IDK’s 65 Tour is nothing short of a love letter to his ambitious discography.
Coverage of IDK’s 65 Tour at Bottom Lounge, Chicago on October 27th, 2023.
photos & collage by Kevin McDermott.
Following strong, engaging opening performances from R&B darling Luna Elle, budding Chicago native Jay Wood, and Dreamville’s very own Lute, a low, booming bass tone echoes across the Bottom Lounge. Long-time fans of IDK recognize this as the beginning of “42 Hundred Choices,” the opening track on 2019’s Is He Real? The anticipation rises as the first chorus approaches–and with it, presumably, IDK’s arrival–but instead, the song transitions into “Dogs Don’t Lie,” a grimy cut off the subsequent album, and then, just as suddenly, the sound of race cars zipping across a track, a frequent motif throughout his most recent project F65. It finally clicks: this cinematic trip through IDK’s instrumental evolution is culminating in the present, and succeeding it is his momentous entrance.
Always a diva, the rapper is draped in various pieces of custom designer clothing as he, at long last, struts to center stage. In the absence of any set design, IDK retains visual engagement primarily through his outfits. His pants are embezzled with a glistening “X” emblem, and his shoes are exclusive, self-designed Air Max 97s. These pieces pale in comparison to the most obvious spectacle: his now-signature racing helmet, first sported on the cover of F65. After absorbing the crowd’s cheers in a moment of anticipation, he lifts the helmet and jumps straight into performing the first few numbers off of the jazz-influenced album, “Cape Coast,” “Pit Stop,” and “Thug Tear.” He seamlessly glides through these energetic tracks, faithful to the same smooth transitions between them that take place in their studio versions.
In a manner comparable to a scaled-down version of Taylor Swift’s ubiquitous The Eras Tour, IDK dons different headwear for mini-setlists corresponding to each of his major solo releases. Following more songs from F65 (with some choice singles sprinkled in between), IDK begins to tie a black durag around his head, similar to the one he wears on the cover of the fan-favorite 2021 album, USEE4YOURSELF. Holding up a vinyl of the iconic project, he asks the crowd if it’s okay to “take them back.” They are more than okay with this, and are promptly indulged with cuts from several of IDK’s previous works. This segment of the show particularly shined, as US4Y features a hefty amount of his biggest hits to date in “Peloton,” “Pradadabang,” “Shoot My Shot,” “Red,” and plenty of other club anthems that were performed–not without eager assistance from the crowd, of course.
The fun is far from over as IDK harkens back even further to Is He Real?, before lunging forward once more to selections from last year’s short-but-sweet, Kaytranada-produced Simple. After, the show is interjected with his own original take on Kanye West’s "Paranoid", featuring a monologue based around West’s encouraging lyrics, “Don’t you worry ‘bout the wrong things.” IDK is no stranger to his influences, and furthermore, there has always been a certain eeriness to how similar his natural voice is to West’s. In the face of the aforementioned provocateur’s recent controversies, this uncanny resemblance only further bolsters the surreality now felt throughout the entranced venue.
This ends up being the precedent for a more introspective portion of the show, featuring the class-conscious track “Télé Couleur” and the poignant, vulnerable “Hey Auntie.” He dedicates “Black Sheep, White Dove” to his late mother, along with any other lost ones mourned by audience members. Teary-eyed, he sings the ballad directly to a girl wearing merchandise from IWASVERYBAD, the 6-year-old album on which the song in question resides. His efforts to give a special experience to a long-time fan add a personal touch to an already intimate moment for all in attendance.
Looking to cover whatever untrodden ground remains, IDK launches into his final act. He’d been saving the vicious F65 single “850 (We On Top)” until now, and for good reason. It immediately sends fans into a frenzy, jumping while attempting to recite the rapid-fire lyrics. Clearly intent on going out with a bang, he employs his not-so-secret weapon, “24,” as his closer–this is debatably the roughest, toughest anthem of his career. Following this fitting finale, IDK exits stage left as chants and applause resound from every corner. The fanfare is quickly met with an electrifying encore of “17 Wit a 38.” Any lingering sense of passivity dissipates as the mosh pit erupts one last time.
Having a discography as varied as IDK’s is quite a feat on its own. Even more so is doing it justice with an all-encompassing, satisfying live set. The rap polymath rises to the challenge, and for this, he is handsomely rewarded: The fans reciprocate his creative efforts by paying extra attention to the aesthetics and messages of each passing release. It’s both gratifying and rare to witness a hip-hop artist so well-ranged, especially one at this level of consistency.
edited by Anant Dhingra.
photos & collage by Kevin McDermott.
album artwork believed to belong to the publisher of the work or the artist.
