WIZ KHALIFA’S “DECENT EXPOSURE” TOUR HITS IRVINE’S FIVEPOINT AMPHITHEATRE
RYAN LEUTERITZ This past weekend, Wiz Khalifa brought his Decent Exposure tour to Irvine and flooded FivePoint Ampitheatre with rap fans. The show began when long-time Wiz Khalifa collaborator Chevy Woods and the legendary DJ Drama took the stage. The crowd came to party, and the party started with Chevy Woods, who performed stand-out solo songs “Alright” and “Things Change”, while also treating the crowd to his verses on deep-cut Wiz Khalifa tracks “Medicated” and “Karate.” He teased Wiz Khalifa’s arrival and his love for SoCal weather before handing the show back to DJ Drama, who spun between each act.DJ Drama is one of the most accomplished DJs in modern hip hop and has released music with the biggest names in rap, like Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and 2 Chainz. His impressive song selection was on display throughout the night, and he kept the crowd on their feet by playing classic SoCal rap anthems including, of course, music from the late, great Nipsey Hussle.
Next to take the stage was Moneybagg Yo, a Memphis rapper, who immediately won the crowd over with hits “Dior” and “Doin 2 Much.” Moneybagg is considered an up-and-coming rapper, and even while holding a predominantly southern fan-base, he saw a surprising amount of SoCal support with hundreds of fans screaming along to his songs. Moneybagg has become well-known in hip-hop culture partially due to his high profile relationship with budding female rap star, Meg Thee Stallion. Throughout his entire set, he bounced around the stage with a beaming smile, boasting all the while that he has “too much money” on tracks like “Style Ain’t Free.” Moneybagg was a gracious performer and after thanking the crowd through his thick southern drawl, announced to fans that he would head to the merch booth straight from the stage. He was met by dozens of his supporters, patiently waiting to take photos and receive autographs on their pieces of Moneybagg’s BreadGang merchandise.
After another strong set by DJ Drama, in which he spun an impressive XXXtentacion tribute mix for the slain rapper, trap and rap legend French Montana took the stage. French performed hits like “Unforgettable,” “Pop That” and “Marble Floors,” while reminding fans he has been featured on huge records like ASAP Ferg’s “Work Remix,” and “All the Way Up” with Fat Joe and Remy Ma. His performance was surprisingly passionate, which seems like a stark contrast from his usual laid-back and boss-like demeanor. He sang most of his lyrics, in a day and age where most rappers rely heavily on their vocal backtracks, and even incorporated a live band into his set, as opposed to solely using a DJ. French had a live drum set and even a violinist performing during all of his songs… read the rest at Irvine Weekly.
Ryan Leutz 