Performing at the Fillmore in Silver Spring on the evening of April 24, Jody Highroller (Riff’s alter ego) was out in full force on the DC stop of the Neon Icon tour. With an album due out on April 29, and perhaps a movement to far more widespread recognition, Riff Raff had plenty to celebrate during the show.
“This is a party, not a concert,” he told his audience.
The Houston rapper signed to Diplo’s Mad Decent record label in 2012, propelling his career upward from the underground. And with James Franco’s supposed parody of his life in the movie “Spring Breakers,” Riff Raff is now enjoying more widespread success.
Bellowing from the stage, Riff Raff frequently encouraged the concertgoers to “get on his level”.
Stylistically, Riff is brash, making over-the-top boasts while peppering his sentences with the names of designer brands used almost as adjectives, such has his “Versace” python.With a striking physical appearance due to his height, braids and tattoos, Riff Raff is able to make frequent and believable boasts that he could have played collegiate or professional basketball. Throughout his prolific output, Riff Raff is able to display his own brand of lyricism and creativity, which, although grating at times, is clearly a sign of talent.
The concert was excellently staged, with great sound enhanced by the neon imagery both on the stage and projected on screens around it. With his large entourage surrounding him, Riff held court over the audience for about an hour. The young audience, mostly high school and college-aged men, were enraptured by the performance, getting rowdy in the front rows for the opportunity to get a high five or a smile from Riff Raff.
After building the audience to almost a fever pitch, Riff Raff took the stage almost like a boxer would enter a prizefight. Performing the popular song“Versace Python Freestyle” near the beginning of the evening really energize the crowd. Another big hit was his verse to the Action Bronson collaboration “Bird on a Wire.” However, relatively unknown singles from the new album threatened to derail the energy of the show.
Riff was able to recover the mood and closed with a rendition of his biggest hit “Dolce and Gabbana.” Dancing with between 20 and 30 girls on stage, Riff Raff left the show in a thunderstorm of applause and cheers.
Despite the quality of the performance, it left the audience questioning what exactly they saw. The overt ridiculous nature of a Riff Raff concert (or party) lends credence to the idea that Riff Raff is a performance artist. However, at the end of the night, maybe it doesn’t matter and the only thing one should know is that a Riff Raff concert is a great time.
