PHOTOS: Pusha T welcomes fans into his family at the Regency Ballroom
SAN FRANCISCO — Rapper Pusha T has established himself as one of the greats in hip-hop; first in duo Clipse with his brother No Malice, and then by himself. The artist, whose name is Terrence LeVarr Thornton, brought his tour in support of It’s Almost Dry to the Regency Ballroom on Wednesday, playing a nearly 30-song set that spanned his music career.
Push rose to the stage, and a cloud of fog flowed as he opened the show with songs off his latest album, including “Let The Smokers Shine the Coupes,” emphasizing his position in hip-hop; “Brambleton,” highlighting his recent fallout with a former. Then came “Hear Me Clearly,” a recent feature he recorded on DJ Nigo’s album, I Know NIGO!
Fans progressively moshed to the front of the stage in hopes of catching a glimpse of Push’s illuminated silhouette as lights flashed. Pusha T then followed with singles off his Grammy-nominated 2018 album, Daytona, performing track after track, leaving no breaks in between. These included “If You Know You Know,” “The Games We Play” and the famous George-Jackson-sampled song, “Come Back Baby.”
The show was a journey through his catalog, beginning with Kanye’s feature cuts from the GOOD music collective album Cruel Summer, which included hits like “New God Flow,” “I Don’t Like” and “Mercy.” Another highlight was a performance of Push’s historical verse on Ye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy cut “Runaway.”
At one point he stopped his DJ to thank his fans for supporting him being part of his family. Moments after, he got into the classics from Clipse’s Lord Willin’, including “Grindin.”
Other It’s Almost Dry tracks included “Neck & Wrist” (featuring Jay-Z on the album), where he flaunts his riches in the most successful way possible; “Rock N Roll” (with Kid Cudi and ‘Ye) and “Scrape It Off the Top” (with Lil Uzi Vert and Don Toliver).
The Virginia rapper said he was truly humbled that he’s built a legacy of listeners of different types, including his peers.
The AG Club opened the show with high energy, entrancing off a picnic table, performing hits like “Memphis,” “Mr. Put On” and “QUESO.” The East Bay duo, who performed with Denzel Curry in April, has created a nationwide buzz as they’ve toured throughout the country in the past two months. The momentum was building in the room during their set.