I’m not an expert on rap music. My major influences are pretty basic, Kendrick, Kanye, Run the Jewels, and Outkast to name a few, but that isn’t to say that I don’t come with an open ear and an open mind to any new artists or opportunities. So when I got the news that I would be covering Future and Young Thug before a last second change) at Lakewood Amphitheatre, I was elated at the prospect of getting to see two of the most popular acts in rap for the first time.

An unseasonably cold and rainy day could’ve kept the crowd at home, especially in a mostly outdoor venue, but the sell-out crowd showed up in a big way for the hometown trap stars. Thugger's first few songs lacked the kind of fire that you would expect from him. With that being said, he quickly hit his stride and gave the quickly-filling amphitheater a headliner’s energy as he made his way through a setlist that was chock-full of old songs for the old school fans as well as current hits “Wyclef Jean” and “Pick up the Phone," which features the sadly absent Quavo.