Rap sensation Jake Hill brought his summer tour to The Underground in Charlotte, NC, this past weekend, with a stacked lineup that included fellow emo rap artists, guccihighwaters and Ryan Oakes. I had never seen any of these artists live, all of whom happen to be favorites of mine, so I was ecstatic to cover this tour.
Ryan Oakes
"Fuck love, I just wanna be paid,
Fuck sleep, I've been up for three days,
Oh God, I don't wanna be saved ('cause I'm here to give 'em hell)..."
Ryan Oakes is quite possibly the most underrated artist out there, and one of the best rappers in the game. His lyrical prowess and storytelling tends to delve into personal experiences, emotions, and reflections on life. He’s authentic and relatable, and has opted to remain an independent artist, remaining a self-made artist from day one.
Ryan took to the stage first, commanding the audience's attention. He performed his latest single first, "I Wish", among hits like "2L8" and "Numb". I had hoped to hear my personal favorite, "Hellboy", but the setlist was immaculate otherwise. I only wish he hadn't had to go on so early when so many people hadn't arrived yet. They truly missed out on one of rap's rising stars.
guccihighwaters
"Reach out just to waste my time,
It's the young waste of space with his headphones on,
Call me when you need me, baby, but I know I'm the last resort..."
Morgan Murphy, better known as guccihighwaters, began by releasing beats under the moniker notmorgn, and then started his music career in 2017. The twenty-six year old rapper and producer took to the stage next. He launched right into "highschool", following up a solid setlist including his most popular songs, as well as some newer ones, finally closing with "I'm So Sick of This". While he had a softer stage presence overall, the crowd was vibing in no time.
Jake Hill
"Life is a journey the best
Thing you can do it, is ride it slow
The highs and lows will come and
go, you better buckle up..."
Jake Hill, also known as iamjakehill, is one of the most exciting rappers in the scene right now. Jake began writing his first rhymes around the age of 12, and has been going ever since. Apple Music describes his music as "a dark, emotional hybrid of rap, alternative rock, and metal", which is pretty spot-on. Jake seems to be all over the place these days, in some form or another. The rising star has other projects under other names as well, such as Dixon Dallas and ur pretty. It's hard to find a genre that Jake has not dipped his toes into, and he's crushing every single one.
From the moment Jake stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere was electric. The crowd began roaring in excitement, which didn't die down at all throughout this set. He performed a perfect medley of his discography, with hits like "Stay", "By the Sword", "I Chose Violence", and Dixon himself even made an appearance with "Good Lookin'". By the end of his set, he had the other artists on stage with him, dancing.
If you haven't been to a Jake Hill show yet, you are missing out on an amazing experience. I highly suggest you get on board before he's selling out significantly larger venues!
