An unexpected pleasure at SXSW, Philly rapper Grande Marshall left it all out on stage at Fader Fort on Saturday. I haven’t been to many hip hop shows in my lifetime, but if all of them are like his set in Austin, then sign me up. Taking the stage a 2 pm is no easy task but Grande Marshall and friends treated the show like it was at 2 am.
I don’t really know how to actually review a rap show only to say that the “flow” was good and I enjoyed the pace that each rapper in the group provided. The group’s DJ, A-Trak helmed the decks, so you know that the group had great beats to go with the groups rap. Grande Marshall is also on A-Trak’s record label, Fool’s Gold, which has also brought us the likes of Kid Cudi, Chromeo, Kavinksy and Danny Brown. Basically, this guy knows what’s up. What made the Grande Marshall show so fun was that the group’s endless energy. They danced around, hopped around and basically had their entire entourage on stage to feed off of. The crowd in turn, responded appropriately, turning it into a mini party in the dead of the afternoon. I wonder why rock bands don’t have their buddies on stage dancing to all their tunes. It would make things a bit more interesting.
This guy in particular, was awesome.
He didn’t rap at all, but just bounced around the stage and got everyone in the crowd going. He was probably high, but whatever.
An unexpected surprise in the middle of the day, Grande Marshall’s set at Fader Fort definitely won him a few fans.