Fat Nick brings Soundcloud rap to Brighton Music Hall

Fat Nick
featuring Bexey and Teddy

October 19, 2018 at Brighton Music Hall

On October 19th, the underground rappers Fat Nick, Teddy and Bexey were slated to give the Boston neighborhood of Brighton a type of raw, punk rock-esque performance that would encapsulate the energy that the new “Soundcloud Rap” wave has established.

Leading off the night was Teddy, an exciting young act on the rise who already has collaborations with big names like ILOVEMAKONNEN and Rich the Kid. Right from the beginning, Teddy worked to engage the crowd, most of whom had already packed in for the entire show. Teddy established a very positive vibe in the venue, despite focusing on lyrical matter much darker in nature. The crowd immediately became not just engaged in the artist on stage, but with each other as well, creating a sense of community in the room that was unique. Despite the very aggressive dancing and mosh-style frenzies that typically break out at these concerts, it appeared that even though Teddy and the subsequent acts would tap into and unlock this type of energy, at the end of the day everyone could exist and feel safe.

Up next was hip-hop artist Bexey, a 22-year old signed from the United Kingdom known for his hit single “CUTTHROAT SMILE.” Bexey shared a profound connection with the cult-like crowd, performing the majority of his set from the very front of the stage and thanking everyone for their love and support throughout. Bexey’s set was energetic but also very calculated and meaningful, cleverly mixing in hard, trap-heavy anthems alongside more mellowed-out songs where he could highlight his voice. Sporting a vibrant red jacket that read “don’t let me fade away” and black contact lenses, Bexey illuminated the emotional, psychological-based wave of underground, punk-infused rap that has trailblazed such a dynamic path in hip hop in the last few years, and delivered a set that left his long-time fans very satisfied.

After Bexey, the DJ for the night, DJ Scheme, unleashed a set like none other. DJ Scheme turned his set into a tribute for XXXtentacion and Lil Peep, the former of whom was shot and killed at the age of 20 at a motorcycle dealership in June, and the latter of whom died at the age of 21 from an accidental drug overdose. Relying on thunderous beats and passionate, aggressive lyricism, Scheme’s set was met with heavy approval from the crowd, who continued to form mosh pit after mosh pit and shout back every lyric at the stage. DJ Scheme was focused but personable, reminding the crowd of the impact these artists had on hip hop and playing some of the artists’ most influential hits, including Lil Peep’s ‘Save That Shit’ and XXXtentacion’s ‘SAD!,’ ‘Jocelyn Flores,’ and ending his set with the craze-inducing ‘Look at Me!’