LIL MOSEY | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Tue 4 Feb
****
Lil Mosey is far from your average 18-year-old. With a string of hit singles since bursting onto the scene back in 2017 with his viral sensation Pull Up, he released his debut studio album Certified Hitmaker in November 2019. It landed at number 12 on the Billboard 200, featuring collaborations with some of rap’s biggest names like Chris Brown, Trippie Redd and the UK’s own AJ Tracey.
For those of you who need your rap music to sprawl with quick flows, clever wordplay and profound metaphors, Lil Mosey’s music probably won’t be your cup of tea. However, whatever his music lacks in deeply complex lyricism, it certainly makes up for in effortlessly catchy trap bangers with a feelgood flavour.
Day two of his European tour saw him playing to a sold-out Tramshed. The young Cardiff crowd maintain crazy energy levels, with chaotic moshpits popping up everywhere during the opening acts and DJ set. The suspense for Mosey’s presence was infectious, and after entering the stage to the track Stuck In A Dream featuring Gunna, his cult following became increasingly apparent with every song.
With an endless backlog of crowdpleasers, including Live This Wild and Jet To The West, he never struggled to captivate their attention with a laidback style and melodic delivery. Blending new material with previous anthems such as Bust Down Cartier and Noticed, Mosey glided around the stage and delivered high quality vocals throughout. Such was his confidence, he decided to break the show up halfway through by casually serenading a girl onstage to the tune of his 2018 tune Greet Her, a revamp of the Chris Brown’s Yo (Excuse Me Miss).
A highly polished performance from one of rap’s most exciting rising stars, all this show lacked was more insightful between-song dialogue, striking stage production and memorable crowd interactions. There can be no doubt, however, that Lil Mosey has a huge future.
words and photos BILL THOMAS