On Saturday night, February 27 the University of Canberra’s UCU Bar was primed just right for Canberra hip-hop fans.
US star Lupe Fiasco was on everyone’s lips, but in the lead up, the crowd would be treated to a great line-up of great Aussie talent; D’Opus & Roshambo, Katalyst, Horrorshow and Koolism.
Koolism performed a number of older songs, mash-ups and brand new tracks off the fifth coming album The Umu.
Recently released single Jam Hot stirred the crowd and new track Turn Back was received energetically by the punters. Koolism displayed an energetic mix of scratching and free styling, although their energy was not matched by the Canberra crowd.
During the short intermission there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, with an air of anticipation and excitement filling the UC refectory.
Fiasco emerged on stage in a blaze of glory and roar of excitement from the crowd. He exploded into his latest single Shining Down much to the delight of the Canberra crowd. Ironically this track was taken off his soon to be released album Lasers, as a result of the poor reception it received in 2009.
Lupe commanded the crowd from the first beat. He played select tracks from Food and Liquor including The Cool, Hurt Me Soul and Kick, Push; however most of the songs came from his most recent album, The Cool. The crowd were very familiar with many of these tunes, such as Go Go Gadget Flow, Streets on Fire and more notably Hip-Hop Saved My Life and Little Weapon. Each time Lupe hit the chorus the Canberra audience took over and belted out his well know lyrics.
As Lupe heated up, so did the temperature in the basic and slightly crammed UC refectory. What enthusiasm the crowd lacked during the supporting acts, they were more than making up for during Lupe’s set.
A cool change of pace saw Lupe pull up a stool and treat the crowd to the unreleased Beautiful Lasers off the up-coming album, a slower more personal tune. To bring the mood back up to pace he finished with the international hit Superstar, welcomed by a roar from the Canberra fans.
Throughout the show he was backed by heavy drums and strong guitar riffs, unfortunately at times this meant his vocals were overpowered. His Muhammad Ali style taunts towards the crowd, on-stage presence and fluid movements reminiscent of Anthony Kiedis in the late 90’s were all fine examples of his unrivalled charisma.
Coming out for an encore, versions of Paris, Tokyo and Daydreamin’ wrapped up the show, whipping the crowd into a final frenzy.
Lupe Fiasco made a big impact on the Canberra crowd; we witnessed a superstar in fine form.
