Conway the Machine performs at The Chapel in San Francisco on July 31, 2024. Aaron Lee/STAFF.

SAN FRANCISCO — Rapper Conway the Machine performed at The Chapel on Wednesday night during the third stop of his Slant Face Killah Tour, supporting his new album of the same name.

In 2012, Conway was shot in the head, neck and shoulder, leaving him with Bell’s palsy. Despite the attack, which left him with a droop on one side of his face, Conway continued to rap, using the slur in his voice to create his distinct sound. The Buffalo, N.Y. rapper showcased his unfiltered bars and impressive flow throughout the hourlong set. The New York fashion influencer arrived on stage wearing a diamond-covered Drumwork chain, paying homage to his label, and a red varsity jacket featuring his latest album’s artwork.

“What’s up Frisco!” Conway shouted.

The East Coast hip-hop artist, whos name is Demond Price and who is a cousin of Benny the Butcher, came out to “Despertar,” the new album’s intro track. He then led off with “Vertino” (which on record features Joey Bada$$). The instrumentals backing the songs featured dark and eerie sounds with elements of jazz and soul music. His aggressive delivery alongside the cutthroat bars complemented the arrangements well.

Conway the Machine performs at The Chapel in San Francisco on July 31, 2024.

Conway’s set was a journey through his discography, including “DR BIRDS,” off 2019’s Griselda mixtape WWCD — a family contribution featuring Benny the Butcher and his half-brother, Westside Gunn—as well as others with famous collaborators. These included “Scatter Brain” (Ludacris and JID) and “Shoot Sideways” (ScHoolboy Q).

During his performance of “Meth Back!” Conway invited one of his openers, SK Da King, to perform his verse, tag-teaming the song. He ended the show with a remix of “Family Ties” (Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem), where he delivered an exciting performance alongside his tour DJ, Cory Kendrix. The Chapel’s size made the performance feel more intimate, with Conway often reaching into the crowd to shake fans’ hands.

Fellow Buffalo rapper Jae Skeese opened the concert with a 20-minute set of hard-hitting bars. He led off his set with “Union 2’s,” off this year’s Testament of the Times, a collaborative album with producer Superior.

Jae Skeese performs at The Chapel in San Francisco on July 31, 2024.

Skeese’s set showcased his confident rap style through his effortless flows and multilayered lyricism.

“We started at the ground level! We building up to a skyscraper!” Skeese shouted before his inspiring final song, “Skyscraper,” about his journey.

Following Skeese was Bay Area artist Latoya Lain, who was on for five minutes’ worth of high-energy tracks. Connecticut rapper E Murda came out in a sweatsuit from his brand “Born Baked” and a Drumwork chain to perform three of his own songs like “Redrum,” showcasing cutthroat bars.

Baltimore’s SK Da King performed a 10-minute set that showed’s off his storytelling ability. Just like Conway and Murda, he paid homage to Drumwork by wearing the chain on top of many others. Brodie Fresh and DJ Reggie Banard tag-teamed their nearly 20-minute set. Banard hyped up the crowd while Fresh showcased his aggressive rap style, never missing a beat.

Follow photographer Aaron Lee at Instagram.com/aaronxphotos.