Hip-hop took over Atlanta’s Center Stage last night when K’Naan and Wale performed with opening acts, John Forte and Tabi Bonney.
Starting off the show, Bonney made a valiant effort to get the audience hyped but with half the crowd still MIA and the rest unfamiliar with his sound, Bonney failed to make a lasting impression on most ears.
Where Bonney fell short, rapper-singer John Forte seemed to thrive and blossom. The veteran of the night’s performers, Forte’s unassuming confidence allowed him to gently enchant the audience with his personable charm. He spoke honestly of his tumultuous past and asked the entire crowd if they could pose for a picture for him. As he and his three-piece band masterfully blended their hip-hop-folk sound with songs such as Kanye West’s “Homecoming,” Forte nearly stole the show from the headline acts.
Not one to be easily upstaged, K’Naan proved that he’s more than a troubadour but a persistent fighter as well. K’Naan and his five-piece band were determined to gain their own fan appreciation, igniting the crowd with electric performances of “T.I.A” and “ABCs.” K’Naan absolutely won the crowd over after a heartfelt freestyle about his migration from Somalia to Canada and brought the house down with his empowering anthem, “Wavin’ Flag.”
Without question, Wale was the undisputed crowd pleaser of the night. From Ustreaming the show from his laptop to mixing tracks from Atlanta natives such as Soulja Boy, Lil Jon and OutKast into his own electric show, Wale had the crowd on fire. And no other section of the crowd felt the heat more than the ladies. Ladies love Wale — and he let it be known that he loves the ladies, too — as he brought down the house with intimate performances of tracks like “Diary” and brought out singer, J. Holiday, to serenade the crowd.
By the end of the night, hip-hop’s latest crop of rising stars had set Center Stage ablaze and left a crowd full of new and old fans alike feeling enchanted, electrified and alive. –nicholas robinson
