Thursday night the Broward County legend, Robb Banks, hit Philadelphia for the Death Of My Teenage tour. With the help of iLL Chris, RONNYJ, and $ki Mask The Slump God, the South Florida onslaught had Voltage Lounge turned into a mosh pit. Being an intimate venue, It wasn't long before $ki Mask had the entire venue shoulder to shoulder, chanting "fucked up" as he performed "Take A Step Back" featuring Xxxtentacion. The room continued to echo with people chanting "free X" and "fuck 12". Both Robb and $ki Mask have both collaborated with the fellow South Florida rap artist the crowd was referring to, Xxxtentacion. As of recently, X has received praise from artists such as Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and A$AP Rocky. This year he even managed to brake into the Billboard top 100 with his single "Look at Me". Xxxtentacion is currently in jail for allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, hopefully we see him out soon with more collaborations on the way.
To close out his set, $ki Mask brought out Robb Banks for an unreleased track. Robb Banks instantly had the entire venue upside down. The crowd quickly turned into a mosh pit as he performed tracks such as "Bett" and "Innadat". As the room moved back and forth, the people pressed against the edge of the stage lit up the venue with their phones. The energy was unreal but it wasn't long before he closed out his set by asking the crowd if they wanted to hear a new track or an old one (people were screaming for "2Phoneshawty"). The decision was quickly made, the unreleased track played, and Robb jumped into the crowd. Madness ensued as Robb appeared on hundreds of peoples instagram stories as he traversed the crowd. The crowd was filled with people drenched in sweat, donning Supreme tees, windbreakers, and beaten up Sk8-Hi's. In a society where instagram and snapchat stories directly correlate to ones social status, this was definitely a night to remember.
As the night came to an end Robb Banks sat upon the edge of the stage, individually meeting his fans. Some asked for signatures, while others wanted to take photos together. He took the time to actually interact with each person, inquiring about their passions and answering any questions they may have had. I overheard him telling a young fan to follow his dreams, admitting that when he started rapping he sounded like ass and that mastering the craft takes time and dedication. Robb provided an insight that may have been pretty obvious to most, but to this kid it was advice from a rap artist he looked up to. He took a photo with the young fan and gave him some final words of encouragement. This kid seemed to have a better understanding of meaning behind the phrase "Death of my teenage" after talking with Robb, as he walked away with a smirk. Never had I witnessed an artist have so much respect for his fans. I think I might be happy.
Check out photos from the evening below and purchase tickets to the remaining dates of the Death Of My Teenage tour here.
