O2 Academy Brixton, LondonThe rapper, whose star has been steadily rising, showcased a decade-long career to a spellbound crowd
Tion Wayne’s journey is a winding path from cages to stages. Since being released from
prison last year, following a conviction for affray outside a Bristol nightclub, the north
London rapper has been on a steady climb, to the point where he’s now selling out sizeable venues such as the Brixton Academy.
The gig is a defining moment in a decade-long career. He emerges to wails and howls; heavy-hitting singles Home and Keisha and Becky ignite what turns into a wild show, drawing further screeches from a spellbound crowd. His style isn’t as prosaic as simply rapping over instrumentals: it’s as if he dances and glides over them, a surfer rolling waves, telling aspirational stories of central London shopping sprees and Michelin star restaurants over percussion-heavy, synth-led productions.