Bladee at L’Olympia: Paris
Gathered around L’Olympia stood hundreds of fans coming together in unison to hear the melodic cloud rap that binds a chemistry between attendees. French and English speakers alike, language failed to bar any connection from the vibrant setting Bladee had created through his music to stage on this night.
The anticipation of the crowd for Bladee to come out was palpable, as they stood restless in their Drain Gang inspired outfits. Fans knew they were entering an immersive musical display that would be more than a concert, as the crowd’s energy would feed into the presence of unity between Bladee and his followers.
Using the form of art we all know as music to represent his life journey, Bladee represents himself in the highest regard of a soldier of God. Angelic beats and simple lyrics implement a choir of prayer from his crowd to him as he embraces the lyrics written in his faith being repeated back to him.
Shot by Tiago Almeida
Running onto the stage bearing a white flag as he paces back and forth, the gothic cross matching the cross on his cropped leather jacket, Bladee clearly puts intention of uniting the masses through their own way to faith. A minimalistic stage set up, and a plethora of lights shining from his blind side to shadow his front, created an element of mystery and melancholy aesthetic.
PARANOIA INTRO 808s fill the venue as the crowd moshes on, produced by the renowned producer wakeupf1lthy. Bladee also performed the next three songs that follow the intro on his newest project Cold Visions from the heavy hi-hat WODRAINER to softer emo-rap ballad FLATLINE. The sound envelops you through the combination of bass and ethereal synths and distorted vocals, immersing the audience into a near hypnotic state.
First time seers would have gotten their money’s worth as Bladee’s setlist was lengthy and jam-packed with Drain Gang collabs like Dumpster Baby, and old bangers like Egobaby and Lovenote that were performed in his 4-song encore.
It was not originally planned in my travels to Paris to attend the Bladee show, but the experience was well worth the spontaneous endeavor. Packing my digital camera and the darkest outfit I can from my suitcase, I embarked on a journey to find my new fix of melodic cloud rap with a cult-like following.
Ultimately, Bladee and the rest of the Drain Gang deserve credit where it is due when it comes to inspiring the youth through their music, and sharing their pain in the form of distorted lullabies.
