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At least 20,000 people’s dreams came true last night at Ak-Chin Pavillion, where Drake and Lil Wayne held what could possibly be the most epic rap battle of the century.
It was more of a “student versus his master” competition to see if Drake’s Billboard hits really could beat out Lil Wayne’s all-time classics. Modeled in a “Street Fighter” fashion, one artist strutted onto the stage just as the other finished his song so they could dispute each other with friendly banter in order to decide who is the #1 rapper.
The audience, armed with an app, decided who would go first. By "mashing" on the app, the audience was also able to give either artist "power ups."
Drake opened the show with some of his newest singles like “Draft Day” and “We Made It” before Tunechi (a.k.a. Lil Wayne) entered the stage, joint in hand, ready to show up any potential competition. From the very first set, he proved that “Mr. Carter” is still a name worth more than the Platinum Rolex watch Drake gave him for his birthday.
Cramming thousands of die-hard Weezy/Drizzy fans in one stadium greatly tested the durability of the two artists, yet neither disappointed. Lil Wayne would spit insults at Drake’s youthfulness saying “I been doing this stuff since before (Drake) was in a wheelchair,” referring to Drake’s brief stint on "Degrassi." Drake would fire back that we (the audience) aren’t here for comedy; we’re here for the music.
Fans went wild went Drake sang “All Me” and “Find Your Love,” but he took an emotional spin when he floated over the audience on an elevated platform singing “Marvin’s Room” and “Hold on We’re Going Home.” Some lucky few received personal shout outs from The Boy himself, earning him more votes through the “Wow he really noticed me” strategy.
Drake’s songs moved in all the right places, but there’s something extra special about seeing your much-loved throwback artist perform all of your old favorite music. I have never heard louder ear-piercing screams than when the audiences first heard Lil Wayne’s guitar intro followed by, “Cut the music up, little louder…” Watching him perform “How to Love,” “Go DJ” and “A Milli” brought us all back a few years to when Tunechi was redefining the meaning of rap music. Call me sappy, but I never thought I’d hear “Bandz a Make Her Dance” live in concert. However, “Fireman” was sadly not included in his set list.
The last act brought the two competitors on stage together where a fierce rap battle ensued. They took “hits v. classics” to another level with mash-ups of “6 Foot 7” to “Started from the Bottom” to “No Worries” to “0 to 100.” Whew, talk about an overwhelming rush of respect for both artists. Finally, the encore act was full of them praising and thanking each other for bringing notable talent to the industry. The two artists closed with a duet of “The Motto” and “HYFR.”
The rap battle victor ended with the declaration that "everyone's a winner;" although, in the end, I’d say Weezy and his classics came out on top.
Reach the reporter at mkthomp5@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MariaKThompson
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