A concert at Red Rocks is already a momentous occasion, and one that features a rap battle between Drake and Lil Wayne based on fan participation? Even more so. On Sept. 10 opening act and formidable rapper G-Eazy set the stage for the much-anticipated Drake vs. Wayne showdown.
Around 9 p.m., the stage lights lowered and an ominous smoke cloud mixed with the haze of the newly legal marijuana that already filled the air. The first image to appear on-screen was a child approaching a retro-looking arcade. Inside the arcade, a machine stood alone. The graphics then took the audience inside the “game,” where the two characters of Drake and Lil Wayne were shown battling various foes around the world. As the graphics winded down, audience members were encouraged to download an app and vote for the rapper they wanted to see first. Lil Wayne won the vote, and as the lights lowered, the crowd went wild. Wayne walked out with all of the swagger of someone with multiple platinum hits, and ignited the crowd by rapping hard and fast to “Blunt Blowing.”
The New Orleans native swung his dreadlocks and chains around the stage in a whirlwind of motion. Afterwards, Wayne addressed the stadium and his “foe” by saying, “I’ve been doing this since Drake was in a wheelchair.”
Next up was Drake who mentioned Wayne as his mentor and role-model. Then he proceeded to roast him on stage, proving why Lil Wayne picked him to be a part of Young Money with “Draft Day.” As the show progressed, it became clear that the concert set list was arranged as a duel. Through multiple rounds, the rappers joked back and forth – Wayne about Drake’s acting days on Degrassi, and Drake about Wayne’s age.
Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the show was when Wayne took a pause before starting “Make it Rain,” in which he announced, “everyone knows there’s a difference between hits and classics.” Drake’s comeback to this argument was “yeah, but these people came to hear the new s***.” Through the dueling, Wayne wowed the crowd with “Go DJ,” “Pop Bottles” and “Leather So Soft.” Drake fired back with “Pop That.” Immediately afterwards, in true Drake fashion, he took to the stage and sang a haunting version of “Marvin’s Room,” proceeded to swing on a rigged pole out in front of the audience, then displayed the softer side of rap by crooning “Find Your Love” and “Hold on We’re Going Home.” Wayne brought his own good intentions to the stage, getting the ladies in the amphitheatre hyped by going straight from “How to Love,” “Miss Officer” and “Every Girl” to throw down some serious dance moves in “Lollipop.”
As the rounds advanced, neither rapper seemed to tire. They joked with each other and the crowd, all while smoking endless blunts on stage. The raps began to pick up speed, and eventually culminated in a rap hook, rap feature and fastest rap competition.The audience sensibly voted the battle a tie, as both Wayne and Drake put their best foot forward.At the end of the night, they walked into the crowd together, and finished with a hyped-up, buzzing version of “HYFR.” When the concert came to a close, the walls of Red Rocks echoed with the immense talent of two rappers who elevated the stadium to a new mile-high.
