Metro Festival | In the rain with Jack Harlow

Despite the pouring rain, the American rapper Jack Harlow, headliner of this second day of the Metro Metro festival, was brilliant. Local performers including DawaMafia and MikeZup skillfully warmed up the crowd and then left the Olympic Park stage to international stars.

It’s Louisville rapper Jack Harlow that most have been waiting for, and with good reason. The 25-year-old artist, whose mainstream rap draws crowds, was received by a few thousand visibly elated festival-goers.

If the veteran Lil Wayne, the day before, had arrived so late (according to the organization of the festival) that he could only be on stage for fifteen minutes, the good Jack did not play the card of fashionably late. The rule is strict: at 11 p.m., the music stops and the lights come back on on the Olympic Park esplanade.

The charming Jack Harlow was therefore right on time when the notes announcing the play sounded. They Don’t Love It, while the rain, which had arrived a little earlier, became more and more insistent. But even the showers could not prevent the artist and his audience from having a most enjoyable time. There’s even something exhilarating about enjoying a good show in the pouring rain!

The interpreter of First Classnewly turned actor (the satisfying remake of White Men Can’t Jump, which stars him, just landed on Disney+), gave an energetic show, often interacting with the crowd (and flirting with female spectators), serving up his hits and a few new releases with gusto. His performance is impeccable and clear, the strongest we have seen of the weekend, and it is enhanced by the musicians who accompany him.

“My best friends and I have traveled a long way to come here. The last time I was in Montreal was for the Osheaga festival, in front of 400 people. I can’t tell you how strong it is for me to be in front of you tonight,” he told the more than 10,000 festival-goers.

By far the best moment of the day, this performance by Jack Harlow, self-proclaimed best white rapper since Eminem (we have a little doubt here, even if he is quite talented), made it possible to end this second day of Metro Metro.

Before Harlow, other “internationals” (Americans, therefore), as presented by Quebecer MikeZup before leaving the stage, performed for the increasingly dense crowd.

The Homixide Gang duo were as flat as the audience in front of them – good times from mush pit nevertheless punctuated the performance. The group has contracted a little too much the bad habit that some rappers have of saying only half the words of their songs, leaving the playback do all the work.

The American Fabio Foreign unfortunately never made it to our side of the border. But Ski Mask Slump God, who followed him in the program of the day, was indeed present, the first artist to finally really make the festival-goers react. Jumps and shouts and dances and mush pit, the party has gone up several notches. So much so that Ski Mask inquired about the welfare of his audience, asking to report if anyone had a problem. “If someone falls, help them up. We are one family, take care of each other. »

Young Lil Tjay brought back his drill and his R&B at the festival, in front of an enchanted audience. The New Yorker with his still youthful voice wandered on stage for nearly an hour, inviting festival-goers to give him all their energy, which they gladly did.

Unlike other artists that we lose behind the music, TJay allowed himself a few moments a cappella, to rap or sing. Festival-goers have often sung his songs with him, all taking out their cellphones at the same time to capture memories of their favorite songs.

“We feel like New York in Montreal,” the rapper told festival-goers, obviously satisfied with his moment shared with the Montreal public.

Room for all

The local hip-hop scene was well represented on this Saturday afternoon during which the sun kept trying to break through the threatening clouds. DJ Chloé Lallouz, Quest and Guestmi had the difficult task of starting the day at 2 p.m.

After a rather successful performance by DawaMafia, Gros Big, formerly of OD Adamo and his acolytes, managed to shake up the crowd that was slowly gathering in front of the stage, without being the most convincing.

MikeZup then, at the end of the afternoon, was the most interesting to see evolve. In front of a distracted crowd, not very reactive, the Montrealer never lost his energy on stage, offering a set varied. Surprise: Conaisseur Ticaso made a short appearance alongside MikeZup, for the best moment of the performance.

It’s not easy to capture the attention of a festival crowd when your name isn’t Jack Harlow or Lil TJay. But Quebec artists have all given their all to prepare the table for the big names on the bill.

The wildlife in Metro Metro is young, very young. She is cool, Also. Sunglasses on their eyes after dark, outfits each more Instagrammable than the other, joined to their mouths, these hip-hop enthusiasts move in packs, paying more or less attention to what is happening on stage, but take, it seems, a real pleasure to attend the event.

The moments of heated tempers that we witnessed were quickly contained. No need to make a case of overflows from last year, except to mention that there is no overflow this year so far. The atmosphere is good at Metro Metro, and that’s what counts.