Raury @ Chop Suey, 11/19

On November 19th, highly regarded 19 year-old Atlanta based musician Raury performed in front of a very lively Thursday night crowd for his Crystal Express national tour at Chop Suey in Seattle.

His music is an eclectic mix of tones and themes, at times up-beat and energetic, at times calm and soothing. One could simply say he's a "hip-hop" artist, but that description doesn't quite capture his range of talent and style. While many songs feature the slick lyrical flows with heavy, worldly inspired beats characteristic of the genre, he does not shy away from more down-tempo, melodic pieces, in which he unveils an impressive vocal range through uplifting lyrics.

Songs that stood out were "Cigarette Song", a crowd favorite, "Devils Whisper", as well as the very danceable track "Crystal Express", which is featured on the FIFA 16 video game soundtrack. 

Raury often interjected his performance with very humble and inspiring words for the audience. Apparently he was sick before his stop in Portland and Seattle, but claimed he was "way too excited" to perform in the Northwest to cancel. For a young artist, he expertly balanced fun, upbeat vibes intertwined with intellectual comments about his upbringing and the future for humankind, which created a unique and authentic air about the performance. 

For all of hype behind Raury, he definitely did not disappoint. We're excited to watch him continue to create and perform in his own intriguing style,  and expect him to only become more relevant in the music world. 

Eric Luck, 2015