Even with a small venue, Keem provided a high-energy concert to match the fans’ enthusiasm.
Courtesy of Anthony Rivera | The Crow’s Nest
By Anthony Rivera
Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Baby Keem shook up St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live for The Melodic Blue tour last Wednesday night.
Despite the small stage, Keem found a way to incorporate special effects and interact with the crowd during the sold-out show.
From an array of lights that matched the vibe of each song to the smoke machines that went off at beat drops, the performance was nothing short of entertaining.
The rapper performed hit songs off his latest album, “The Melodic Blue,” such as “Family Ties,” “trademark usa,” and “booman.” He also paid homage to his day-one fans with older songs in his discography like “ORANGE SODA” and “APOLOGIZE.”
Fans matched Keem’s energy as he performed, as a majority of the crowd was either singing along or throwing themselves around in the mosh pit.
The rapper expressed his gratitude for the atmosphere, praising the crowd and the city of St. Petersburg.
“I will most certainly be back,” Keem said. “This is one of my favorite spots so far.”
Keem was accompanied by opening act Tanna Leone and DJ Scott Bridgeway.
The 21-year-old rapper was born in Carson, Calif. and is the cousin of one of rap’s most prolific individuals, Kendrick Lamar.
Following the release of his last album in September of 2021, “The Melodic Blue” landed the number five spot in Billboard’s Top 200 as well as four Grammy nominations — including Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song for “Family Ties” (featuring Lamar) and Best New Artist.
Anthony Rivera is a junior digital communications and multimedia journalism at USF St. Petersburg.
