stage effects, and yelling supporters. Although the dynamics of his discography as a whole don’t vary all that much, Baby stands out in the overall auditory environment of hip hop and popular music.
He stands out from his contemporaries thanks to his distinctive raspy vocals, which are tinged with a little Southern accent, and the cadence of his rhymes.