Part of the hip hop lineup at the Opera House for this year’s NXNE, Ghettosocks took his fifteen minutes to showcase the rougher side of his music. Though the majority of his work has that trendy quirky/nerd vibe to it like that of fellow Canadian Shad and megastars Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D., Ghettosocks played a heavier song set unlike that of his earlier work of the offbeat and cute Step to a T-Rex and Steal From Walmart.
Only getting about two songs in, Ghettosocks showed off his rhyming skills and his ability to rhyme without trying too hard. Unlike a lot of burgeoning rappers, Ghettosocks doesn’t push the raspy and hoarse voice, instead, his flow natural.
Amusingly enough, the emcee of the night kept getting iLLite's name wrong and made a lot of bad pun’s in regard to “illumination” and “light.” But when iLLite – pronounced elite – took the stage he made sure the audience knew his name.
This Detroit artist has a lot of mainstream sensibility, and a focus on the artist/audience relationship encouraging them to “do that shit/rock that shit.” With great headbobbing beats, iLLite had a cool variation on a KRS-One beat on his track Champion.
Part of the hip hop lineup at the Opera House for this year’s NXNE,