On October 5, Chelsea’s Live hosted an event in collaboration with Utopia, The Agency, featuring Curren$y as the headliner. While the lineup was for the most part unrecognizable, with artists like _TheSmoothCat & The 9th Life, Wakai, Sleazy EZ, Juu and Ole Man Stogie, they beyond exceeded any expectations I may have had going in.
When I arrived, Sleazy EZ had just started, her style was similar to r&b singer Ambré, and the nature of her songs revealed that she is, in fact, a bit sleazy. Her lyrics were deeply personal, discussing love and the trials and tribulations that accompany it- most of which she inadvertently admitted to causing on her own. In between songs she’d crack jokes about herself or the audience, creating a vibrant stage presence that made it feel less like being at a concert, and more like being on a Facetime call with a close friend.
The next performer was Wakai, who besides Curren$y and (dj/producer) Spinelli, was one of two names I initially recognized on the lineup. I’ve attended a few of his previous shows in New Orleans, but Wakai is a Baton Rouge native who performs quite a bit in the area. For his set he brought up a variety of other local artists including saxophone player Zane, bassist Seven, guitarist Dru, singer Noa Jamir, and Col-Der-Sac collective member, Dounӧ.
Zane started things off, but was soon accompanied by the other artists and their instruments. I was under the impression that this was a jazz band until the group started layering sounds over popular tracks remixed by Spinelli. The pace picked up even further when Wakai joined to rap over the beat, occasionally accompanied by vocals from Noa Jamir and Dounӧ. The amount of collaboration in this set lended itself to the amount of engagement from the audience, making it an unconventional and mesmerizing performance.
Following Wakai was _TheSmoothCat & The 9th Life, who absolutely blew me away. While I’d made the decision to cover this event solely because of Curren$y, I was obsessed with this group the minute they began. Their combination of smooth instrumentals and experimental rap was beyond impressive, and I’ve been scouring _TheSmoothCat’s Spotify since their performance on Saturday hoping to find some of what I had the privilege of witnessing live. This group was composed of bass, drums, vocals, and a synth-heavy keyboard- which in this case was all they needed to create a sound that was truly unique.
Curren$y was set to come on next, and every song played in anticipation for his arrival brought the audience closer to the stage. The band joined first, followed by an entourage of at least 30 people, and then Curren$y arrived. It isn’t difficult to gauge his personality through his music, but he acts just like he sounds, which was oddly endearing. Upon arriving, he greeted the audience as if he saw people he knew, cracking jokes and shaking hands for a few minutes before he began. His presence was incredibly humble, reminding me of a kind of uncle figure; funny, experienced in the ways of life, focused on making money, getting “play,” and getting high.
Curren$y’s charisma was undeniable, he’d switch songs halfway through and make fun of people for not knowing the lyrics, to show love to his band, and to express shock when he didn’t expect the audience to know what song he was performing. Older tracks like “Michael Knight,” and “Airborne Aquarium” were received in a way that showed the crowd was composed of true long-term fans, while newer, more popular songs like “Smoke Break”, “3AM in New Orleans”, and “Coming Home” had audience members fully screaming every lyric.
Towards the end of the show, Curren$y brought out collaborator Premo Rice, who took the stage to perform tracks like “DEEP in my bag” and “Players Anthem.” The artists were begged for an encore, and when the intro to “Two 12’s” started, everyone lost it. The two performed their last song together while Curren$y signed records and passed them out to audience members, further exciting the crowd, which I wouldn’t have assumed to be possible.
Although I’ve grown up around Curren$y’s music and have always been a fan, seeing him live deepened my appreciation for his performance and production style, and it was nice to know that the raving reviews I’d heard of his personality were spot on. Out of all of the live events I’ve witnessed in Baton Rouge, this may have been my favorite. Each act flowed together seamlessly, creating an atmosphere that was unpredictable and full of creativity. The openers were all groups I’d love to see again, and were composed of names I fully expect to see rise to the headlines as time goes on.
