Lights flickered and fans yearned as both excitement and anticipation filled The Canopy Club’s main stage for CupcakKe’s sold-out show.
The Urbana show marked the opening night of the rapper’s “The BakKery Tour,” celebrating the release of the rapper’s sixth studio album, “The BakKery.”
CupcakKe is an American rapper known for her sexually explicit and boundary-pushing music. Her songs have frequently been remixed on social media due to their comedic and humorous lyrics. The rapper previously performed at The Canopy Club for her “Dauntless Manifesto Tour” in 2024.
Many fans showed up in different costumes referencing songs from the rapper’s decade-long career. Zach Harris, a fan from central Illinois celebrating his 18th birthday at the concert, dressed up as a cupcake with a boxing glove, referencing both “The BakKery’s” album cover and a track featured on the album titled “Fist Me.”
“I’ve always wanted to come to a CupcakKe concert for years, but it’s always been 18 plus,” Harris said. “The concert happened to be on my 18th birthday, and what better way to celebrate both my birthday and her album than dressing up as a cupcake.”
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Doors for the show opened at 8 p.m. with the show starting at 9 p.m. Four opening acts took the stage: DJ Sparr, B2Two, Sam Crutcher and DJ Adam Atrix.
As Atrix began going over the 15-30 minute time limit for opening acts, some fans lost their energy. A number of audience members kneeled down to sit and played games on their phones as they waited for the rapper to take the stage.
“Queen I’m disappointed, I’ve been at this location for almost 4 hours and you still haven’t shown up, sorry but the crowd is booing and all DJ’s suck,” X user FgBarbie wrote.
Some fans left as the audience grew more confused while Atrix played. It was 11:45 p.m. when “The Silverback Wife” began playing over the speakers. Screams echoed while cheers roared as fans yelled for the rapper.
While transitioning to the instrumental of “UFO,” CupcakKe stormed out on stage, bursting her rapid-fire delivery, unleashing her signature aggressive flow. Ironically, she was dressed in a cupcake-shaped dress adorned with a cherry and sprinkles, topped with a giant, fuzzy trucker hat.
“You guys are f—-ing iconic,” CupcakKe said, acknowledging the costumes and ensembles audience members had. “The outfits tonight are really amazing, you guys.”
After running through well-recognized tracks like “One of My Bedbugs Ate My P***y,” “Squidward Nose” and “Sloppy Joe,” CupcakKe involved the crowd in a concert tradition.
The rapper handed the mic over to various audience members to see who has the “nastiest” moans. She either responded looking disgusted or approving of the moans.
“I think this is the best crowd I have ever had, you guys, for sure,” CupcakKe said. “Now let’s do “Deepthroat” and I want you to sing the lyrics like a f—-ing w—-.”
CupcakKe barely rapped as the audience screamed the lyrics back at her, instead encouraging the crowd to get louder and moan as they sang.
“Vagina” kept the uproar going as the rapper smiled while fans shouted along, knowing every lyric. After finishing the track, CupcakKe asked the audience for their five best a– shakers to dance to “Spider-Man D–k.”
“She’s fearless, she just goes up on stage, and she says what the f— she wants to say,” said Savannah Gibson, a concert attendee visiting from Central Illinois. “And then she puts it out there explicitly, but fun and confident.”
Moans rang across The Canopy Club as the rapper demanded fans to get loud and s—–y while performing “Cpr.” The audience responded instantly, screaming moans back at her and matching energy without hesitation.
Enthusiasm didn’t slow down before the rapper launched into the hardcore rap track, “Fist Me.”
“Oh my god, you guys got to open up my booty hole, right?” CupcakKe asked the crowd as the electro-rap beats of the track rang across the main stage.
After the track’s explosive reception, CupcakKe kept the show interactive by turning to the crowd for requests. By fan demand, CupcakKe performed “Juicy Coochie.” The rapper revealed she hadn’t played the song in over 10 years.
The rapstress invited four more a– shakers to dance on stage while she rapped, “Little Red Riding Good.” The four chosen were fully committed to their performances, one tossing aside her tutu to dance without restriction while another, dressed as Hatsune Miku, vogued across the stage.
“Backstage Passes” and “Grilling N-s,” two recognizable tracks in the rapper’s catalog, saw CupcakKe taking audience members’ phones to take selfies and record the crowd.
Seeing how reactive the crowd was to “Sloppy Joe,” CupcakKe performed it again. This time, she invited a female audience member onstage to show her how to eat a–. Both the fan and rapper danced to the song’s beat.
The playful, high-energy interaction was a dramatic contrast to the earlier hours of the night. The singer addressed her late arrival as the concert slowly came to an end.
“I’m so sorry, you guys, for the confusion with me getting on stage, show started at 9, but I always come out at 11:30,” CupcakKe said. “They (venue) kicking me out for going over time, but I’m gonna break the rules, unless you wanna come suck d— with me, are you the best d— sucker, you guys?”
Chimes of the familiar beat echoed as “Best Dick Sucker” blasted over the speakers, with the bass booming. The crowd cheered as the rapper went overtime and kept performing.
Before closing out, CupcakKe sang “Happy Birthday” to a fan named Amanda and danced along with the DJ of the show, Atrix, to “Deepthroat.”
“I appreciate you guys, I love you guys so so much, until next time,” CupcakKe said to the crowd as she slowly walked off. “I gotta go suck some D!”
Even in the crowd, fans like Kenna Atkins, a former Urbana townie, and her friends showed their devotion, dressing as Little Red Riding Hood, taking inspiration from the track, “Little Red Riding Good.”
“We love CupcakKe,” Atkins said. “Her concerts are always enjoyable, me and my friends knew we were going to dress up for it. It is fun to dress up.”
Fans cheered and hollered as the rapper exited the stage. Adrenaline and sweat filled the room, and CupcakKe’s raunchiness left Urbana buzzing long after the lights came up, marking another exciting performance and setting the tone for the rest of “The BakKery” Tour.
