Photo by Tito G (@gotit_lens)
I haven’t seen this much hype for a Chicago rap concert in a long time. The two nights of Watch The Throne at the United Center in 2011 comes to mind. As does Drake’s infamous first-ever Chicago show in 2009 (read about that crazy night here). These were both events that people were losing their minds to get into.
But none of them had people waiting in line at 9am in hopes of snagging a ticket. Sure, this was a free show — but the hype surrounding Future is very real right now. Fans from downstate and out of state drove to Chicago in hopes of gaining entry. VIPs who typically have no issue entering a show were left scrambling. It was wild. Future’s current ascension to hottest rapper in the game has been to compared to DMX in 98, or 50 Cent in 2002. But is the fandom real, or just internet and social media fabrication? Well, the numbers can now do the talking, because reports say Future’s Dirty Sprite 2 is on course to move around 200,000 copies in week one — a major feat in 2015.
Future blew through Chicago a few months back as part of Drake’s Jungle tour, but his buzz hadn’t quite reached a fever pitch yet. But as of mid-July, 2015, #FutureHive hysteria was in full effect. It seemed everyone in the city even remotely affiliated with the music industry was trying to find a way into the venue. It was the place to be in the city last night. If you somehow snagged a wristband or were put on a list, you were one of the lucky ones, and you took to social media to flex. It was a status symbol. You felt like you were going to witness history.
But did we witness history last night? It’s too early to tell. But I can say this: I’ve never seen so many Chicago ‘cool kids’ in line before doors opened in my life. Seriously. People who typically walk into events whenever they please, were incredibly early for entry and thankful to be within the friendly confines of The Shrine. Plenty of celebs were in attendance — Vic Mensa was there. As was Taj Gibson. DeRay Davis, too. Countless others including Mano and Towkio were also on hand. Police presence inside and outside was extremely heavy, ensuring safety for all at The Shrine. Fancy cars and motorcades cruised by and lined the streets — it was a sight to see.
Future arrived a little before 1am, and the crowd was ready to rock thanks to an inspired DJ Pharris set, which was heavy on Gucci Mane and Chief Keef. And when Future hit the stage, every phone in the house was lit up, people were recording while rocking out. General admission was exploding, and even the typically too-cool VIP section was on their feet. DS2 hasn’t even been out a week yet and patrons were singing along word for word.
Future-affiliate, FreeBandz Gang member and Chicago native Zona Man was on hand, alongside most of his entourage, who joined Future on stage for the set. Future ran through favorites from previous projects, played current hits like “March Madness,” then ran through DS2 on a track by track basis. He. Played. Every. Song. It was insane.
You may never see Future at a venue this size ever again. He’s approaching stadium status himself, so playing a 500 cap room in the future (get it?) will more than likely be out of the question. For free at that. He did it for his fans, and we watched as Future morphed into the new street rap hero. A spot previously occupied by 50, Gucci and Jeezy. Future proved he wasn’t too big for his fans, and isn’t scared to touch the people. There’s an unspoken respect going on, and sometimes that’s exactly what the fans need. Journalists, VIPs, street dudes, club chicks — they were all united for Future last night. So yes, the #FutureHive is real, and its participants run the gamut.
He closed out with “Commas” and the packed house left peacefully with no incident. Major props to SuSu, Joe Russo, The Shrine, Jacob Thomas, Kristian Eliz and Shake for a job well done (and Tito G for the pics). Check out some videos below.
Additional photos by Tito G