No One Killed Themselves at the $uicideboy$ Show, Thank God

Miami rap shows have always had a reputation for being shitty. They're never complete without underage kids moshing in circles, someone’s girlfriend who doesn’t know the artist but tagged along for the hell of it, and every kind of drug you can imagine being passed around in the pit. A $uicideboy$ show is no different, but that’s what makes it fun. Members of Miami’s underground rap scene are die-hard fans of the genre, meaning they will go to great lengths to enjoy a good moshing. The New Orleans-born hip-hop stars kicked off their I Want to Die in New Orleans Tour at the Filmore Miami Beach last light, and there wasn’t a local high schooler missing it.

The crowd was small but warming as concertgoers scurried through the halls of the Filmore. The bar lines were empty because the majority of the attendees were underage, but they queued up for overpriced merch. Inside, the pit quickly filled with musty teens who snuck out on a school night to see the $uicideboy$. They gathered around in attempt to get a good spot to jump in circles when the show started. The DJ warmed up the crowd with a Lil Peep and XXXTentacion tribute, as no rap show is complete without one.
The pit went dark, making it the perfect time for those who snuck in weed to light up. As the stage lights went up, the blunts did too, creating a puff of smoke over the stage larger than the one made by the fog machines. It didn’t take long for security to flash their lights over the group of 13 kids sharing one blunt. “Put it out, or I’m going to kick you out!” a short guard yelled as she trained her flashlight on them. The kids complied, moved to the other side of the venue, relit their blunt, and were promptly escorted out by the same security guard.

“Are you ready for the fucking boys?” the DJ yelled into the mike. The crowd roared in excitement as two five-foot-nothing boys walked into the flashing lights onstage. $crim, dressed in an oversize gray T-shirt, paced onstage while his blond-tipped dreadlocks hovered over his shoulders. His bearded cousin, Ruby da Cherry, greeted the pit with his hands up after pushing his wavy teal hair under his hat. “That wasn’t loud enough,” he said as he turned to $crim. “But fuck it. Let’s go.” Their set began with an oldie but goodie, “Kill Yourself, Part III,” and the crowd went wild. The seemingly calm group turned into a full-on rager in a matter of seconds, leaving no one safe in the pit. The security guards spent most of their time helping guests who'd fallen so they wouldn't be trampled.

The boys performed hits from all 40 of their EPs, but no concert is complete without special guests. Miami’s Fat Nick joined the duo onstage to perform “2 Hot 4 U.” Somehow the group of weed smokers found their way back into the pit, causing a mosh circle. Someone's blond girlfriend was pushed to the ground. “If you see someone fall, please help them back up,” Ruby pleaded. The moshing continued as South Florida rapper Pouya blessed the stage with a performance of the hit single “Suicidal Thoughts in the Back of the Cadillac,” which fit the show’s theme of killing yourself. (A Daily Beast story by former New Times reporter Tarpley Hitt revealed allegations of sexual assault against Pouya last month.) Last, Miami rapper Mikey the Magician contributed to the South Florida rapper reunion with his single “Chamber.”
“Do you believe in God?” Ruby asked $crim. “Fuck no,” he replied as the beat for their single “Do You Believe in God” dropped, and concergoers lost their shit and their way into Heaven. The show continued with more yelling louder than the audio tech could handle, more moshing, and more water bottles being thrown into the air. Although the boys showed lack of respect for the Bible, they made sure to thank the crowd after every song and then three times more after their set, and the crowd begged for an encore. In all, if $uicideboy$ made you want to kill yourself after their show, at least you’d die happy.