By: Neil MacAlister
In recent years, Chicago’s rap scene has come to join the ranks of New York, LA, and Atlanta for generating scores of remarkable artists. Two of 2016’s most acclaimed albums (and two of my personal favourites) came out of Chicago: Saba’s Bucket List Project and Noname’s Telefone. Both albums were incredibly written, powerful statements on issues both political and personal, employing many of the same local artists for features and following similar trends of airy, neo-soul hip hop. But they also shared something else in common: the concluding verse on both projects was not by the artists themselves, but by a buzzing artist named Smino.
Smino grew up in St. Louis, to which he owes his Nelly-esque “Hot in Herre” accent, but after moving to Chicago for college, his musical connections led to the formation of Zero Fatigue, a collective of up-and-coming Chicago and St. Louis artists with an unconventional ear for hip hop and R&B. Four of those artists joined Smino on his Swanita tour, which stopped off in Vancouver on May 24. Monte Booker, who produced nearly the entirety of Smino’s excellent blkswn album, started the night with a DJ set that ranged from TLC’s “No Scrubs” to ScHoolboy Q’s “Druggys Wit Hoes Again.”
Bari, a childhood friend of Smino, brought his signature muddy, sing/rap flow that’s as rousing as it is incomprehensible and Jay2, an impressive Chicago wordsmith, drew a ton of crowd participation for his hit “All Night.” The true star of the lengthy opening segment, however, was Jean Deaux, a Chicago-based singer and rapper whose talents have seen her working with the likes of Isaiah Rashad and Mick Jenkins. She brought a natural stage presence and raw energy to the venue, putting her music into a new perspective that’s always been missing from her studio recordings.
After a late start and so many openers, it was creeping up on midnight by the time Smino finally took the stage, but neither the artists nor the crowd seemed to notice the time. Supported by crutches after injuring his leg in Michigan, sipping tea to combat a cold, and recovering from a lengthy border search that saw all of his weed confiscated, one would reasonably expect Smino to be a little under the weather. But his performance was one of the most effortlessly energetic shows I’ve seen.
Starting with blkswn opener “Wild Irish Roses,” Smino eased quickly into the vibe of the venue, launching wholeheartedly into his addictive single “Netflix & Dusse,” punching along to the drums on “B Role,” and filling the room with his impassioned, ecstatic crooning on “Anita,” his biggest hit to date. He even performed a couple of covers (unusual for a rap show), getting the whole crowd singing along to Nelly’s “Air Force Ones,” and transitioning perfectly from T-Pain’s “Chopped N Skrewed” into his own song, “blkjuptr,” an emotional, racially-driven standout off his breakout EP of the same name.
From the timing, to the myriad openers, to the many obstacles in his way, Smino’s show seemed to have a lot working against it, but it was a total success nonetheless. If his upward trend in the industry continues, this may be the last time you could catch him for as little as $13. If you get a chance to see Smino in concert, it’s absolutely worth it. Just imagine what he could do under perfect conditions.
