By Cameron Lee
December 9, 2024
Photo: Myicha Drakeford
Trap-soul rapper, Rod Wave, returned to Charlotte Sunday night, capping off a busy weekend at Spectrum Center. The Last Lap Tour, titled after Wave’s sixth studio album, brought rapper Moneybagg Yo and Raleigh’’s own Toosii for a night of bass-thumping and emotive rap with a surprise appearance by Charlotte’s DaBaby.
With a circular stage and massive LED screen setup, the capacity crowd got a clear view of the acts from all angles. Toosii, who is signed to Queen City record label South Coast Music Group, performed a short set following opening performances by Lil Poppa, Dess Dior, and Eelmatic. Lighting up the arena with a heartfelt performance of his hit, “Favorite Song,” his set also featured multiple tracks from his latest album, Jaded.
Moneybagg Yo made a grand entrance walking down the stairs of the arena’s club level with his security detail and crew. The Memphis rapper, signed to Yo Gotti’s CMG label, performed a bevy of hits like “Said Sum,” “Ocean Spray,” and “Time Today” with his high-energy backup dancers and hype man. Moneybagg also brought out frequent collaborator and hometown star DaBaby for “Suge,” as smoke shot up from the stage with spotlights illuminating the crowd. It was a lively and entertaining set in between the more somber “emo” rappers in Toosii and Wave.
At 10:27 p.m. Rod Wave emerged through a cloud of smoke rocking a track suit with glistening diamonds– a late start for a lineup packed with six performances. Cell phone lights sparkled throughout the arena as Wave kicked off his set with the title track to his 2023 album, Nostalgia.
Performing “Green Light” from 2019’s Ghetto Gospel and “Heart On Ice” from his 2019 mixtape, PTSD, early in the set, he flexed his vocal chops on songs like “Cuban Links” and “Letter From Houston.” With flames and pyrotechnics shooting down from the circular overhead led screen structure, he performed the 2020 Lil Baby collab hit, “Rags2Riches,” which had the crowd collectively bouncing to the infectious trap beat.
As he was lifted up on a crane for the melancholic “Street Runner,” he made sure to connect with his fans, making eye contact and waving to the crowd throughout the evening. Hit after hit, including “Turks & Caicos” and “Great Gatsby,” Wave had the audience bellowing along to his street anthems. The final stretch of the set featured six tracks off his latest album, Last Lap, including “25,” “Fall Fast In Love,” and “Passport Junkie” before he finished the evening with “Forever” from the 2022 mixtape, Beautiful Mind.
Wave’s run since his 2019 album, Ghetto Gospel, has been nothing short of astonishing, with his last seven projects all reaching the top ten on the Billboard 200, a feat only matched by Taylor Swift. His fourth headlining performance in Charlotte, Wave’s popularity hasn’t declined a bit, and Sunday night’s audience was as fervid as any of his past shows. With his introspective style of melodic rap, often delving into heartbreak and personal struggles, Wave’s music resonates deeply with his fan base.
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