Lil Tjay energizes Westcott Theater with hit songs

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String lights on the ceiling of the Westcott Theater led toward the stage of the venue, where a DJ table, steel gates and signs reading “Bronx” and “New York” sat. When the clock hit 8:15 p.m., people poured inside the venue, with some eager fans running, hoping to get as close to the stage as they could.

Lil Tjay took the stage at Westcott Theater on Saturday night as a part of his “Destined 2 Win” tour. Before that late-night show began, the Bronx rapper had a show at 2 p.m. which featured special guest Kaash Paige.

Sham Isshamil, a student from the University at Buffalo, made the two-hour journey to Syracuse to see the show with her friends because she missed Lil Tjay’s concert in Buffalo on Friday.

“It was worth it,” she said. “We’re just excited to see him.”

Before Lil Tjay took the stage, more than 10 up-and-coming artists, including JACOSSE and Rasandra, gave their own short sets.

In a pre-show interview with The Daily Orange, JACOSSE said that he’s been rapping for four-and-a-half years, and one of his biggest songs, “BROADCAST,” has more than 18,000 streams. He said he was honored to be one of the artists to open up for Lil Tjay.

“It really honestly doesn’t even feel real,” JACOSSE said. “I got the call like three weeks ago, and now we’re here.”

In between performances and before anyone started playing, the hosts for the night, Concert Crave, played various songs throughout the evening, including “Look At Me!” by XXXTENTACION and “Back in Blood” by Pooh Shiesty. The songs energized the crowd and led to mosh pits filled with back flips and shoving.

Prior to his evening show at the Westcott Theater, Lil Tjay also performed at 2 p.m. with Kaash Paige.Siron Thomas | Assistant Digital Editor

After Rasandra left the stage, Concert Crave asked the crowd if they were ready for Lil Tjay. The DJs began to play “Headshot,” a Lil Tjay platinum-certified song featuring rappers Polo G and Fivio Foreign. After Fivio Foreign’s verse, Lil Tjay jumped onto stage and rapped the chorus of the song, which immediately led to a roar of cheers and people frantically putting their phones in the air.

When he finished performing the song, Lil Tjay asked where the ladies in the crowd were and received high-pitched shrieks as a response. After hearing the screams, he started performing “None of Your Love.” The song was far from the only one Lil Tjay used to appeal to the women in the audience.

“We not done yet, ladies,” the rapper said before taking his shirt off and performing “Sex Sounds,” followed by “What You Wanna Do.”

Lil Tjay also played his hit songs “Calling My Phone” featuring 6LACK and “Zoo York,” which features fellow New York rappers Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke. Before continuing his set, he took time to acknowledge the death of Pop Smoke, who died in February 2020.

“R.I.P. Pop Smoke, you heard?” he said before performing the Brooklyn rapper’s hit song “Dior.” He also performed “Mood Swings,” a song he’s featured on from Pop Smoke’s first posthumous album “Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon,” which the audience loudly sang along to.

In the middle of his set, Lil Tjay brought Rasandra out to the stage again. The two sang their new song “In Too Deep.” During the performance, the duo took several phones from people in the front row and took selfies with the crowd of more than 200.

After the song, Lil Tjay, his crew and Rasandra began throwing water bottles to the crowd. Once they passed out all the water bottles, Lil Tjay told audience members not to drink all of the water and to put the bottles in the air.

“When the beat drop I need you to let that sh*t fly,” he said.

Lil Tjay then started rapping his song “F.N,” and once the beat dropped, the crowd showered itself with the water.

To close the show out, Lil Tjay teased his currently unreleased song “Not in the Mood.” During the song, Lil Tjay wasn’t done letting it rain, pouring a gallon of water over the audience.

“Thanks to everybody that popped out. I had fun with y’all,” he said. “Hopefully I get to see you again.”