Photo by Gabriela dos Santos
Audio By Carbonatix
The Rebel Ragers tour made its South Florida stop this week, bringing a wave of early 2000s rap and hip-hop nostalgia through its stacked lineup. Last week, after controversy over on-stage comments, M.I.A. was kicked off the tour. The night began with Chip tha Ripper, fellow Cleveland rapper and longtime collaborator of Kid Cudi, who warmed up the crowd with laid-back humor that set the tone for the night ahead.
For the next hour, Canadian DJ A-Trak held down the decks with a unique mashup of early 2000s hip-hop and rap hits, including a Crank That (Soulja Boy) mix that had fans jumping up to do the “Crank That” dance. “Y’all ready to rage or what?” A-Trak called out, ending his set with his iconic remix of “Heads Will Roll.”
Photo by Gabriela dos Santos
Shortly after, Big Boi appeared with surprise guest Sleepy Brown. The duo served up a funky set with some of Outkast’s best hits, from “So Fresh, So Clean” to “The Way You Move” and “Ms. Jackson.”
The amphitheater was full, and the air was thick with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and dank smoke. Fans looked at the dark, empty stage expectantly. The crowd called out, “Cudi! Cudi! Cudi!”
Kid Cudi finally emerged inside a towering three-dimensional stage structure framed by a massive video wall. For the next two hours, fans trekked with Kid Cudi across several albums, with songs like “Day ‘n’ Nite” from Man on the Moon: The End of Day and “Grave” from his latest album, Free.
The visuals transported fans across the vast expanses of the Cudder universe — from outer space to forests and open skies — including darker territory during “Mr. Rager,” when the crowd roared along with him:
Hey, Mr. Rager, Mr. Rager
Tell me where you’re goin’, tell us where you’re headed
(I’m on my way to heaven) Mr. Rager
Can we tag along? Can we take the journey?
At several points throughout the night, Kid Cudi appeared emotional, often putting his hand on his heart. “I didn’t even know if I would perform again. And here we are,” Kid Cudi confessed. “I love you so fuckin’ much, I can’t even explain it.”
Photo by Gabriela dos Santos
Kid Cudi The Rebel Ragers Set list:
(Set one )
“REAL ONES NEVER DIE”
“Unfuckwittable”
“Dive”
“By Design”
“Adventures”
“Going to the Ceremony”
“Satellite Flight”
“Beautiful Trip”
“Sad People”
“Tequila Shots”
“Confused!”
“CHUNKY”
“The Prayer”
“Mr. Rager”
(Set 2)
“AT THE PARTY”
“Mr. Miracle”
“Day ‘n’ Nite”
“Kitchen”
“ELECTROWAVEBABY”
“She Knows This”
“GHOST!”
“Upper Room (WZRD song)”
“Mojo So Dope”
“Grave
“SUPERBOY”
“BLUE SKY”
“love.”
(Encore)
“Pursuit of Happiness” (Nightmare) (Extended Steve Aoki remix version)
“Hyyerr” (with Chip tha Ripper)
“WIN OR LOSE “ (with Chip tha Ripper) (Live debut)
“Just What I Am” (with Chip tha Ripper)
