J Bambii Delivers the Performance of Her Life (Real Recap)
photo courtesy of Luciana Salinas
Whether it’s an impromptu speech at Soho House about living in the moment or a verse bashing colorism and Western beauty standards, Chicago rapper, event curator and tarot reader J Bambii aka @oprah_gucci somehow always finds the right words.
J Bambii’s performance at Sleeping Village Saturday night was triumphant, a beautiful accumulation of nearly a decade of rapping. In between songs, she reflected on her journey, explaining how tarot reading inspired her to write her first song, reminiscing on early recording sessions with Solar Five and revealing that she recently experienced homelessness and only told a select few about it.
Rapping and singing her way through what we believe is the entirety of her debut album BLACK AMERICAN BEAUTY, J Bambii showed the packed-out Sleeping Village crowd the raw power of her voice all evening, accompanied by a stellar 4-piece band and Renzell holding it down on the decks. The album still doesn’t have a release date—J Bambii prefers to go at her own pace and won’t half ass anything—but we’re already considering it one of our most highly anticipated albums of 2025.
The revival of Adamn Killa (Real Recap)
Say what you will about Adamn Killa but we should be talking more about his resurgence in 2024.
After publicly falling out with former collaborators Drain Gang and spending $20,000 on a Lil Uzi Vert feature that Uzi refused to clear, no one would have blamed the Chicago native for calling it quits with music and focusing on providing for his family. But after a brief hiatus, he’s stormed back into relevance this year by any means necessary, whether it’s a string of free shows at local high schools, battling to get to the top ranking on Cameo and delivering an endless stretch of social media posts with raunchy captions. Most importantly, he’s making catchy music that people are resonating with and you can tell that he truly cares about his fanbase.
On Saturday night, Adamn could see that his work paid off. While Subterranean was far from full, nearly all of the 75-100 fans who showed up were die-hards, battling to get to the front, rapping along to several of his new songs and racing to the merch line once he announced he’d be taking pictures with everyone after the show.
If Adamn keeps this up, he could be in store for an even bigger 2025. We’ll be watching closely.
COLORS: TONES of NYC (Real Recap)
On October 11th, I had the privilege of attending COLORS' ‘TONES OF NYC’ event at the Knockdown Center, a night dedicated to celebrating musical diversity and creativity. The event featured a stacked lineup consiting of chlothegod, Bellah, Mustafa the Poet and Moses Sumney. Each artist provided their own tonal soundx that captivated the audience from start to finish. Unfortunately, I missed the opening set from chlothegod, but learned from my friend Isa Reyes that she delivered an electrifying performance. According to Isa, chlo brought an unmistakable energy that set the tone for the evening, which says a lot considering that she was only able to catch her final song.
When Bellah took the stage, she brought a slice of the UK’s flourishing R&B scene to New York. Dressed in a striking black-and-white painted coat, Bellah’s style and confidence were on full display. Her stage presence was magnetic, her vocals rich and soulful, and she injected a dose of humor while transitioning between songs, making her performance feel both intimate and engaging. Watching Bellah perform, I couldn’t help but reflect on the current state of R&B—some of the genre’s finest music is being made in the UK, and Bellah is clearly part of that movement. She spoke candidly about how UK artists are striving to make their mark in the US, a sentiment that resonated deeply given the challenges of crossing over into the American market. To showcase her versatility, Bellah also performed a smooth Afrobeats track, effortlessly blending different influences into her set and demonstrating her wide-ranging talent.
After Bellah’s set, the atmosphere took a notable shift with Mustafa The Poet's performance, which was aptly poetic. Mustafa's composure on stage was mesmerizing, not only in terms of his flawless breath control but also in the emotional depth his lyrics carried. Each word felt like it came straight from his soul, touching on the complexities of his hometown and personal experiences. What struck me most was his bold statement that music cannot escape political associations, as artists have a personal responsibility to amplify voices of virtue and truth. Mustafa’s message was powerful, reminding us that music has always been a vehicle for social commentary. His sound was equally as rich as his words, with soft, textured vocals alongside beautifully intricate guitar work. Even while recording or taking photos, I felt entirely present in the moment, completely absorbed by his stunning performance.
The night culminated in a breathtaking headlining performance by Moses Sumney, who delivered a set that can only be described as extraordinary. Sumney’s band was a force of its own, featuring jazz musicians playing trumpets, saxophones, and keyboards, while he himself took to the guitar for a few songs His vocal range was simply unparalleled—effortlessly switching between high and low pitches that appeared breathless. In terms of presence, Sumney moved gracefully across the stage, integrating choreographed dances while simultaneously composing live, directing his band to follow his lead. His connection with the crowd was undeniable, with audience members clapping and cheering at moments that typically wouldn’t warrant applause, a testament to the sheer impact of his overall performance.
Reflecting on the evening, I’m incredibly grateful to Jonas Weber for personally inviting me to this unforgettable event. COLORS, once again, proved why it remains one of the most culturally important platforms today. By curating these life-changing experiences for creatives, artists, and audiences alike, COLORS continues to push the boundaries of live music and inspire meaningful connections through genre-less sound and performance. ‘TONES OF NYC’ was not just a concert—it was a testament to the power of music to unite people, showcase global talent, and curate memorable moments of pure, unfiltered emotion.
femdot. Gives Back to Fans with “The 94 Cent Show” (Real Recap)
The seasoned Chicago rapper charged 94 cents for tickets and let fans pick the set list.
Flyer for "The 94 Cent Show" designed by Ruben Rodriguez
Unquestionably one of the most skilled rappers the city has to offer, Chicago MC femdot. has been releasing music for over a decade, earning the respect of the city many times over with a potent pen. But it was his 2019 single “94 Camry Music”—and the album of the same title—that propelled him to new heights. The single has amassed over 25 million streams on Spotify alone and since its release, femdot. has toured across the US; opening for the likes of Saba, tobi lou and redveil and recently competing his first headline tour.
Last year, femdot. played his biggest headline show of his career, at Chicago’s 750-capacity Thalia Hall. But the five year anniversary show for the ‘94 Camry Music’ album went in a more intimate, fan-forward direction, taking place at the 215-cap Schuba’s Tavern. Tickets were sold for a cool 94 cents. The cherry on top? The setlist was fully curated by ticket holders.
The show sold out in 4 hours.
A good chunk of the “94 Cent Show” setlist came from the recent “Free Samples” series but some tracks required a deeper dive into the vault. He noted that it had been years since he had performed certain tracks, such as 2014 cut “Crossroads,” which he prefaced by asserting “this is how people found out I could tell a story.” On the song, Femi paints a picture of himself getting wrapped up in selling drugs in high school, before pulling the curtain away to reveal that this was all what COULD have happened. “I could have sold dope / But I’d rather slang this hope,” he chants on the empowering chorus.
Midway through the show, something special happened that the crowd won’t soon forget. femdot. paused the music to invite two of his biggest fans onstage, Danny and Erica. He told the crowd that the couple has been fans of his for seven years, and had been to seven of his shows.
Fem passed the mic to Danny to “say a few words,” and after a brief buildup, Danny proposed to Erica, who gleefully accepted. You can watch the clip on our Instagram HERE.
After the fan selections, it was time for the main event: a front-to-back performance of the 94 Camry Music album. (I’d recommend checking out “Snuck to Matty’s” for more prolific storytelling.) He planned to close with 2019 single “Dilla Back” but chants for an encore resulted in one final performance of his biggest track to date, a fitting button on the evening.
Fans can pre-order the 94 Camry Music 5-year anniversary vinyl HERE.