Las Vegas rapper Baby Keem captivated a packed house at the Beacham in Orlando | Musical Stories + Interviews | Orlando

Last week, Baby Keem filled every square inch of the Beacham with his singular vibes.

Baby Keem is known for his lyricism and his musical kinship with his cousin Kendrick Lamar. What should easily overshadow these credentials is his showmanship, which he showed with all his might during the show. Keem confidently stepped into the light and grabbed all the attention.

Keem appeared as a Christ figure, alone on stage, glorious, often with outstretched arms, lights flickering on behind him. Moshing was the main form of worship, and Keem’s songs were made for it.

Rising to a crescendo before breaking loose, its powerful music holds hints of when it’s time to start jumping – but the teenage audience didn’t need any help figuring out when to move; they know every song by heart.

Leanna Keyso, 21, of Tampa, came to the show with her sister. “People know Baby Keem but he hasn’t completely blown up yet so it was amazing to see how the fans turned out, how confident he played,” she said.

Keem led his set with “Trademark USA” which is also the first song from his latest album, melodic blue. “It’s one of my favorites, and he performed it almost the way it sounds on the album,” Keyso said.

Another fan favorite was “Range Brothers”, which features a Lamar guest spot on the album. Despite the small venue, the energy was so high that Keyso half-expected Lamar to jump onstage when the lyrics “Top of the mornin’ Top of the mornin’ Top of the mornin’ Top of the mornin'” flashed on the huge LED screens.

Lamar was nowhere to be found, but that didn’t matter. Baby Keem is alone on stage. No co-signing. No hype. No dancers. He doesn’t need it.

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