A Boogie Wit da Hoodie at Emo’s

“This man is only 23-years-old and from the Bronx! Three gold albums right now, eight platinum records,“ belted DJ Ominaya to an appreciative crowd at Emo’s Wednesday night. “Dreams come fucking true!”

The typically understated A Boogie wit Da Hoodie, born Artist Dubose, kicked off the 2019 Monster Energy Outbreak Tour like a rapidly maturing cub clawing for superstardom as he relentlessly stalked the Emo’s stage, mixing in expressions of sheer bliss and pent-up aggression. Perhaps he drank a couple of cans from the company responsible for the several green Ms adorning the front of the cavernous concrete box.

The most notable name on Highbridge the Label inversely set the tone for the night as labelmates Trap Manny and Don Q both showed up more than 15 minutes before their scheduled set times. Trap Manny (Emmanuel Cobbs), performing live on tour for the very first time, danced along to three backing tracks rife with ear-rattling trap drums and gritty, Auto-Tuned crooning. He demonstrated the glee of a new artist as he jived stage side all night.

HBTL’s second most prominent name, the portly Don Q (Le’Quincy Anderson), battled through mic issues in a 20-minute Austin debut full of uncharacteristic spark and crowd interaction.

“This shit lit. I’m coming back,” he promised.

Dubose started his own set 30 minutes early with the Michael Jackson-sampling “Look Back At It,” complete with live, onomatopoeic “ddrat, da-da, das.” Fresh off the release of last year’s Billboard chart topper Hoodie Szn, his second studio full-length following 2017 debut The Bigger Artist, A Boogie arrived in front of the 90% capacity crowd. Within minutes, he took off his black hoodie and set to work.

Wearing a neon orange long-sleeve shirt and glistening cuban link that ensured his presence rivaled the bright lights shining down on him, the headliner repeatedly showcased impressive vocals mirroring his studio recordings, interchanging rapping for high-pitched crooning and vice versa with the ease of a Bronx Bomber’s trot around third.

He proved his versatility as a rapper-singer for all demographics as he shifted from the whiny confessions on Hoodie Szn intro “Voices In My Head” to the hard-nosed, celebratory track “Beast Mode.” Simple yet potent lyrics such as, “Got me sayin’ what’s good wit’ you/ I remember being in the hood with you,” further accentuated hip-hop’s growing home for angry, heartbroken crooners. A Boogie’s appeal to women brought on screeches with each tease of an aftershow meet-and-greet prior to more female-targeted tracks like the 6ix9ine-assisted “Swervin.”

During the expansive 25-song, 70-minute performance, every corner of the MC’s discography received time on the video board behind him. Cuts from 2016 debut mixtape Artist, “Still Think About You,” “Jungle,” and breakthrough single “My Shit” all received boisterous ovations upon each beat drop. The show ended with a mosh pit to A Boogie’s most successful track, “Drowning.”

“I just used up all my energy on this show right here, I hope y’all know that,” he said, panting for breath. “I don’t usually do that shit with everybody, but it’s love.”

Emo’s set-list, 2.20.19

“Look Back At It”

“Voices In My Head”

“Beasty”

“Timeless”

“Ransom”

“Stalking You”

“Beast Mode”

“Bosses and Workers (ft. Don Q and Trap Manny)”

“Swervin’”

“Startenders”

“RockStar Rap Sh*t”

Unreleased Ra Thottie song

Intermission

“I Did It”

“Just Like Me”

“Friend Zone”

“Still Think About You”

“D.T.B.”

“Love, Drugs, Sex”

“Demons and Angels”

“Savage”

“Pills & Automobiles” (A Boogie verse only)

“Odee”

“Jungle”

“My Shit”

“Drowning”