Concert Review: JID & Smino Luv Is 4Ever Tour in San Antonio

By Kenlie Golleher
Rap Music Director

2022 saw a lot of hot releases from the rap community, two in particular from artists that I love immensely and bump often, which would be Atlanta’s very own JID and Smino.

The Forever Story by JID and Luv 4 Rent by Smino were some of my favorite albums that dropped last year, so when announcements for the duo’s co-headlining tour, the Luv Is 4Ever Tour, dropped in the later half of last year, I knew it would be a concert I couldn’t miss. There were four Texas dates on this tour: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. I had the opportunity to get tickets to the Feb. 15 show at the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, my favorite venue in Alamo City.

Every time I step foot into the Aztec Theatre, I get overwhelmed with amazement at the sight of all the intricate Aztec details within the venue. This is a big reason why I love this venue so much. The seats I got were in the mezzanine section, which I had never been in before. When I was directed to my seat and sat down, I was over the moon at how great my view of the stage was. I was close enough to see the performers at a decent distance, had a seat to sit in if I chose to, and had enough room to dance around wildly without being crowded. It was perfect.

The show opened up with a set by fellow A-Town artist SwaVay. He came out super energetic and was extremely interactive with the crowd, which was a pleasure to watch from above. I was introduced to him and his music on this tour, and I felt like I had really been missing out after he finished because he was such a great performer. I loved the energy he brought as well as the music I was hearing from him, so I will definitely be keeping tabs on him in the future. After his set, he came up to the mezzanine section for a few minutes to take pictures with people, so it was cool to see him up close.

Soon after, JID came out and gave us a show to remember forever. If you’re a fan or familiar with him, you know just how fast this man spits bars. It was unreal to watch him perform with such high energy without missing a beat for a set that lasted longer than an hour. My personal favorites that he performed were “151 Rum,” “Off Deez,” “Sistanem” and “Stick.”

He expressed a lot of appreciation to the audience and those who have supported his latest album. You could tell that he was very emotional when speaking and performing because this was a project that meant a lot to him. This is a big reason why I love going to concerts so much. Artists get to create personal projects that tell a piece of their life story, and once they’re released, they’re able to resonate with so many people around the world and be interpreted differently depending on people’s life circumstances. Isn’t that amazing? The Forever Story and his previous two bodies of work are a piece of JID’s soul transformed into words and sounds, and it was an honor to have been able to share a small moment in time with him while he displayed it to us on stage.

After JID was Smino, who had a much more sensual energy to him than his predecessors of the night. Smino displayed a lot more singing skills during his set than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I guess I had previously overlooked his vocal skills, because it wasn’t until I saw him perform live and got to witness him emphasizing certain runs that I got a newfound appreciation for his vocal range and abilities. My favorite song performances of the night from him were “Curtains,” “Louphoria,” “Z4L,” and “Matinee.” The whole time I had been praying he’d perform my all-time favorite song of his, “PIZANO,” off his 2018 NOIR album, but sadly that didn’t get to happen that night. But that’s fine; what I was given was more than enough

I’m so glad I was able to experience this tour because I didn’t think I’d be able to get tickets for a long time, especially with so many show dates selling out so quickly. Seeing that purchase confirmation made me the happiest girl on Earth, even though it made my wallet very sad.

Seeing two of the greatest rap artists of their caliber perform on the same night was a fun and surreal experience. Although I didn’t get to see them together at any point nor experience a “Baguetti” encore performance, it was still an amazing concert overall. Both of their energies, as well as their sets, were filled with love and passion for what they were doing, and it resonated with the audience. They would often ask the crowd to hold their hands up to form a heart shape throughout their sets, and I loved this gesture so much. I really felt the love in the room during those moments.

Luv Is 4Ever was definitely a very fitting name for this tour, as love is what permeated the entire theater from the beginning to the end. I loved hearing the crowds sing and rap along loudly, because it relayed to me just how much these fans love what these guys do. I hope everyone who appreciates these artists for who they are and what they do gets to experience a live performance of theirs one day; it’ll be worth every penny, I promise.