Sunday, March 18, 2012

T.I. And B.o.B Wave Grand Hustle Flag At SXSW

Grand Hustle artists were joined by Wale, Meek Mill, Curren$y at Warner Music showcase.
By Nadeska Alexis


T.I. and B.o.B perform at SXSW
Photo: Universal Pictures

AUSTIN, Texas — There was no shortage of options in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night if you happened to be a hip-hop fan at SXSW on the hunt for a good show. While Lil Wayne and YMCMB put their talents on display at Austin Music Hall, just five minutes down the road T.I., B.o.B, Wale, Meek Mill and Curren$y brought down the house at the Warner Sound showcase.

MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway hosted the event at La Zona Rosa, where Grand Hustle Records had a triumphant night and Maybach Music Group continued to rep their expanding roster. Curren$y, Kirko Bangz and XV got the packed house adequately warmed up for a night that easily stretched into the wee hours of Friday morning (March 16).

Grand Hustle announced their arrival with B.o.B's raucous entrance to "Beast Mode," backed by a live band. His next number, "How Bout Dat," commanded a fleet of backup dancers. He followed that with the upbeat single "Magic" off his debut album, B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. The song faded into a dubstep beat, pushing the dancers front and center to showcase their moves before the venue finally went dark.

With nothing to see or hear, the crowd hung back, wondering what would be next. That would be Mr. Grand Hustle himself. "They say Grand Hustle is in the building," Tip announced over the mic, followed by a long pause before "I'm Back" came booming through the speakers.

"Rubberband Man" was a natural choice to follow, sending the crowd soaring along with "U Don't Know Me." Tip took a break only to plug his upcoming eighth album, Trouble Man, which is tentatively due out this summer, before continuing with fan favorites like "What You Know" and one of his more recent singles, "Pyro."

From there, B.o.B and T.I. continued to tag-team the set, and Tip was proud to announce that this was the first time he and his signee had "done a full show together."

Playboy Tre was on hand for "Bet I Bust." "Don't Let Me Fall" was delivered on acoustic guitar, and T.I. even threw in "Whatever You Like" to round out Bobby Ray's "Airplanes" and "Strange Clouds," the title track of his upcoming album.

It was already after midnight when MMG rappers Meek Mill, Stalley and Wale finally took the stage. Meek and Stalley were up first, with energetic singles like "I'ma Boss" aiming to keep the crowd going. Wale did his part to keep the energy alive, performing his hits "Lotus Flower Bomb" and "Slight Work" and commanding a guest appearance from Travis Porter. The D.C. rapper closed out the night with his street anthem "Bait" and the cult favorite "No Hands."

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