Concert Review: Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo Live In Auckland
On Saturday night, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo of G-Unit performed the last leg of their down under tour at none other than The Studio. Auckland city was in dire need of some nostalgic sounds and who better to deliver that than Lloyd and Tony? G-Unit, whose other members are big names like 50 Cent and The Game, dominated the airwaves in the early 2000’s with songs like Wanna Get To Know You and Karma. Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo are nothing less than iconic and have definitely paved the way for many rappers that came after them. I think it is an amazing feat to be touring with thousands of loyal fans and to still be making money off of music released more than a decade ago. I have so much respect for these idols and the great memories I have because of their music.
I don’t recall there being any set times released so I decided to go at a safe time, which was 9pm. Most shows doors normally open at 8pm. There were 3 acts set to open for Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. An Auckland artist, Taystemaker was on first and this was his second-ever solo show. Then, after him was another Auckland artist, Illa, and they were both talented rappers. I have to give props to the people that organized the show for giving homegrown rappers a chance to perform their craft in front of a huge crowd. I would love it if more concerts with international artists had local musicians as their opening acts because it was just refreshing to see rappers like Illa on the stage, who is from Clendon which is only like, 25 minutes away. It really resonated with my heart seeing them thrive like that.
The crowd was very diverse, from the old to the young, everyone in the audience were real appreciators of old school hip-hop and rap.
Tony Yayo came out first, with a Hennessey bottle clutched in his left hand, the crowd went wild. All their energy returned to them when he came out on stage. He had an All Blacks jersey on and honestly that was f*cking awesome. Lloyd Banks came out 2 songs after and the crowd went even wilder. It was crazy watching them perform, knowing everything they’ve done for the culture and what they symbolized. I could feel this from the audience as well. Their legacy was felt all throughout the crowd. It was definitely a moment. It was such an authentic rap experience, knowing their roots and listening to the raspiness of their raps. They both got the crowd so hyped up, at one point the two were chanting “where the f*ck the gangsters at?” and MAN, I felt that. Tony even gave a full bottle of liquor to someone in the crowd. They did a fine job interacting with everyone.
At times, Lloyd looked bored and Tony was too lit off the Hennessey near the end of the set but I guess when you’ve been in the game for that long, it’s understandable. Definitely a good experience and I hope they keep doing what they’re doing and that they never forget how important their music means to us.
Reviewed: Breanna Tugaga-Rogers
Photos: 10Daniel16