Being on the rap scene for a while, it seemed like a long time coming for Devlin to be on tour promoting his debut album Bud, Sweat & Tears, the album that will arguably allow him to solidify his position as one of the top MC’s in the UK.

Known for his prowess on the mic, high expectations were felt amongst the crowd in anticipation for the evening.

Ghetts, who was Devlin’s supporting act, was electrifying, bouncing around the stage like an energizer bunny; delighting the crowd with tracks such as Artillary and Skadoosh. He chatted and a joked with the crowd, to finally whip them into frenzy when he brought on stage Griminal and Kano to perform with him. His presence was definitely felt and when he left the stage, there was a somewhat lull period as the DJ and Devin’s hype man tried to entertain the crowd whilst we waited for Devlin.

If keeping the crowd waiting is a hallmark for what it is to be a superstar, then Mr Devlin is up in the running, as we had to wait 40 minutes for him to come out.  When Devlin did arrive in his trademark polo shirt, all was forgotten and he was welcomed on stage like a king’s homecoming.

On set with a mini live band, Devlin kicked off the show with 1989 followed by Yesterday’s News getting the audience pumped up. He then moved onto the soulful Day and Night.

Some artists may have difficulties trying to garner the same magic in the recording studio to live on stage. For Devlin, this was no problem at all. The rawness you hear on your MP3 player is equally matched to that on stage.  One of the highlights of the show was when Ghetts and Griminal graced the stage with him for an alternative version of Game Over, which oozed with the usual male bravado. The crowd reached their euphoria when he did <Brainwashed> as they bellowed out in union “D-E-V-L-I-N”.

Without a shadow of doubt Devlin is a lyrical maestro, but his introverted personality tends to bring about a certain awkwardness to his aura. This was clearly evident in between songs when he spoke to the crowd, keeping the interaction very brief. He did have a comical moment when a fan declared her undying love to him only for Devlin to respond with, “Yeah, I love you too”. This then provoked more squeals from the female fans.

What Devlin lacked in building a rapport with the audience, he more than compensated by rapping with such intensity. This was particularly felt when he performed Our Father and Marching Through The Fog.

All in all, Devlin produced a stand out performance and judging from the reception he received from the multitude of fans who packed out the O2 Academy, things will only get better for him

WORDS: Remi Omojola