Review: Lil Baby levels up at Tampa’s Amalie Arena [PHOTOS]

Last Friday, multi-platinum, and Grammy award winning recording artist Lil Baby brought his “It’s Only Us” Tour to Tampa’s Amalie Arena, for a night of buzzing excitement. This indelible evening stood as a pivotal chapter within the IOU tour, an event prominently headlined by Baby and supported by the talents of Glorilla, Rylo Rodriguez, and Gloss Up.

Promptly at 9 p.m., to thunderous applause, Lil Baby descended gracefully from the heavens, ensconced in an iridescent, gemstone vest that effervescently sparkled beneath the penetrating beams of the spotlight. Commanding the stage and wielding his auditory force, Lil Baby effortlessly directed the collective gaze of the audience toward the front of the stage, where a colossal screen magnificently projected a short reel from the rapper’s Amazon documentary “Untrapped.” Then, in a sudden theatric crescendo, a troupe of dancers assertively seized the stage as their own for the resonant introduction of one of Lil Baby’s biggest hits, “Emotionally Scarred.” The song, emanating from the overhanging speakers, beckoned the audience's collective vocal participation, even transcending Lil Baby's own lyrical delivery at some points.

Poised at the precipice of the stage, the emcee artfully mirrored the iconic imagery from his second album cover as he moved into hits like “Never Hating”, “Stand on it”, and “In a Minute.” The Atlanta-based maestro ingeniously harnessed the expansive arena, orchestrating a continuous metamorphosis of the stage design and entrancing light-scapes. This dynamic presentation held concertgoers in a state of focused anticipation, as they remained tantalized, speculating when and where Lil Baby would appear next. Between a plethora of stage configurations, ranging from a conveyor belt-style platform that simulated walking in place, to being suspended upon a floating bridge, it was clear that Lil Baby had stepped up his game from his last appearance in Tampa with Chris Brown.
Moving on to songs from Lil Baby’s newest album such as “Waterfall Flow” and “California Breeze,” fans were treated to an intimate segment of the performance where the stage was elongated into the center of the arena. In this proximate setting, Lil Baby regaled the audience with his improved stage presence, an act met with a symphony of unified roars that reverberated throughout the expansive arena. Ending the night with his biggest hit “Freestyle,” which currently sits at over half a billion streams, Lil Baby left no room to doubt his artistic ability and truly began to separate himself as a generational talent.

Despite her relative infancy within the musical landscape, Glorilla opened the stage with an unwavering assurance and charismatic presence that unequivocally affirmed her place in the limelight. The audience, in turn, became recipients of this magnetic aura, becoming instant captives of her dexterous lyrical finesse and infectious melodic cadence from the very moment she graced the stage.

Prior to Glorilla, Lil Baby signed rapper Rylo Rodriquez, QC signed rapper Gloss Up, and Lil Baby signed rapper Hxncho all graced the stage, with each recording artist delivering exceptional visuals, light-scapes, and dance routines. On this note, kudos to Lil Baby for sharing the opportunity he has been able to create. All-in-all, the show’s top-notch production value, and Lil Baby’s improved stage presence clearly strengthened the bond between him and his loyal supporters, creating a sense of unity and motivation that should propel Lil Baby forward through the rest of this tour, and further.