Hopsin Brings 'Madness' to New York City Show With Soul Khan + YC the Cynic [EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS]

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Liz Ramanand, The Boombox

With three studio albums under his belt, 28-year-old rapper Hopsin performed an astounding show at New York City’s Irving Plaza Saturday night (Feb. 22) in support of his latest record ‘Knock Madness,’ the follow-up to 2010's ‘Raw.’ Opening acts for the night included commanding sets by the talented Soul Khan and YC the Cynic.

Swarms of enthusiastic fans began chanting “Hopsin,” and when Bronx, N.Y, rapper YC the Cynic took the stage to start the show, the impatient concert-goers made jokes. A few fans even called him Steve Urkel because of his thin build and glasses but when he started freestyling, the jokes quickly stopped. He demonstrated intelligent lyrical prose and a swaggering flow. By the end of his set, those “Hopsin” chants became shouts of “YC.”

Speaking of swag, Soul Khan definitely exuded confidence and rocked the crowd even though he was feeling physically ill. He had the looks of an adjunct college professor but his words were food for thought. The rapper did more with a sore throat than many mainstream rappers can do on their best night. Not to mention his freestyle was delivered in such a rapid way one might have thought Busta Rhymes was in the building.

The time finally came for headliner Hopsin to take the stage. His delivery was powerful, his performance was passionate and it’s obvious he’s hungry — the rhymer’s set could be comparable to an early Eminem. Fans sang the words to new favorites off of ‘Knock Madness’ such as ‘Hop Is Back,’ ‘I Need Help’ and ‘Rip Your Heart Out.’ He also invited some fans onstage to party with him during ‘Gimme That Money.’

Within the first few songs, his hoodie came off and he dove into the crowd. Fans lifted him up high while he was crowdsurfing — or what he calls “the Jesus walk.” His fans also went wild over older tunes from ‘Raw’ including ‘Trampoline,’ ‘Nocturnal Rainbows’ and ‘Sag My Pants.’

Make no mistake, Hopsin is a ball of energy all on his own. He appears to be less worried about fame and more focused on his craft and his fans when he’s on that stage. There was never a dull moment when the West Coast native grabbed a hold of the mic. Hop is indeed back.

Check Out Photos of Hopsin, Soul Khan + YC the Cynic Performing in NYC

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