Cash Cobain and 4Batz perform at the NYS Fairgrounds to Upstate fans
Cash Cobain, 4Batz perform at the NYS Fairgrounds
The up-and-coming rappers cater to audience members of all ages during their Back 2 School concert.
Two boys in white T-shirts danced in the middle of the stage. One of them, a 9-year-old, held the other’s collar to hype him up while shaking his hips. An older man in a shiesty recorded them with his flash on. “Kehlani” by Jordan Adetunji boomed through the speakers.
“Where’s Cash?” a concertgoer, 21, mumbled at 9:57 p.m.
“Speed it up,” another audience member said while rotating her finger in a hurry-up motion.
At 10:45 p.m., the crowd started chanting “Cash Cobain.” The Bronx native stood on the side of the stage with about 20 people surrounding him while “Boi” played. He entered the stage to his hit single,“Fisherrr,” at 10:55 p.m.
On Friday, the “Back 2 School” concert featuring 4Batz, Cash Cobain, RichBaby, Lil Sccrt and Syracuse rappers began at 7 p.m. at the New York State Fairgrounds. Men wore shiesty’s scattered throughout the audience. Teens in sambas, bows and graphic tees bobbed their heads to the drill beats. A woman sporting a superhero hoodie jammed in the front.
DaGotCash, a Southside Syracuse native, took the stage at the beginning of the night. He was dressed in light-wash jeans, sandy brown timberland boots, a green cargo jacket, and a green snapback with a graphic.
One of the last songs he performed on stage was “Get It Wanky,” a single he released in June. As he walked off stage and rested on the barricades backstage, he was surrounded by his team. He got the name DaGotCash from an old friend who used to call him by the nickname and from Bronx rapper LuGotCash, a rapper he listened to a lot.
Performing in front of his city left him breathless, and he reflected on his performance and the impact he wanted his music to leave on the industry and the city of Syracuse.
“I want my music to really get to the kids and let the kids know that there’s ways to get money without being in the streets,” DaGotCash said. “And there’s ways to do things without getting into things.”
“When I say Batz, y’all say four,” the DJ yelled.
4Batz entered the stage around 10 p.m. in black Air Force 1s, oversized black cargo pants with polo boxers sticking out and a black tank top. His diamond-crusted bat chain dangled on his chest as he leaned over the stage, singing to the crowd.
Shades of blue and purple lights illuminated around him as he performed a newly released single, “So Bad,” featuring Skilla Baby, “act vii: all we do is argue, argue,” “act iii: on god? (she like)” and many more.
At the end of his set, he said to the crowd through his signature sheisty mask, “My mama raised me right, I don’t know about you,” before encouraging the audience members to sing in unison a happy birthday to a concertgoer in a black cowboy hat, red jacket and cowboy-print pants.
Cobain’s tardiness left attendees with their eyes closed and some leaning on the barricade before he arrived, but phone flashlights filled the space as soon as his tag, “And this beat from Cash, not from YouTube,” erupted through the event center. Fans of all ages started singing along. Cobain demonstrated his ability to capture the minds of young audience members with the drill beats and older attendees with his samples.
He transitioned into “rump punch” after, and the DJ shouted, “Wave, wave” while performing an ocean-like motion with his hands. The audience joined him in this dance move. They yelled every lyric when he rapped “problem” right after.
“He’s so sexy!” an audience member yelled.
Cobain hyped people up on the stage while they danced during Don Toliver’s part of “ATTITUDE.” Marni came to the front of the stage when “Dunk Contest” played, and the crowd immediately started screaming.
“I don’t think that I should talk ‘bout Marni,” the song went, while Marni rocked with her middle fingers up on stage.
Cobain invited girls to the stage to twerk during “dunk” around 11:05 p.m., but security stopped some of them. The NYS fairgrounds cut the set short by turning the fluorescent ceiling lights on. The song continued to play while Cobain and everyone on stage with him exited off the right side of the stage. Concertgoers began to leave the event center, and many people discussed heading to the afterparty at Jammer’s Sports Bar.
A satisfied vibe lingered in the crowd after Cobain’s set. He performed most of his big hits, so people had their eyes glued on the stage. For an up-and-coming artist, he captured the attention of the crowd, but his tardiness left some concertgoers agitated during the middle.