The first time I ever saw Pusha T was at The Metro Theatre in 2010. Back then, he was one half of Clipse – the dominant duo who crafted one of my definitive teenage rap albums with the flawless Hell Hath No Fury. To this day, I get shivers up my spine whenever ‘Momma, I’m So Sorry‘ drops, and that Clipse gig still stands as one of my favourite live performances of all time. I even bought a shirt to commemorate the occasion!

Therefore, it only seems fitting that things have come full circle, and I’m back at The Metro Theatre to witness Pusha six years later. A lot has changed in that time – Pusha has ventured out on his own, becoming the President of G.O.O.D Music and a proficient solo artist with several solid releases and Adidas endorsements under his belt. Having already welcomed the year with Sydneysiders with a set at Field Day, Pusha stepped onstage for a headline show just weeks after his latest release, the critically acclaimed King Push: Darkest Before Dawn.

Sonically, Pusha has definitely diverged from the minimalist approach that defined his earlier releases – and his recent catalogue isn’t short on colossal trap anthems that get the floor moving with flair. That became evident when he climbed onstage to the G.O.O.D Music remix of ‘I Don’t Like’, the Chicago drill anthem that launched Chief Keef into superstardom. Soon after, the rampaging ‘Millions’ took a similar route, kicking the adrenaline levels into overdrive.

Still, it might be the more intricate tracks that allow Pusha’s lyricism to shine the brightest. The sheer brilliance of Kendrick Lamar collaboration ‘Nostalgia’ as well as 2013 single ‘Numbers On The Boards’ are something to be marveled, and sounded even better with his visceral live delivery and infectious ad-libs. After all, this is the man who continually reinvents cocaine metaphors in ways that we never thought possible – and he’s far from getting stale.

Ending with Future banger ‘Move That Dope’ and a homage to his Clipse days with ‘Grindin’, Pusha left Sydney with a finer impression than his daytime festival slot allowed a few days earlier. Pusha’s brand of ominous, street smart rap is best enjoyed in a dark and intimate club – and this headline show was also a refreshing break from the stadium support slots he played alongside Kanye West back in 2014.

Sure, we would have loved more Clipse tracks in the setlist, but that might be the nostalgia talking too loudly. A little momentum from the show was lost with on-stage banter consisting of Pusha saying ‘My Name Is My Name’ repeatedly between tracks. Still, when Pusha claims that he’s ‘Untouchable’ on his latest album, it’s hard to argue with his catalogue – and with another album dropping in a few weeks, it seems like King Push’s reign is reaching far into the foreseeable future.

Pusha T
The Metro Theatre , Sydney
06/01/16