Photo by Rodney Campos — *Photo by* *Rodney Campos*

On November 20th in West Hollywood, Baby Keem walks onstage and is greeted by a packed crowd of fans. Despite his relatively unknown status as a hip-hop artist, Baby Keem is quickly proving himself to be one of the most disruptive and energetic forces in rap music. This is his first tour, playing only six sold-out shows in major US cities, and if you missed out on getting tickets from his website earlier that Fall, good luck getting one under 3x retail.

With only two records under his belt, the 19 year old rapper performed with an unparalleled energy that has been missing from the live shows of his peers. One moment the crowd is swelling, yelling ‘I Am 50-Cent!ʼ with the same confident tone that Keem carries on “MOSHPIT”. The next, a fan is brought on-stage, and later Keem excitedly tells the crowd that they are his day one fans - a true honor to those who recognize the star-potential in hi music and persona.

The actual experience of being in the audience reminded me of smaller punk shows, in which the crowd is almost exclusively comprised of hardcore fans who know every lyric and key-change. As we all danced and attempted to mirror Keemʼs vitality, I found myself inches away from various celebrities, such as the bedroom-pop icon Cuco, and Odd Futureʼs Taco. We were all there with similar intentions, attempting to remain present and enjoy the moment as much as possible.

The days of small shows are numbered for Keem because even though he only had two records of material to pull from, every song felt like a hit. Every song was welcomed from the fans like an unexpected encore, from the breakout hit “ORANGE SODA”, to the slower ballad “BULLIES”, to the truly iconic “Baby Keem”. I look forward to seeing where his career takes him, and since the show he has gained accolades from Spotify, Billboard, and even had a chance to meet Jay-Z a few days ago. When I see him next it could either be at the Oracle or at The Forum, but I know that wherever it is the show is going to be incredible.

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