Based on the reception that previous acts have gotten, one can be forgiven for forgetting that hip hop in South Africa is as niche a genre as it is but we were quickly reminded of that when we saw the audience that turned up at last night's #CastleLiteUnlocks experience.
Despite the turnout however, Grammy-Award winning artist, Chance The Rapper blessed the crowd with some unparalleled energy and a top notch performance.
Anchored by a fully integrated production, the experience saw the brand unlocking further surprise acts ranging from Youngsta CPT, Emtee, Moozlie and Rouge at The Ticketpro Dome, north of Johannesburg.
Shane Eagle started with a hometown inspired performance where he made way for Nadia Nakai, who sent a wave of extra cold with her sultry set (where Londie London's booty stole the show).
The ladies then made way for Frank Casino. As if that was the end of it, Castle Lite alumni’s Nasty C and Cassper Nyovest further rocked the stage with surprise performances - leaving the crowd chanting for more.
Spotted at the concert were South African stars such as Dineo Moeketsi, Ayanda Thabethe, Slikour and Khanyi Mbau to name a few that had the most uplifting experience in the history of unlocks!
The concert was also live-streamed for the first time ever with host and show stopper, Bontle Modiselle, dancing the night away with consumers and industry top players. PH, Major League, Ms Cosmo and Ayanda MVP kept the crowd extra cold with hip-hop sets.
Chance the Rapper took to the stage in true man-of-the-moment fashion, never letting his energy dip for a second. He tantalized the crowd with hits spanning his entire career, even including his latest collaboration with Cardi B.
At some point, the lights went down and most thought it was over but some of us knew better. Chance returned to the stage for a groundbreaking set with the Grammy-Award winning Soweto Gospel Choir - a performance which left fans chanting “are you ready for your blessings?”.
Walking out of the arena, the energy was soooo electric. Everyone was feeling blessed...the vibes were good. #CastleLiteUnlocks pic.twitter.com/T8A4wfqMAa
— Slindo. (@Silindokuhle_) May 1, 2018
My first show here was a life changing experience. Thank you so much Johannesburg.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 30, 2018
“Tonight was nothing short of amazing. We thank the South African consumer for always supporting Castle Lite in delivering yet another extraordinary Unlocks concert," begand Castle Lite Brand Director, Becky Opdyke, before adding "we’re about giving Citizens of Extra Cold once in a lifetime experiences and from Shane Eagle’s epic performance to Chance the Rapper’s shut down, the Unlocks concert delivered just that. We really look forward to making more history in the upcoming years, together with our loyal supporters.”
With the country still recovering from that cold front of refreshing talent and epic show, this is undoubtedly the best music experience in Africa and the blizzard has hit like never before – from Africa to the world.
Main image credit: instagram.com/chancetherapper/