by Joy Zhang ’14

With my exams ending on Wednesday, the long weekend was beginning to feel like a second winter break. There’s no better way to enjoy this mini-vacation than to wild out at a 2 Chainz concert. On January 19, rapper 2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, performed at the Fillmore in downtown Silver Spring for his ‘Based on a T.R.U. Story’ tour. The concert sold out so quickly that he decided to have two separate shows in the same evening.

Hundreds of fans – including my friend and I – waited in line for hours hoping to get front row spots. When they finally let the cold and impatient fans inside the venue, the standing section and balcony became uncomfortably packed very quickly. Once everyone was settled, there were two short performances by completely forgettable rappers. The crowd indifferently clapped as the guys left the stage.

As time slowly passed between the two sets, people became extremely irritated. Some even began shouting at the DJ, demanding 2 Chainz’s appearance. Finally, the antsy fans were quelled when lights started flashing and two on-stage screens began to play clips of 2 Chainz music videos and interviews. The rapper confidently strutted on stage with a fur coat and not two, but four gold chains – the crowd went crazy.

Standing in the front row, I was directly in front of several blaring speakers. The few songs I could clearly decipher were the ones I was familiar with – “Turn Up” and “Beez in the Trap.” He performed them with great energy and the crowd enthusiastically sang along. Then 2 Chainz started talking to the crowd, pointing to fans and making funny comments. He told us that he does not tolerate fighting at his shows, but there was an exception to his request: people may only behave violently when he performed his song “Riot.” As soon as the tune started playing, people began to dance, jump and throw elbows. 2 Chainz then followed that song with his radio hits “I’m Different,” “Crack,” “I Luv Dem Strippers” and “Birthday Song,” all of which were enhanced through the live performance.

When the show ended, 2 Chainz expressed his gratitude and thanked his fans for selling out the show. He walked across the stage and posed for pictures before making his departure. The bruises and hearing impairment I was left with will be a constant reminder of my awesome night for the next couple of days.