SXSW: Takeover at ACL Live

What better way to end SXSW than having J.Cole perform at one of the biggest venue’s in Austin. The line to enter the venue was crazy, but everyone was willing to wait about several hours to get in. J.Cole took a quick pit stop from his tour to perform Saturday night in Austin bringing a line of hip hop artists to open up for him.

The packed venue had artists such as Redman, G-Eazy, and Joey Bada$$ perform hit songs from their albums. Redman started the hype, performing 90’s rap and reminding the crowd where true hip hop originated from.

Redman Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

G-Eazy followed up after that, singing his hit song “I Mean It.” The crowd went insane and created even more hype for the headliner, J.Cole. He had a smooth presence and owned the stage with confidence. By this time, the venue was extremely packed creating a crowd energy that overpowered any other venue.

G-Eazy Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

Joey Bada$$ was up next. Just his presence alone made everyone scream. He was so pumped to perform and his performance met that expectation. Joey brought a group of his friends on stage and threw water at the crowd, fans were having the time of their lives.

Joey Bada$$ Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

FINALLY! J.Cole came out after his Dreamville team performed. He walked on stage naturally with confidence and immediately began his song “Wet Dreamz”.

J.Cole Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

The entire performance, J.Cole interactively spoke to the crowd explaining the underlining meaning to his songs making the show more personal. He constantly mentioned how grateful he was and the expressions on his face showed every vulnerable emotion.

J.Cole Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

J.Cole Photo By: Marlen Mendoza

Hands down the best performance of SXSW. Go catch J.Cole in Houston this summer!

By Marlen Mendoza