Before we knew it, Round 2 was over and we were delivered another segue of the warrior’s animated storyline. He let the beat build as he stalked the stage to “Show Me a Good Time.” He allowed the slaughterhouse rhymes of “Over” to shake the place like bombshells, leaving everyone slightly hoarse with their hands in the air. He sang “Crew Love” and led the audience like a choir director.
Whereas Wayne packed tons of tracks into his sets, Drake chose to make the most of his time with major hits played in long form. Carter,” every finger lifted for “Sky’s the Limit,” and Wayne danced with the confidence of a five-year old to his verse on “Swag Surf.” Seemingly every voice in the sold-out amphitheater was lifted for “Mr. Round 2 began with Lil Wayne choosing tracks that he considered to be classics and that proved his development as an artist, and label boss. Wayne good-naturedly made several “Degrassi” jokes, while Drake looked on with charming laughter. He went right into “The Language,” nodding approvingly to fans who were indeed “talking my language.” There was a great deal of chatter back and forth between the two as they “roasted” each other and showed love to the Colorado crowd. Not only was Drake competing against Lil Wayne but on “We Made It,” he had to compete with the crowd screaming his lyrics so loud at one point that he took a step back in awe. 1 pick and chosen by the best: Young Money Records boss Lil Wayne.
Drake, dressed in all-white with artful tears in his pants, a gold chain around his neck and a fierce look in his eyes, opened with “Draft Day.” Though he most definitely came to compete, October’s Very Own was making it clear he’s the No. When it became apparent the two Young Money stars would go back and forth on stage, the excitement in the crowd hit critical mass. The New Orleans native removed all doubt of his live emcee skills as he pounded through “We Be Steady Mobbin” before giving a charmingly polite “thank you” as he exited the stage.Īt this point, we didn’t know what to expect in terms of the set-list. It was riveting.ĭreadlocks flying, he bounced back and forth with so much vigor it was hard to believe he could keep it up for the duration of the show. Wearing blood red Jordans and all-black attire, Weezy was flanked by two guitarists (the bass player was positively shredding his notes,) as he moved right into “John” with incredible breath control, rehearsed moves and succinct flailing moments of rhythm. Smoke filtered from the stage high into the heavens as Lil Wayne opened with “Blunt Blowin,” impressively matching the crowd’s uproarious energy. The app allowed for the audience to choose who went first and as the lights went down. The gaming-esque storyline began with two warriors: one of brute and brash strength (Weezy) and the other, Drake, light on his feet, cautiously confident and built with tenacious mental ability. The lights went down and Capcom-designed graphics of both Wayne and Drake leered over a two-tiered stage set-up. The tour introduced an interactive mobile app that put the set list into the crowd’s hands. Lil Wayne tour touched down at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in a hail of fire, pyrotechnics and classic rhymes for what could easily be considered the best Colorado hip-hop concert of the year. There’s the obvious competition, respect for each other’s talent and dubious public joshing - not to mention the fact that while they’re on the same team, audiences love each equally but for totally different reasons. Lil Wayne and Drake are the rap game’s equivalent to President Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden. PHOTOS: Drake and Lil Wayne Red Rocks Amphitheatre (review) – The Denver Post