Pusha T review: At Lollapalooza, rapper pushes crowd to get crazy and get moshing
Pusha T performs on Perry’s Stage at Lollapalooza Day 3 on Saturdayat Grant Park in Chicago.
Owen Ziliak/Sun-Times
Although the Grammy-nominated rapper had to compete for concertgoers with the rest of Saturday night’s headliners, Pusha T attracted a crowd that was ready to party hard at his set.
He’s been on the rap scene for quite some time, starting with a career-defining run as a part of hip-hop duo Clipse, which formed in Virginia Beach and found Pusha T and his older brother No Malice helping to define the rap sound of the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Fans didn’t seem too familiar with the artist’s solo work, but they did know all of the words to his verse on Future’s “Move That Dope.”
Pusha T’s onstage intensity continued as he egged on his “family” of fans to ramp up the frenzy in the crowd and start moshing. And the mud didn’t stop anyone from eagerly obliging.
Calling Chicago his “home away from home,” Pusha T made sure to let fans know that he felt he wouldn’t have a career without his connection to the city. He’s worked with fellow rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) on popular songs like “Mercy” and “Remember,” and he performed his verses on both songs despite publicly cutting ties with the controversial artist in 2022.
Later, he even did a cover of Chicago drill legend Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like,” while once again encouraging fans to open up mosh pits even as light rain started to fall.
The set ended about 15 minutes before the festival had to close for the day, and some fans were upset that Pusha T’s performance was shorter than those of the other headliners across the way. Others used it as the perfect opportunity to beat the foot traffic out of Grant Park.