A disco ball used to be the symbol of a party, a shindig, a hootenanny, etc. Nowadays, it’s a meaningless ball of glass that some don’t even give a second glance. Lil Dicky, aka David Burd, was a viral phenomenon after he released his first music video for his song “Ex-Boyfriend,” but after his performance last night at The Rock, he doesn’t deserve another glimpse — musically, that is.
David Burd is a comedian, but on his “Looking for Love” tour, he headlines as his alter-ego, Lil Dicky. What seemed to be a joke turned into a solid career for Burd. His Lil Dicky act encompasses clever and relatable rapping abilities with a Twista-like flow. Burd released his debut album, Professional Rapper, in late July, where it became Billboard’s No. 1 Top Comedy Album, Top Rap Album and Top Independent Album. The project featured stars including Fetty Wap and Snoop Dogg.
Interestingly enough, The Rock reeked of self-proclaimed “dickheads” and hookah smoke. The crowd was full of underclassmen, a mixture of the kids who peaked in high school, and the kids who were picked last in gym class. The crowd was so young that when DJ Ripdee asked, “who’s 21?”, only a couple of screams were heard from the audience. The crowd was compacted into the small venue like sardines, frequently bumping into one another. “I’m sorry” and “Excuse me” were consistently heard throughout the audience. Dicky’s crowd was rowdy, yet polite.
In the beginning of the show, the crowd was as stiff as the disco ball spinning around atop the stage until DJ Ripdee started playing “m.A.A.d. City” by Kendrick Lamar. Everyone in the front half began turning up with a sort of vengeance rather than satisfaction, moshing into each other for what appeared to be a miserable minute. After that brief (unfortunate) event, the crowd turned into the boring disco ball once again.
After Ripdee’s set, the packed house impatiently waited for a solid hour due to technical difficulties, chanting “Dicky, Dicky, Dicky,” and the usual “Fuck ASU.” However, soon after, a short, stocky fellow dressed similarly to director Michael Moore in his prime awkwardly wandered onto the stage. Alas, it was young Alex Wiley, in the flesh.
As Wiley threw down some a cappella raps, the crowd could have cared less to throw him some love. Even playing his most known track, “Vibration,” had little effect on the Dicky-obsessed crowd. Unfortunately for Wiley, it appeared that the crowd hadn’t the slightest clue about who he was, even though he’s an above-average emcee coming up from Chicago that’s known for his hybrid Chance the Rapper/Schoolboy Q voice and ridiculous fast raps. Once Wiley was finished, the aroma that filled the air would have made most stoners smile with glee. So potent, so pungent.
As the DJ instructed the crowd to countdown, Lil Dicky made his way on stage, receiving the crowd’s positivity and excitement to see him. Burd appeared with his iconic Jew-fro, and dressed as if he’d been rapping for a decade; an open baseball jersey showing off his non-athletic body and sweat shorts. He opened with a mumbled version of his hit song, “Professional Rapper.”
It seems as though the loud trap beats enticed the crowd rather than Dicky’s lackluster performance. A majority of the beats sounded similar and stereotypical; it was tough to tell each apart. Burd didn’t appear to be too enthusiastic about the show; it was as if he was just woken up a couple minutes beforehand. However, Burd had a couple moments of clarity where he showcased his rapid-fire rapping abilities, such as when he was performing his love ballad, “Molly.”
Nonetheless, Burd’s comedic side appeared when he added a fun factor into the concert that’s not usually done at a concert; a dating show. Three lucky “contestants” were given the opportunity to go on stage and participate in games like “Pin the Long Dick,” “Slap Me [Lil Dicky] Across the Face” and “First Date.”
“Can you believe I’m a rapper?” Burd asked the crowd at the end of his set. He answered his own question. “It’s still hard to digest.”
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