By Jacob Pellegrino
Atlanta rapper and singer 6LACK is currently on tour with up and coming St. Louis musician Jordan Ward opening. We were able to attend his Houston stop on the “Since I Have A Lover” tour. The show featured a strong opening from Ward and a career-spanning set from 6LACK that had the crowd moving for the whole night.
The show began with Ward coming onto the stage jumping and pumping up the audience with his infectious energy. Early in his set, he played his addictive 2021 single “Lil Baby Crush” to the excitement of the crowd. The track’s upbeat and breezy energy was great to hear live.
Before performing his song “WHITE CROCS,” which was posted on Tyler, the Creator’s Instagram story a while back, Ward signed a pair of the titular Crocs for a fan. He ended his set with “FAMJAM4000,” calling the audience family and reaffirming his appreciation of each person’s presence during his set. It was a perfect closer with Ward leaving to applause and telling fans to say hello to him at the merch booth after the show.
After a brief wait between sets, it was finally time for 6LACK to take the stage. He opened with “Inwood Hill Park,” a favorite from his most recent album, “Since I Have A Lover,” which sees him embrace happiness after years of music about emotional instability and unhealthy relationships. Classics like “Free” and “Luving U” had the crowd flashing back to 2016 and the sounds that propelled 6LACK to early popularity, even as he clarified that he doesn’t feel that way anymore, acknowledging his growth over the years.
Among songs from his own albums, 6LACK mixed in a section of collaborations that he has done over the years, showing the breadth of his musical ability. During this section, he also brought Jordan Ward back out to perform their collaboration from Ward’s most recent release.
6LACK performed for almost two hours with the crowd singing along on a large portion of the songs. The inclusion of his music from different albums, with the set alternating between the eras, kept the show interesting with a wide range of emotions in play for listeners. The stage setup of three screens with simple visuals and/or video of 6LACK performing worked well with the lighting to add a great ambiance and energy to the venue.
6LACK’s trademark mix of R&B and rap is something that is intoxicating in a live music environment. Throughout the night, he reaffirmed just how great his voice is with his words gaining a new power live.