Murda Beatz demonstrated his finesse as a DJ and producer on Perry’s stage on the second day of Lollapalooza. Beatz opened his set by screaming, “I need to see some f— hands in the air right now.”
From then on, he maintained high energy throughout his performance through balanced utilization of the technology available to him. The stage’s lights were incorporated at all of the right moments, adding emphasis to well-timed beat drops. Beatz also displayed pulsating graphics along the large screens, creating a truly immersive experience.
Although his audience wasn’t packed from the start, as he started playing well-known crowd-pleasers, festivalgoers could be seen running and dancing towards the mosh pit.
Beatz played an engaging blend of both rap and rock, appealing to a wide range of audience members. “Portland” by Drake lit a fuse under the crowd as they all started singing along.
He then transitioned into “We Will Rock You” by Queen, which garnered excited cheers and claps from the audience. However, he switched from the song too quickly, inducing a slight genre whiplash.
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Beatz understands the power of a well-crafted transition and demonstrated so with his mashup of “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert and “Fein” by Travis Scott. This combination had crowds of festivalgoers streaming towards the stage.
Although his crowd was energetic, Beatz kept demanding more from them, asking them to make noise and mosh pit more.
In a brief interlude, Beatz described what playing in Chicago and at Lollapalooza meant to him as an artist.
“This is the first place in the world I came to start my music career,” Beatz said.
In a tribute to his humble beginnings, Beatz brought out fellow rapper G Herbo, who was one of Beatz’s first collaborators.
After the duo lit up the stage, Beatz continued to deliver a high-energy experience with songs like “Fuck the Club Up” by Waka Flocka Flame, “m.A.A.d. City” by Kendrick Lamar and a mashup of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.
Beatz demonstrated his ability to read the crowd by switching songs that didn’t land as well and extending songs that the audience vibed with. Another notable aspect of Beatz’s performance was his tendency to keep the integrity of songs intact while still adding his flair. This allowed the audience to enjoy and recognize their favorite tunes with the unique twist of hearing them as a part of a live DJ set.
This understanding of what the crowd wants, in combination with his ability to use all elements available to him, caused Beatz’s set to leave festivalgoers refreshed and ready for the second day of the four-day festival.
