Earlier this week UnitedKpop flew to Madrid, to catch DOK2 and The Quiett perform their final show in a series of four European stops.
The Illionaire Records founders are the second act to showcase their skills as part of Cult of Ya’s Currency Exchange shows, and they almost certainly won’t be the last.
Fans were able to purchase tickets for a meet and greet with the rappers before the show; and an hours worth of steely hip hop expressions and throwing Illionaire signs later, the venue was filling up with plenty of high-energy fans from all over world!
Madrid didn’t offer the biggest crowd of the tour, but by the time DOK2 and The Quiett were about to hit the stage the chants of ILLIONAIRE from the crowd made sure the atmosphere and energy in Shoko set the scene perfectly. The two rappers took to the stage together, performing an array of tracks from their solo and combined Illionaire back catalogues; including YGGR; 2 Chainz & Rollies; DOK2’s new track Future Flame; and Beenzino’s Profile.
Many had hoped Beenzino himself would join the tour; DOK2 explained during an interview in Paris that although they’d like to return to Europe with Beenzino they cannot say when that will be possible as the Illionaire signed rapper is due to enlist for mandatory military service.
That’s not to say the show lacked anything! DOK2 and The Quiett brought their A game to Madrid. As well as rapid fire rap skills, the duo led the crowd in plenty of lyric and performance involvement. Possibly due to the smaller crowd the interaction with their fans felt almost personal; Shoko offered the rappers another intimate setting for their European tour, a format that works incredibly well for hip hop.
That steely hip hop persona that you often see from many rappers; and let’s face it DOK2 and The Quiett have it mastered perfectly for photo opportunities; disappears from their faces as they perform, instead replaced by the noticeable enjoyment they have for rapping, and the love of their music.
For this Indie music reviewer seeing two of Korea’s best rappers ‘spit’ generated a whole new level of respect for the artists and their genre. Their music may be created digitally, but their performance displays the validity of their art form.
Words like ‘Turnt’ and ‘Ballin’ might not be in the UnitedKpop vocabulary, but when it comes down to it, music is music. No matter it’s language, no matter it’s genre of delivery. True talent is undeniable, and that is something DOK2 and The Quiett have plenty of.
