JASIAH AND $NOT LIVE AT VELVET UNDERGROUND

Jasiah and $not are two upcoming Midwestern genre-bending artists. Their sonic styles both incorporate melodic R&B, Emo Rap, Aggro Rock, Alternative Rock, and Opera. However, they each have distinct methods of delivery. Jasiah does so with loud distorted vocals while $not has a deadpan and much more mellow vocal delivery. Both artists, however, sound very well together which made for a unique and exciting North American Tour. On February 16, Jasiah and $not made their way down to Canada for the first time – performing at the sold-out and very tightly packed Velvet Underground.

Both these artists are young Gen-Z stars in the making, receiving a multitude of respective co-signs. Jasiah rose to fame with assists from 6IX9INE, Yung Bans, and Travis Barker. $not received looks from Billie Eilish, Chief Keef, and got a placement on HBO’s show Euphoria executively produced by Drake.

The night started with an individual set from $not. Paralleling his delivery-style, when $not came out, there was not much of his face to be seen outside half his eyes, nose, and teeth – which peeked out from his tightly wrapped hoodie. This was to no surprise – as the artist has embodied this as his own look, rarely being seen outside the said attire. Very surprisingly, however, was $not’s constant inclination and yearning to jump in the crowd and create mosh pits. At a point, it seemed as he was saying “Open Up the Pit” more than he was reciting his lyrics. Despite being unconventional, fans seemed to love it – and interacting with the artist during his dives. Their energy did not seem to die down ever. This was especially seen during songs Gosha and Megan where the artist’s mellow cadence was scarcely heard over the crowd’s yelling of the lyrics.

After $not, Jasiah almost immediately came out. This was greatly received by the crowd and Jasiah immediately embodied his eccentric personality by screaming from the get-go. Jasiah rarely stood still during his set creating a visual presence that was very interesting to observe. His hair frequently covered his face while he pranced around the stage. Jasiah had longer intermissions between his songs than $not – not necessarily being a negative thing – where he showed his character and expressed how grateful he was for everyone in the audience. It was heartwarming to see Jasiah come off as a genuinely very nice person which unfamiliar individuals would completely not expect from his often-aggressive lyrics. Jasiah’s best moments on stage were seen during his performances of Shenanigans, Fdd, and Case 19 which saw $not come on for his verse. After this instance, $not stayed on stage assisting Jasiah on tracks, adlibs, and overall enlightening the performance by providing on-stage duality.

It seemed as if little time was spent on the production-value aspect of this tour, as there were not any stage theatrics implemented to the show. This is forgivable as this is their very first headlining tour and Velvet Underground is a fairly small venue – leaving little room for theatrics. The artists’ unique personalities and effort put into performing – for the most part – filled the void that was present without this. Moving forward, it would be intriguing to see a Jasiah and $not show where dynamic lighting, stage fog, and electronic visuals are used. As previously stated, this would require a larger venue. However, at the pace that both of these artists are growing in streams, followers, and fans, the expectation is that they will grow expeditiously. It is important to note that both of these musicians are anticipated to have a shot at the 2020 XXL “Freshman Class” – XXL’s annual ten artists to watch who get featured on the cover of their magazine. This list has housed some of the biggest artists such as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Lil Uzi Vert, and it would be a great look for both these musicians.

Ultimately, Jasiah and $not delivered for their first-ever tour. Both the similarities and contrasts in their musical styles and delivery created a unique night that treated fans to the content of two headlining artists. It allowed fans to get an intimate up-close and personal look into the artists and treated them to a night of well-performed music.

Redwan Majumder
Redwan Majumder is a law school student, writer, and photographer based out of Toronto, Canada. His creative work can be found on Instagram at www.instagram.com/redwan.majumder
Redwan Majumder
Redwan Majumder

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