YG

There's a restless anticipation in the air. With The Academy nearly bursting at the seams with ardent hip hop fans and eager rap newcomers alike, the atmosphere has an eerie calm before the storm feel to it. Everyone is excited, but they're all too cool to show it. The lights go down, the cheers go up - but maybe a little prematurely as first up is Fat Pimp, tasked with warming up the crowd for the main event. He runs through a setlist of lesser-known rap tunes, and the crowd returns the favour by largely using the time to get drinks and visit the restroom. With Fat Pimp's exit, the buzz returns. Obligatory rap air horns announce the arrival of tonight's idol, Keenon Jackson, aka YG. This time, the cheers aren't out of politeness, but out of genuine thrill as YG bursts straight into "I Just Wanna Party." With the crowd already swaying, YG doesn't hesitate to shout his commands: "Put your m*****f****** hands in the air!" to which those loyal fans dutifully react in compliance. The initial rush dies down mid-way, with YG's ensemble scattered about the stage like kids at a party on too much sugar. There's a gold Chopper on stage too, which YG perches on while churning out "Who Do You Love?" It's a rhetorical question, but he knows that this crowd loves him. As the show draws to a close, the audience leaves just as excited as when they'd arrived. Since his debut "My Krazy Life" set him as a force to be reckoned with, tonight, YG reinforced his status as a hip hop mainstay. His life performance mixes rap cliches (a bit of violence, anyone?) with heartfelt devotionals like "Sorry Momma" to keep everyone on their toes. It's frantic, it's frenetic, but it's hip hop so what did you expect?