Same time, though, Valee’s performance Saturday night also revealed an unfortunate downside to the super-chill demeanor we adore in his music. Unlike Push and Nas, who journeyed through their hits word-for-word without much assistance from a hype-man or the DJ booth, Valee barely rapped above a whisper. For most of his set, Valee hid under the performance track, allowing his DJ and hype-man to lead the way vocally.
Despite that particular flaw, everyone still sang along to the lyrics. On “Miami,” another single off Valee’s GOOD tape, the crowd hit peak waviness – bouncing and swaying to Valee’s undeniably groovy chorus. If anything, Saturday night showed that Valee is on track to become one of the most exciting names in rap.
And, most important, having Valee on the bill for Red Bull Music Festival’s opening night proved that Chicago is teeming with stars who – when givens a platform to shine – continually set the pace for what’s hot in hip-hop. Check out more photos from Saturday’s opening night below.
To see the month-long schedule for the Red Bull Music Festival Chicago, click here.