Show Review: Get Busy or Die ($NOT on Tour)
written + photographed by hunter astrid
more photos + the rest of the gallery can be seen here
Get busy (going to $NOT’s tour) or die. Seriously, this tour was on another level. All four sets and artists (DC the Don, Eem Triplin, Night Lovell and $NOT) are all incredible. The four of them match each other’s vibes, crowds and sounds perfectly. They were a perfect way to spend the night and distract from the thunderstorm raging on outside the venue’s doors.
DC the Don -
Daijon Cory Davis, known professionally as DC the Don, is a 23 year old rapper originally from Milwaukee. Before starting his music career he was a talented basketball player and was even rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN in 2018. Daijon started to release music in 2017, but didn’t release his first official album until 2020 that is titled Come as You Are. He has released two albums since; My Own Worst Enemy (2022) and Funeral in 2023. Daijon is known to have a pretty distinct rap style and his sound tends to be a fusion of hip-hop, melodic rap as well as some rap.
DC the Don started off the night and his set by running into the stage and immediately diving into the audience. Needless to say, that set the tone for the rest of the night. Keeps the fans on their feet, the energy of the audience was immediately switched on. The energy and emotions between the audience and artist were filled with admiration and joy. Coming down to hug and meet some fans at the end really shows how much Daijon cares for his fans.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Hate the New You” off of Funeral (2023)
Eem Triplin -
Eem Triplin is a 22 year old artist and producer from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is currently associated with the record labels TopSide The Label and GCSY. He released his first official song “Cut Ties” in 2018, and six months later, in February of 2019, Eem released his first official EP entitled N0wh3r3. He's released two EPs since then; No More Tears (2019) and GUTTA (2020). Before his music got bigger and more recognizable, Eem started to post beats on his YouTube channel in the end of the spring in 2015. His song "Awkward Freestyle" was released in March of 2022 and the song itself is created around a sample of Tyler, the Creator’s song “Awkward” off of Wolf (2013). "Awkward Freestyle” is what brought Eem into mainstream fame in 2022. Not only is Eem a rapper, but he's also a producer and has produced a handful of songs for $NOT.
Eem Triplin’s set was...eventful to say the least. The energy was just as strong as DC’s set, and Eem went on pretty quickly ever, not even giving the audience a chance to calm down. His set was loud and quick and filled with liveliness. About halfway through his set he decided to bring up a fan who was begging to perform with him. Whether it be the lights, heat, or anxiety, the second the kid started to rap, his stomach got the best of him and he ended up puking on stage. Both the kid and Eem handled it really well and props to the kid for being able to play it off as smoothly as he did. I just hope that kid is okay. That being said, the show itself was definitely one to remember and the energy and vibes were, of course, unmatched.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “JUST FRIENDS ?” (2022)
Night Lovell -
Shermar Cuba Paul, also known as Night Lovell, is a 26 year old songwriter, rapper and record producer who hails from Ottawa, Canada. He is currently signed to G 59 Records. Before going by his current name, his producing name was KLNV, short for Killanov. His sound is a combination of trap and grime music, as well as cloud rap and hip-hop as a whole. His music creates a bit of a dark atmosphere and seeing him preform live with lower lights really brought out the dark ‘brooding’ emotions that comes with his music. His subject matter does match the darker vibes; it usually focuses on angst and introspection/contemplation and is expressed through drill and trap elements as well as ambient components in his pieces.
His first mixtape, Concept Vague, was released all the way back in 2014 and the single “Dark Light” featured on said album helped him gain fame after it quickly went viral. Since 2014 he has released three studio albums; Red Teenage Melody (2016), Goodnight Lovell (2019), and Just Say You Don’t Care (2021). Lovell’s independent music and singles are all memorable and unique, but his numerous collaborations cannot be forgotten. He’s made songs with the likes of Dylan Brady (100 gecs), Corpse Husband, bbno$, $uicideboy$, and many more. All of his collaborations are unforgettable and his distinctive lower voice helps his verses shine through.
Lovell’s set was filled with passion and enthusiasm; he literally went on stage by jump. It was so hard to capture a good photo of him since he barely stayed still and was always jumping in some way. I had high exceptions for his set since I’ve hard only good things, and he went far above those expectations. There’s a darkness to his music that makes it seem more mystic and hypnotic and easier for one to get lost in the experience. His music was powerful and seeing him live makes me eagerly await his return.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “JOAN OF ARC” w/ $uicideboy$ off of Goodnight Lovell (2019)
$NOT -
$NOT, born Edy Junior Edouard, is a 25 year old rapper and songwriter originally from New York. He moved to Lake Worth Beach, Florida at a young age where he remained and grew up. He would begin his rap career through Soundcloud in 2016 around the age 19. His is currently signed to record label 3000 Entertainment. $NOT’s music is hard to describe with one genre; his sound is a combination of trap, emo, and cloud rap, as well as some lo-fi and chill-wave elements. His single “Gosha” was released in fall of 2018 and it quickly raised $NOT to fame. Some of his biggest influences are the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Yung Lean, Bones, Lil Wayne and more.
$NOT self-released his first EP, titled The Tissue Files, in 2018 and his early 2019 single “Billy Boy” was actually featured in the pilot episode of Euphoria. He released his first studio album, still self-released, in 2020 and titled in Tragedy +. His next two albums were released under 300 Entertainment; Beautiful Havoc in 2020 and Etheral in 2022. Two of $NOT’s songs got RIAA: Gold certification — “Gosha” (2018) and “Moon & Stars” featuring Maggie Lindemann (2020). His song “Tell Em” with Cochise (2021) got RIAA: Platinum certification twice. His most recent release is “Easter Pink” and was released at the end of May, 2023.
$NOT’s set was the perfect way to end the night. The audience had already been hyped up perfectly by all three of the previous artists, and the excitement could be felt in the air. $NOT has a pretty distinct vibe and style that is characterized by almost completely covering his face, except for his eyes and nose. His vibe on stage tends to be a little more laid back although a lot of his music is high energy and filled with enthusiasm. The way the audience responded to him and his music is unlike anything I have truly seen — the relationship between the two is very clearly symbiotic and it was extremely powerful to witness that interaction live.
MY FAVORITE SONG “Moon & Stars” w/ Maggie Lindemann (2020)
