California rapper Baby Keem played the hits and tipped his hat to songs from his brand new album Ca$ino at his first show in three years last night (March 4) — a gig announced just hours earlier at New York’s 1,500-capacity Webster Hall.
Keem rapped a few songs last month during a release party for Ca$ino in Los Angeles, but before last night he hadn’t performed live since November 2023 with his cousin Kendrick Lamar at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival. His enthusiasm to be back onstage was evident from the first moments, as he opened with the new album’s “Circus Circus Freestyle” and then immediately launched into classics with “MOSHPIT.”
Keem was scheduled for an album signing Feb. 23 at New York’s Rough Trade but it was canceled due to a snow storm. In a nod to fans who missed out, he stopped the show at one point to sign LPs before debuting “Birds & the Bees” from Ca$ino, and then was flooded with requests when he shouted, “what ya’ll wanna see?”
Much to the delight of the crowd, Keem chose his hit song “ORANGE SODA” from his 2019 album DIE FOR MY BITCH as he yelled “fuck a set list!” From there, it was a mix of familiar and new, including
“hooligan,” “trade mark usa,” “House Money” and “STATS.” The impromptu nature of the night was clear when he at one point said, “I don’t even have anyone backstage.”
Keem paused to screen the music video for the new album’s “Good Flirts” featuring Lamar and then debuted its title track. His cousin’s pre-recorded rhymes provided another assist on Keem’s smash hit “family ties,” which he stopped midway to shout, “flee to the sides if you ain’t ‘bout this shit” as the crowd went wild.
Keem thanked the audience for its support and dubbed the night a “celebration,” although he teased, “ya’ll gotta come to the tour” when a fan shouted for the song “16,” The evening came to a close with Keem hopping into the DJ booth to spin one last “Family Ties” as the crowd made its way out.
Ca$ino debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 late last month. It’s the follow-up to the 25-year-old Keem’s 2021 debut, The Melodic Blue, which was certified platinum for U.S. shipments of one million copies in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America. It spawned “Family Ties,” which won the Best Rap Performance Grammy.
Keem has kept a very low profile in recent years beyond a 2023 one-off single with Lamar, “The Hillbillies,” and a collaboration that year with electronic musician Fred again.. on “Leavemealone.” To support Ca$ino, he will return the road April 15 in Raleigh, N.C., for nearly 40 international shows in support of the new album. Itinerary highlights include June 5 at the Governors Ball festival in New York and London’s All Points East festival in late August alongside Tyler and Clipse.
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