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Houston hip-hop legend Scarface’s Alive and Well Farewell Tour made its DC stop last week at a sold-out Howard Theatre to tear down the venue one last time. Performing along side his band Formaldehyde Funk, the night was a celebration of Scarface’s 34-year-long career as well as his appreciation for more time. After some recent serious health scares the 51-year-old rapper announced this would be his final tour, although he’s announced retirement in the past.
NLE Choppa performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on May 16, 2022. (Photo by AJ Waugh)
Memphis’ own NLE Choppa and his No Love Ent crew lit up The Fillmore Silver Spring recently for the DC stop of the NLE tour. The 19-year-old rapper’s charisma oozed throughout the night as Choppa performed most of the songs from his latest EP Me vs. Me — including hits like “Shotta Flow 6,” “Jumpin,” and “Final Warning.”
Maxo Kream accepts a birthday cake from Union Stage on April 2, 2022. (Photo by AJ Waugh)
I think I heard the name Maxo Kream around for at least a year before I ever heard his music, but from the first time I heard “Grannies” in 2017, it connected instantly. I downloaded his Punken project and the Houston storyteller has stayed a constant in my rotation ever since; so I had to be there when I saw Maxo’s Big Persona Tour was making its DC stop recently at Union Stage.
Aminé performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on March 2, 2022. (Photo by AJ Waugh)
Portland powerhouse Aminé’s The Best Tour Ever blew the doors off The Fillmore Silver Spring recently, selling out the venue out even on a Wednesday night. The energy was high from the first moment with opening performances from 454 and Cochise getting the crowd moving. After the openers, curtains were pulled back to reveal the stage and all the pieces of home Amine brought on tour with him, including an 8-foot tall statue of his labradoodle, Oliver.
Fall 2011, I was a sophomore at Virginia State University and 2 Chainz T.R.U REALigion mixtape could be heard blasting out of every dorm room on campus, it was basically the soundtrack for the semester. Flash forward to today and I was instantly transported back in time as 2 Chainz wrapped up the T.R.U REALigion 10th Anniversary tour at packed The Fillmore Silver Spring.
Lil Baby performs at The Anthem on Jan. 23, 2020. (Photo by AJ Waugh)
One dollar bills rained down on the crowd as Lil Baby hit the stage for a sold-out DC crowd recently at The Anthem along with opening act Rod Wave. Baby got the people bouncing from the minute he came out performing the Drake featured “Yes Indeed” followed by other older songs that helped establish him such as “My Dawg” and “Freestyle” while the money fell into the crowd.
Wale performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by AJ Waugh)
Hometown hero Wale was welcomed back by a sold-out crowd for his 10th and final Wale and Friends New Year’s Day show at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Beginning in 2010, Wale started throwing the yearly show as a New Year’s gift for the DMV area while also providing an opportunity to showcase local up and coming talent. This year was no different as the likes Big Flock, Beau Young Prince, and Flex Kartel were just a few of the local stars to grace the stage throughout the night.
A$AP Ferg performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Dec. 14, 2019. (Photo by @Waufflez – wauffleznotwaffles.com)
A$AP Ferg’s Yedi Tour rocked The Fillmore Silver Spring this past weekend in support of his latest EP, Floor Seats. After Murda Beatz warmed up the room with a DJ set, Ferg immediately sent the crowd into a frenzy starting the show off performing the EP’s title track “Floor Seats” before heading into “Coach Cartier,” “Mad Man,” and “The Mattress” from his 2018 album, Still Striving.
Stalley performs at Smith Public Trust on Nov. 19, 2019. (Photo by @Waufflez – wauffleznotwaffles.com)
Stalley’s The Head Trip Tour made its DC stop at Smith Public Trust recently for an intimate show for a room full of long-time fans in support of his latest project, Reflection of Self: The Head Trip. Since his separation from Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group in 2015-16, Stalley has been able to re-establish himself as an independent artist and started to accumulate his own roster of artists, with openers Gerald Walker and Life Dutchie being the first under his own Blue Collar Gang label.
Santan Dave performs at Union Stage on Nov. 17, 2019. (Photo by @Waufflez – wauffleznotwaffles.com)
A sold-out Union Stage crowd had nothing but love for Santan Dave’s first-ever performance in DC on his Psychodrama Tour recently. The multi-faceted rapper, producer, pianist, and actor first started making noise in the United States in 2016 when Drake jumped on his song “Wanna Know” after discovering his music on YouTube. Since receiving the Drake bump, Dave has remained a front runner in the UK rap scene with no plans of falling behind.