California-born Kid Ink and Guamanian princess Pia Mia graced Southampton’s O2 Guildhall and we couldn’t have anticipated a better show.
To kick-off what would soon be an exciting experience, Vee Tha Rula and Bricc Baby Shitro were two up-and-coming artists trying to promote their talent. Vee Tha Rula came out solo and roused the crowd with his swag while staying classy throughout. He spat lyrics effortlessly and impressed us all with his soon to be released single, ‘Karats’. Vee was raw and real, and proved he was a “Rula” after all. Soon after, Bricc Baby Shitro blazed the stage mouthing a myriad of curse words throughout his performance. Though he was pumped and energetic, the crowd didn’t seem to like him in comparison. His backing tracks had us casually bopping from side to side but generally, his performance was lack-luster, and merely prepared us for the next teen sensation.
Pia Mia. Her slaying set had the Southamptonites going wild. She made Kid Ink’s show her own, and destroyed everyone’s esteem with her killer voice, sleek moves and song selections. Nic Nac, her DJ and boyfriend, stimulated the crowd with a mash-up of mainstream RnB/Hip Hop tracks which you’d have to be living under a rock to not know the lyrics to. Pia made her initial appearance with a power-packed performance with her girls to ‘F*ck With You’. Soon after, she left the stage only to come back with a steady medley of sultry covers of ‘Hold on We’re Going Home’, ‘Again’, and ‘Trap Queen’ – impressing us all with just her bare vocals. Pia treated us to fan-favourites, ‘What a Girl Wants’ and ‘Do it Again’ accompanied by insane choreography to conclude her act, and the atmosphere was UNREAL. We all appreciated and valued every second of Pia’s presence. She delivered a perfect package, we fell in love, and all that was left was the man of the night to appear.
After repeated shouts of “Southampton, you turnt tonight??” by the DJ and chants for Kid Ink, he finally came onto the stage amidst bright strobe lights – everyone went wild. The crowd size may have been smaller than what he’s used to in the USA, but that didn’t faze Kid Ink as he proceeded to perform hits such as ‘Body Language’ and ‘Hotel’ as well as some of his older content from his album My Own Lane and his EPs. His track ‘Hell & Back’ with its more deep lyrics was a contrast to the rest of his set, and was surprisingly popular with the crowd as he encouraged us to wave our lighters in the air, leading to an electrifying change in the atmosphere. We previously weren’t very familiar with his music, but his infectious energy got the crowd hyped, which made it impossible not to enjoy the night. His stage presence and charismatic performances left no person standing still, and by the end of the night it felt as though Kid Ink had managed to transform his concert into a clubbing event. The rest of his crew joined him up on stage and the night ended on a high with most people itching to get to the after party.
Kid Ink and Pia Mia are two artists we’d highly recommend you to listen to if you haven’t already. They bring a fresh vibe to the Hip Hop scene and absolutely 0% disappointment. It was a fantastic night, and we can’t wait for their next UK tour.
