B.O.B’s “No Genre Tour” hits the Space City: Concert Review ::: by @niksofly

Apparently the place to be for a concert is at WarehouseLive! Thursday , October 23rd marked the third stop of the “No Genre Tour” and the city of trill was ready for it. Who wouldn’t want to witness the phoenix- Kevin Gates and beatnik of today’s culture- B.O.B grace the stage? The ingenious collaboration of the two made for an unforgettable night equipped with inconceivable moments.

HustleGang’s Super Spodee blessed the stage first. No newcomer, Spodee’s delivery was different. It wasn’t overly intense as some acts can be. It hung in the balance of confidence and relaxation, a delicate blend that can make or break an artist. Spodee owned the crowd when he performed the bangers “Um Hmm” and the 2013 remix of Mystikal’s “Here I Go”. His hunger was visible. His passion was felt.

The interlude appeared to be the only sector of the concert that I was a tad bit disappointed in. I assume being spoiled by the live mixes of DJ Mr. Rogers raised my expectations so I felt rather jilted in this concert relationship when a pre-recorded mix played. It was a cool mix, but nothing beats a live one. Classic Hip Hop joints danced on the sound waves as the attendees mingled and made their way to one of two bars in the venue. My PNC and I relived the songs spitting lyrics verbatim. Just as quick as the interlude began, it ended. Husky base encapsulated the room. Mr.”I Don’t Get Tired’s” voice teased the audience and on the bass drop, Gates entered the stage. Gates is a special kind of entertainer. He is a storyteller. Before each song, with or without the crowd’s permission, he enlightened them on the history of the song. “Smiling”, a favorite of mine, chronicled a jealous friend. Gate’s performance is as though you are partaking in a live musical biography of himself. My affinity for Gates stems back to my undergraduate stint in Louisiana before it was cool to be a fan. The “prison rules apply” artist has incredible energy. I truly believe he does not get tired. Hit after hit, the level of intensity was there. The audience (myself included) lost their mind when he performed “Thinking With My D*ck” and “Posed To Be In Love”. It was almost as if his show was a sample of his entire library. “Arm and Hammer”, “MYB” , and “Wish I had It” continued to hype the fans. An interesting portion of Gates’ show was the death drop after he performed “Die About It”. As expected, Gates dedicated a portion of his shows to the ladies. Each song increasingly toyed with the women’s imagination. By the time Gates performed “Stroking” the floor of the venue had an increase in the liquids basting it and I can almost guarantee it wasn’t from spilled alcohol. Gates made Houston his for the night.

A replay of classics kept the attendees’ attention as the stage was being prepped for the nonconformist – Bobby Ray Bands. A portion of the crowd disseminated (mostly groupies and the sort) to catch another glimpse of Kevin Gates. However the true connoisseurs of Hip Hop patiently waited. I received of text from my connect saying the immeasurable B.O.B would take the stage in five minutes. DJ ShawtySlim took control and rewrote history. I, laced with the naivete of never attending a B.O.B concert, assumed that his show would be great, but I failed to fathom the magnitude B.O.B would encompass. Let’s just say Bobby Ray is a force to be reckoned with. Warehouse Live is a great venue, but B.O.B transformed it both figuratively and literally. His budget was definitely open. Additional stage lights illuminated the 25 year old artist as he demonstrated why he has platinum stats. Stylishly dressed with Toro IV’s, his performance was astronomical. “Ready” filliped the crowd. Amped, B.O.B came for blood with a performance that has been possibly one of the best , if not the best, I have seen thus far. Debuting the performance of “Fleek” with the No Genre Label, as well as his collabo with Trigga- “Not for Long”, I experienced what music and artistry should be. B.O.B is truly no genre. Performing “Lean On Me” with Victoria Monet proved the point. He has hits that are definitely laced with alternative taste as well as those drenched with the hypnotic charm of addicting bass and 808’s. Bringing out Trae the Truth and Playboy Tre only heightened the intensity of his show. “We Still in This B*tch” was the correct song choice that followed the performance of “Lambo” with industry neophyte , Jake Lambo. Song after song, jam after jam Bobby Ray was still in that b*tch giving us heat. “Headband” was the gem that preceded the [$100]twerk contest where a few “Beckys” & “Brittanys” shook what the good Lord did not give them. DJ ShawtySlim encouraged us to boo (which the audience did before the contest started). The winner was a devil in a blue dress (no pun) that didn’t have to work so hard in the shakedown. Believe me when I say she was in abundance. I spat the bars to “Get It” as if my life depended on it while “Memories” had me in full fan mode. As the show seemed to wind down, B.O.B. walked off stage, but quickly returned to the chanting of his name.  “ Strange Clouds” was the smoker’s anthem.  B.O.B came, he saw and he conquered.

It is a rather rare occurrence for two artists with completely different lyrical styles to capture their audience with the high voltage in which B.O.B and Kevin Gates did. I can only think of one word to describe last night…Homeric. The august execution of the performances definitely goes down in the book of concerts. If you don’t have tickets, I advise you get some….by any means (all puns intended) necessary.

-Niko Rose