#PettyAF Re: Bryson Tiller

So last night was the final show of Bryson Tiller’s “Set it Off” tour and to say he received a hometown hero’s welcome and gave one of the greatest shows that Louisville has ever seen would be an understatement.

Now, before we go any further, let me just say that I was not in attendance. I could go on and on and make a million excuses as to why I didn’t attend, but the bottom line is that I am guilty of not supporting a hometown artist.

This morning, after viewing huge chunks of the concert via Snap and IG, I saw a meme that basically said that when major celebs come out with merch or projects we support them, BUT when it comes to friends and people in our community we are no where to be seen. When I first saw it, I was like “ugggh not another one of those bullshit crabs in a barrel memes that people who don’t appeal to me are trying to convict me with”. I was quick to just shrug it off as not being the case most of the time and that people can’t be mad when their art doesn’t speak to everyone, after all art is subjective.

Photo from @sydney.m.gee on Instagram

With that being said I LOVE MUSIC. I was raised on music and it remains a very vital part of my life and well being. I am also 40 and not in the same generation as a lot of these new and emerging  r & b and hip hop artists. I won’t lie and say a lot of them appeal to me, because they don’t. I don’t understand what they’re saying a lot of times and the lyrics aren’t what I prefer to spend my free time listening to. However,  I’d definitely be lying if I said that I didn’t like Bryson Tiller…beacause I love that little boy. *Vera from Harlem Night’s voice*

From the first time I heard “Don’t” I knew that I was a fan. Being a huge but reluctant at first Drake fan, Bryson’s sing song rap flow aka Trapsoul style falls right in line with some of my favorite millennial artists. I thoroughly enjoyed his freshmen album, “Trapsoul” as  well as his sophomore one, “True to Self” and I appreciate his consistency and ability to stay true to his style 2 albums in a row.

Then there’s H.E.R. aka Gabi Wilson (even though she will never confess to it). She’s had 2 albums Vol 1 and Vol 2 equaling a total of like 50 minutes of music and I cannot get enough of her voice and her lyrics. The girl is TALENTED!

Multi-talented. She sings, writes, and plays instruments. And she is phenomenal at all of these things. I do not know if she is classically trained or self taught, but I do know that she plays the piano and also the guitar well…actually very, very well. And she was part of the Set it Off tour with Tiller and also Metro Boomin. THE Metro Boomin. The one that IF HE DON’T TRUST YOU, YOU CAN WIND UP SHOT. That Young Metro.

Sigh

So when I was asked about whether I was going to the concert,  I had just spent way too much money on K Dot and was like, “nah I can’t afford it, Christmas is coming, I’m moving, I’ll be the oldest person there, I don’t want to get shot, blah, blah, blah.” Even though I really, really wanted to go, I talked myself out of it. Truthfully, I didn’t really have any business spending anything on any concerts because I was moving and needed ALL of my money.

But…

Then 4:44 came out.

I got ticket to that concert, it’s not til November.

And I hadn’t even seen Kendrick yet.

The 4:44 ticket was more than I would have spent on Bryson’s concert.

I have seen Jay Z SEVERAL times and really could have missed this one.

But let me tell you how God works…

So I’m at home last night minding my business being EXTRA jealo of anyone at the concert when I get this text.

Come to find out, not only did Bryson Tiller, Metro, and H.E.R. give one hell of a show, but the special GUESTS- with 2 s’s- were

Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott. 

The same niggas I just went and paid too much for to see in Atlanta. 

Them niggas.

Talk about karma?? Well, not really karma…but yeah karma! All of us not willing to support Bryson for whatever weak ass reason we had while we were supporting everybody else  missed one hell of an opportunity to see a great show! I spent money and time to travel to a different state to see artists (whom I LOVE) but couldn’t take my ass to the Yum Center to see another artists that I claim to love FROM LOUISVILLE. And from the footage I saw on Snapchat, KDot and Travis did MULTIPLE  songs each. Like…this cannot be my life. Can it??? Mmm. Mmm. Mmmm. *In my old aunty voice* The only thing that would have made it worse is if Jay Z was the special guest.

So now as I sit here, mad at myself, I’m really feeling convicted by that damn meme. Usually when I see it, it’s posted by some “comedian” or “singer” that I’m just not into so I don’t feel guilty, but this time it’s just fitting.

But what’s more fitting is that Bryson Tiller managed to sell out the Yum Center with a hip hop/r and b concert, a feat that not even Beyoncé could pull off AND that says A LOT because Beyoncé sells out EVERYWHERE.

And to all the haters who thought that Bryson couldn’t do it, he made them eat their words.

#PettyLevel:Meta

Congratulations on selling out the Yum Center, Bryson! May your success continue and your talent flourish❤️

Well played, sir. Well played.

Lesson learned. I will not miss the next one. I promise.