New York loves A$AP Ferg and he definitely loves his city back. The Mad Man Tour made its way back home on Thursday night (July 26) for a gig at the hazy Terminal 5, with Trap Lordians packing the venue early in anticipation of their Hood Pope with supporting acts Buddy and IDK joining the show’s bill.
On the heels of his Harlon & Alondra debut album release, Buddy kicked things off shortly after 9 p.m., paying homage to his beloved L.A. Lakers with a vintage purple and gold No. 34 Shaquille O’Neal jersey. The Compton native searched for his fellow kush lovers and ripped through an energetic set that included “Shine,” “Trippin,’” and the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted “Hey Up There.”
Next up, IDK made his way to the main stage around 9:45 p.m. donning a bizarre Elvis Presley-like Halloween mask. He quickly removed the mask once the crowd got comfortable with the Maryland-bred artist’s antics. Following a hard-hitting rendition of the Chief Keef-featuring “17 Wit A 38” and “No Shoes on the Rug, Leave them at the Door,” the burgeoning MC held a moment of silence for the late XXXTentacion.
The silence quickly broke into a deafening “Take A Step Back” cover in the South Florida native’s honor. Hoping to garner more support for his cult-like movement, the IWASVERYBAD rapper claimed to be “one of the last real artists left” gracing hip-hop’s forefront.
Following a meet-and-greet with over 100 fans backstage, the headlining Ferg finally graced the frenzied audience with his presence around 10:30 with a few major surprises up his sleeve. The Harlem spitter embraced the crowd and began to rip through a handful of standout cuts from his 2017 Still Striving project such as “Nasty,” “The Mattress,” “One Night Savage,” and “What Do You Do.”
The Hood Pope made sure to pay homage to fallen Mob pioneer A$AP Yams. “If it wasn’t for A$AP Yams, there would be no A$AP Ferg or A$AP Mob,” he eulogized
The 29-year-old exercised his deep industry ties to bless fans in attendance with a triumvirate of consecutive guest appearances. First, Denzel Curry — an opening act on the Mad Man Tour at a number of stops — checked in on Ta13oo release day for a frenetic performance of his “CLOUT COBAIN” single. MadeinTYO made a drive-by cameo in the assembly line of unexpected guests. The Atlanta native got right into his 2016 smash “Skateboard P,” where he pays homage to one of his idols in the mythical Pharrell.
It wouldn’t be a proper NYC show without members of the Mob linking up. Ferg’s last bombshell came in the form of his brother A$AP Rocky — who he claimed not have seen in nearly two months — fresh off a private flight from Atlanta. Bedlam broke out in the crowd as Flacko, holding a yellow bandana and donning a loose-fitted vintage Grateful Dead t-shirt, delivered a blistering two-track set. He properly began with the anthemic “A$AP Forever,” followed up by the flute-laden “Praise The Lord” from his May TESTING album.
As the crowd came down from its state of euphoria, Ferg ratcheted the intensity back up for the stretch run with his slew of hits. “East Coast,” “New Level,” “Work,” and the double-platinum banger “Plain Jane” alongside Kirk Knight to conclude the epic show, sending fans home in a beatific mood. Prior to departing the stage, the Hood Pope left his fanbase with three words, “Peace, love, and A$AP.”
rocky & ferg –. brodahood #madmantour pic.twitter.com/woAjwpBvOX
— nat (@itsnataliej) July 27, 2018
@ASAPferg brings out A$AP Rocky in NYC. pic.twitter.com/isGcTolM8m
— Michael $ap (@LordTreeSap) July 27, 2018
@ASAPferg brings out Rocky pic.twitter.com/xKqp2iXRhN
— Michael $ap (@LordTreeSap) July 27, 2018