What You Need To Know before Attending Live Hip-Hop Concerts

By Kabura Ng'ang'a 

There are different things to expect when one is going to a concert to watch any Hip-hop artist especially if you are yet to ever watch the person perform. On here we will break it down for you just to avoid any disappointments.

The first group is the rappers who take on MCs to the stage. MCs are essentially their hype men just to avoid confusion because some rappers are also referred to as MCs. The job of the hype man is to essentially ensure that the crowd is ready for the artist and when they are on, the crowd stays well entertained and on their feet. They are the people you hear shouting in between lyrics just to allow the artist catch their breath (I always assume) and to make sure that the performance sounds seamless. An example of an artist who does this is Cardi B.

There are the rappers who bring on the full band to perform with. These have their lyrics well in their hands and their flow very tight. I also feel that most of them are very in tune to freestyling because with a live band, creating at the moment is almost essential. They have the full bands including some back ground vocalists. An example of such artists are AKA and our very own legendary Juliani.

There are the rappers who use DJs and playbacks. These are probably essential when one knows that they want to incorporate heavy or a lot of choreography for their set. It also works if a rapper has a very long set and they know that they cannot quite sustain that with live vocals. It also happens with many performers to use the DJs just to support their performances regardless of the situation; it is just a hip-hop thing to have your own DJ. The list on these kinds artists would be long because most hip-hop performers choose this route.

There are tips when you next step out to watch a hip-hop artist.