Rap music has been notorious for its correlation with violence since its birth, both socially and lyrically. In 2011, two men were stabbed during rapper Lloyd Banks' concert at Town Ballroom, and since then, very few rap acts have returned to the Queen City.
Monday night, however, the same venue hosted Atlanta's own 2 Chainz, and while the venue resonated from jumps, screams and bass, fans left Town Ballroom euphoric and unharmed.
Standing at 6-foot-5, decked out in an all denim outfit and enough jewelry to blind the front row, 2 Chainz began his set with his verse from G.O.O.D. Music's "Mercy." The song began at the bridge and played back Kanye West's verse, giving 2 Chainz the perfect assist for his spirited introduction.
A massive on-stage screen was placed behind the rapper and played back images all night from previous shows, music videos and lyrics, giving heed to the lone tweet the rapper sent out hours before his show.
"BUFFALO, N.Y. ... get ur [sic] popcorn ready! It's about to b [sic] a MOVIE! BOATS TOUR!!!!" 2 Chainz tweeted.
2 Chainz followed up "Mercy" with his verses on "Got One" and "Beez in the Trap," which caught the attention of the women in the venue, as they sang along to not only Nicki Minaj's hook on the track, but word for word to 2 Chainz's rhymes as well.
The crowd reaction was similar during his performance of "I Luv Dem Strippers," the sole reason second-year graduate student Hope Tuck came to see the show.
"[I got here] right on time for my favorite song ... I'm Mrs. 2 Chainz, so it would only be right that I came to see the mister," Tuck said.
The energy at Town Ballroom increased after every track and reached a chaotic level when the rapper performed "Riot," the standout song that brought the ex-duffle bag boy back to the spotlight last year.
The nature of 2 Chainz's songs brought out something seldom seen at rap shows before: thrashing. During "Riot," mosh pits broke out in various parts of the venue and although security held a no-tolerance policy to misconduct at the show, the good-natured elbowing and jumping during the night wasn't met with any repercussions.
His aggressive lyrics tied together with his comedic and laid back demeanor helped set the mood for the night.
Before introducing "Riot," 2 Chainz took time to let his audience know that violence at his show was forbidden but then jokingly admitted that if any song were to provoke them, it would be "Riot."
The nature of 2 Chainz's lyrics seemed to be irrelevant during the show and not in a bad way. Songs the mainstream would normally consider inappropriate like "Bands A Make Her Dance," "Birthday Song" and "Crack" were met with hysterical cheers.
The amount of women in miniskirts and heels bouncing their backsides to the beat of the tracks matched the amount of mosh pits on the floor.
At one point, 2 Chainz's DJ, DJ E-Sudd, proclaimed the venue had transformed into a nightclub while the rapper randomly interjected with his now famous adlib, "true."
2 Chainz did an outstanding job engaging the crowd and the size of the venue combined with his superstar status made it easy for fans to feel a connection with the rapper.
"His stage presence was amazing; [his music] gets me ready to do anything," said senior communication major Ashley Harris.
As the night came to an end, the crowd rushed out in hopes of meeting the rapper at the designated afterparty at Blush.
To say the least: he came, he saw, he turnt up.
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