By Nadir Roberts
Reviews Editor
Energized and ready for a two-hour adlib extravaganza, many packed into the Student Recreation Center ready to count the “M’s” in their bank accounts and rap about the no longer endangered, but still vulnerable panda. 2016 XXL Freshmen 21 Savage and Desiigner took to the stage for the College Union Board’s Spring Concert on Tuesday, April 3.
Trying to see where his true fans were, 21 Savage played “Dip Dip” from his 2015 mixtape “Slaughter King,” then his 2015 single from his “Free Guwop” mixtape, “Red Opps.”
Through the many waves of pushing and falling concertgoers, the crowd managed to stay hydrated thanks to the generous amount of water bottles being tossed to the crowd, but not comparable to Fall Concert guest Lil Yachty, who supplied a boatload.
The crowd did not need a mosh pit to go into “Savage Mode” when the Slaughter King said “Ain't no loyalty, these niggas all for self, all these fuckin' stripes, I shoulda been a ref.”
Savage electrified the crowd by performing a variety of songs, not only from his discography, but also some tracks on which he is featured. He rapped over his verses in “Rockstar,” “Gucci On My” and “Sneakin.”
His set included other hit songs like “Ghostface Killers” and “My Choppa Hate Niggas” off of “Without Warning,” a collaborative album with fellow Atlanta rapper Offset. The appropriately titled surprise collaborative album from 2017 kept the energy going.
Reading his audience properly, Savage began to play “Bartier Cardi,” instantly getting female fans in the function jumping.
Next, the crowd took out their shared anger on their failed previous relationships by screaming along to “X,” a 2016 single that features Metro Boomin and Future from the album “Savage Mode.”
“I’m just stuntin’ on my ex bitch,” the crowd sang out.
Finally, ending on the highest cloud, fans heard the iconic guitar riff to Savage’s “Bank Account” from his 2017 debut album, “Issa Album,” and went berserk. The crowd started jumping as he let the audience sing along and yell out the catchy chorus, “I got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight M’s in my bank account.”
To many people’s surprise and ultimately their disappointment, Savage finished his set a half hour early, closing up around 10:30 p.m.
Desiigner, a Brooklyn native, got the crowd ready for 21 Savage with an introduction that did not disappoint.
“New Jersey, make some motherfucking noise!” Desiigner shouted at the crowd.
Immediately the audience’s screams in response rang through the Recreation Center.
As seen on television, Desiigner’s energy was unmatched and sky-high, making him a great opening act. His performance made 21 Savage’s laid-back style seem much less overwhelming in comparison, but both still were genuine.
Desiigner amped up the crowd as much as possible, even taking off his shirt at one point. The fog machines made the crowd peruse the stage trying to find the jubilant rapper. Coming into the light, he would occasionally stand on the speakers and lean into the crowd, getting up close and personal.
The rapper soon began to crowd surf through the pool of students amassed in the Recreation Center. The front of the crowd was used as a floating device as he dapped up students and blurted out an insane number of his iconic adlibs. “GIT, GIT, GIT” and “GRRRAAHHHH” were heard throughout his whole set.
Once he got back from the crowd, he let the crowd come to him. A few lucky people were able to dance, take Snapchats and run across stage before he started to play his 2017 single “Up.”
As he neared the end of his set, Desiigner said, “Everybody put your middle finger in the air!”
Then he proceeded to hype up the crowd by playing the two songs that placed him in the hip hop scene back to back.
He started with “Timmy Turner,” the 2016 hit that Desiigner first shared in his 2016 XXL freshman freestyle.
His 2015 super hit “Panda” — the debut that put the 20-year-old on the map — ended his time on stage perfectly and made the crowd ready to see the Slaughter King himself.
Speculation rose after the sudden drop of “Timmy Turner” whether or not Desiigner showcased some new music at the concert and gave fans a sneak peek at his material still in the works.
The rapper is planning to release one album, and one mixtape, leaving fans waiting for his debut album “Life of Desiigner” and a follow-up mixtape, “New English 2.”
When asked “Before I bring 21 Savage out, y’all gonna get turnt as fuck right?,” the audience wasted no time in screaming out their response, “Yes!”
21 Savage’s performance was a little different and somewhat rogue. He didn’t have an entourage or any of the Slaughter Gang accompanying him. He simply had one other homie with him on stage throughout the night.
“If y’all had a good time, Imma need y'all to scream 21,” the rapper said and counted down. “One, two, three!”
The crowd repeatedly shouted out “21,” as the rapper thanked the College for having him and complimented us on how “lit” the crowd was.
