Eventim Apollo is amongst the most theatrical music venues in London. The grand 1930’s architecture and towering ceiling give it a sacred, opulent feel that falls just short of ostentatious. When I was inited along to marvel at the genius of Bronx-born, Virginia-raised trailblazer Pusha T, I felt that the venue was quite an odd choice for a rap show. I was quickly proved wrong.

After a few after work pints at the Notting Hill local, we hopped on the district line and rushed towards the Apollo, eager not to miss Push’s chosen support. The man in question was Jordy, the quickly rising London alternative rap frontrunner who celebrated the release of his latest EP, “THE LOVE TING”, the day before the show. The rapper performed a slick mix of the impressive new project, such as the Louis Rei featuring “TOO MUCH” and skippy past single “MORE OR LESS”, and some of his older classic cuts like “I Called Tj Twice” and “A13”. Growing into the performances as time passed, the crowd warmed to his chanting of “I’m Jordy, not Jordan, talk to me important” and “If I couldn’t rap, I wouldn’t rap” between songs. A huge career moment, Jordy highlighted his star potential in style with an impressive, entertaining set.

After grabbing a fresh pint, we settle back into our seats, ready for Pusha to grace the stage. After his DJ, hidden to the audience’s eye, succeeded in hyping the crowd, Push appeared, and the next hour or so flashes before me lie a lucid dream. From “Brambleton” to “Daytona”, “Diet Coke” to “Dreamin of the Past”, the setlist was simply the stuff of dreams; high octane, consistently keeping the audience guessing what’s to come next. Push is the calmest person in the entire venue, joyously toying with the crowd as he celebrates and flaunts his ever growing artistic dynasty. Some fans may have been disappointed by the lack of features, but Push doesn’t need features, he has more than enough star power alone.

Towards the end of the set, he pauses, allowing the audience to catch their breath, and comments “We don’t do fans, we only do family. It’s just family in this bitch”. Whether family, followers or disciples, it’s blatantly clear that Pusha T is as admired and adored on this side of the Atlantic as the other.

Not bad for a Tuesday night, ay?