It's like the internet came alive for one night… and I totally agreed.

The Internet is a big place, with depths of the web that most people often don't see. However, for the average person, what matters most to them is on the surface of the internet: Music and memes. We often find the two combine to make music that is fun and enjoyable to listen to and sing along to, and with the nature of the internet, it goes viral overnight. An early example of this is Soulja Boy, with songs like 2007's Crank and 2018's Rick and Morty. Another great example is Yung Gravy, who rose to stardom after his 2018 viral hit “Mr. Clean”, and would later combine with bbno$, who also had his own viral hit in 2019 with “Lalala”, to form a great dynamic duo. A third and final example is Freddie Dredd. Although his music isn't as humorous as the artists mentioned above, his music catapulted to viral stardom with his 2019 hit “Cha Cha” notably being used on TikTok. Each of these artists has used his music on TikTok countless times.

Well, the three artists found themselves performing together at the Hollywood Palladium on December 1. 4, 2022 in a show that was as funny as it was energetic.

The night began with DJ Tiiiiiiiiiiip from Yung Gravy. He also acted as emcee, not only performing music but also interacting with the crowd through the use of a Google Slides presentation, mixed with various gifs and jokes.

After the initial laughs came first act Freddie Dredd, known for his style of music that emphasizes a Memphis Rap and Phonk sound, combined with aggressive lyrics to boot. Dredd, a Canadian rapper, is someone who has been on my wish list of artists to watch since a friend showed me his music in 2021. His style of music really brings out something primitive in listeners, it makes the listener feel like if there was a villain marching down a dark alley at night, and that was definitely present in his performance. Both his newer tracks like “Limbo” and “Want” and older tracks like “All Alone” and “Sweater” were great starts to the night as they raised the energy of the crowd. It's impossible to listen to Freddie Dredd and not want to jump or at least hit your head, and I would combine the energy of the crowd with his movements and facial expressions, his whole body and head shaking to the music, and the way his face screamed primal as he sang his lyrics with such authority.

Although Freddie Dredd makes aggressive music, he is often said to be a light-hearted person, and that was evident when Yung Gravy came on stage to hug Freddie. The smile on Freddie's face was priceless. And, keeping in tune with that joy, his performance was rounded off with a song that could only make sense to an artist like Dredd: an EDM remix of “Hamster Dance.”

After Freddie Dredd came the man, the myth, the legend, Soulja Boy himself, along with his entourage. Soulja Boy was also another reason I decided to go to the Los Angeles show instead of the San Diego show, sorry San Diego. I was interested in listening live to Internet classics from my childhood, and I surely wasn't disappointed. Soulja Boy featured a deep discography of songs that have established themselves in the internet hall of fame, including the aforementioned “Crank That” and “Rick Morty,” but also “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” and “Pretty Boy Swag.” . Soulja Boy knew what the crowd wanted and he gave them exactly that. Their performance also felt like something out of the 2000s and 2010s internet age with their DJ constantly using the air horn sound effect prevalent in both music and internet humor at the time, along with the use of his iconic line, “Soulja Boy, tell them” as a sound bite. At one point he even walked off stage and walked to the barrier to get closer to the audience and continue rapping, it was something I was not expecting and he stayed there for a considerable amount of time.Memes aside, Soulja Boy's performance was an overall treat.

Then, after a quick 30-minute set from DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip that kept the mood in the air, the men of the hour arrived: Yung Gravy and bbno$. He knew before going into this show that some of the best work for these artists was when they were together. As a couple, they have made songs like “Whip A Tesla” and the entirety of the “Baby Gravy 2” album, along with numerous singles. To make an analogy, it's basically Shaq and Kobe; each can play alone, but together they are unstoppable, and that was evident in the show. Both artists took turns performing together and then solo, both able to keep the audience's energy going throughout their performances – the entire Palladium was jumping, dancing and having a good time. The crowd was not only enthusiastic about the music, but also got very involved with the duo. One of the notable things about Yung Gravy and bbno$'s tour is that they promised that every bra thrown on stage would result in a bra donation to a women's shelter. As a result, throughout the show, bras were thrown from left to right across the stage, both as a show of love for the duo and solidarity with the cause. At one point in the show, a girl, resting on someone's shoulders, started a bra barrage towards the stage, to which Yung Gravy noticed her and praised her. I had the opportunity to interview her after the show to get her thoughts.

“When I saw their TikToks about throwing bras, I thought I'd bring my own to throw on stage for fun, until they posted that they were donating all of them to women's shelters, which I think is incredibly sweet and selfless. A few days before the show, my best friend and I bought $100 worth of bras and put them in a clear bag. I tried to throw them on the stage a few times but kept missing. I figured since I was missing by a few feet I could move forward a bit so it would at least land on the stage. I asked a guy if he could come by and he offered me to climb on his shoulders. I felt a little bad for stopping the show, but it was good for a cause and Yung Gravy knows I exist” – Sarah, @sarahcheangg

In addition to receiving bras for her charity drive, the duo also gave a bit of their own. At one point in the show, Yung Gravy grabbed a large bouquet of roses, walked over to the barrier, and began handing them out to the lucky fans, of which I was one, just a little flex.

He also handed out a signed shoe to two audience members, and bbno$ donated a cookbook to any audience member who thought they had been partying the entire show. A final surprise for the entire audience was when Yung Gravy mentioned that he had a special guest and introduced Jesse McCartney, something no one expected. I didn't know who he was at first, but he really made a lasting impression on me when I heard him sing live. McCartney is capable of singing well and brought an interesting, but welcome change of pace as parts of the crowd went wild for him.

Speaking of music, forgetting the music would be a disservice. The duo made their most outstanding discography, such as the aforementioned “Mr. Clean”, Whip A Tesla”, “and Lalala”, but also “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot”, “Gravy Train”, Welcome to Chilis”, “Edamame” and “Bad Boy”. The two of them just make some of the most entertaining songs you can party to. To say that I had fun would be an understatement. Hopefully, the Gravy Train makes a stop in Los Angeles (or San Diego) soon, for another edition of the Yung Gravy; Dynamic duo bbno$.

I also got the opinion of my friend who accompanied me. This is what he had to say:

“The overall show was pretty solid as the main act (BBNO$ and Yung Gravy) stood out on stage. As for the side acts, I had mixed feelings. Starting with Freddie Dreed. I enjoyed his acting and it was my first time seeing him act. As for Soulja Boy, it was a bit average, since many of the fans don't really know all of his songs. But, the song that everyone knows and enjoys is “Crank That”. As for the surprise performance where they brought in Jesse McCartney, and to be honest, I don't know much about the artist, but I see there were some people who knew him and went crazy. Overall, the event was a great experience, especially ahead of finals week at UCLA. I would definitely recommend others to see them perform because bbno$ and Yung Gravy will rock your world!” – Fernando, @lil_fernie_eat

Images courtesy of Helix Creative Solution