Pusha T Delivers Career-Spanning Set at Rock the Bells 2013
When Pusha T spoke to Fuse a few hours before his Saturday set at Rock the Bells 2013, he admitted that until that day, he thought his 60-minute set was only 30 minutes. Given the breadth of material he has to work with, though, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper never showed concern, drawing from both The Clipse and solo material but curiously lacking in much from his upcoming debut album My Name Is My Name.
Sixteen years after the Clipse' debut and three years after signing with Kanye West, the 36-year-old rapper has been around long enough to earn two generations of fans. A quick scan of the crowd during his set found one subset of fans screaming along to the Clipse' "Popular Demand (Popeyes)" and "Grindin'," while a younger crowd knew the rapper for solo tracks "My God," "Numbers on the Board" and "Millions" and his verses on Kanye's "Mercy" and "New God Flow."
Contrasted to Chief Keef's scowl-laden set immediately before, Pusha beamed throughout the set; the face of a man enjoying a career resurgence after years of acclaimed, if not widespread, success. The 45-minute set drew on both the Clipse catalog and his solo mixtapes, focusing on the stellar 2013 Wrath of Caine.
For whatever reason, Pusha only performed two tracks from My Name Is My Name—"Numbers on the Board" and the Chris Brown-assisted "Sweet Serenade"—a scant amount given the upcoming release date. Still, the career-spanning set showcased the rapper's nimble flow, clever wordplay and unending charisma.
1. I Don't Like (Remix)
2. Grindin
3. Popular Demand (Popeyes)
4. Runaway
5. Cook it Down
6. My God
7. Your Favorite Rapper
8. Exodus 23:1
9. New God Flow
10. Doesn't Matter
11. So Appalled
12. Mercy
13. Trust You
14. Millions
15. Blocka
16. Numbers on the Board
17. Sweet Serenade
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