NoCap Presents the Mr. Crawford Tour

On May 14th, 2022, NoCap, real name Kobe Vidal Crawford, is set to perform at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Born in 1998, NoCap hails from Mobile, Alabama, and is known for his sing-song delivery, melodic beats and creative wordplay. His sixth full length project, “Mr. Crawford,” made its debut on April 29th, just weeks prior to his performance in the cities.

For those unfamiliar with NoCap’s discography good introductory cuts would be Ghetto Angels, Vaccine, and Radar. All three tracks boast more than seven million plays on Spotify alone. In addition to crafting a club bopper that will make just about anyone want to dance along, NoCap is known for his innovative wordplay. One of my personal favorites comes from the song Vaccine on which the 23-year-old MC raps, “soon as you don’t acknowledge them n****s go to switching sides, from a cell to a mansion like I am Quagmire.” Here NoCap is referencing his past run-ins with the law that resulted in him doing a stint behind bars, and how he parlayed his bad situation into his current lifestyle. For anyone who has seen Family Guy, Quagmire does have a big man-chin.

Another one of my favorite examples of NoCap’s versatility and innovative wordplay comes from the track No Patience produced by CashMoneyAP and featuring Polo G. Midway through the track NoCap sings, “I just f***ed a snowbunny ‘cause my chain got carats, made her pull up to the Hilton but her name wasn’t Paris, my Louis V shoes like fruit, I got different pairs. (pears)” Since he first burst onto the scene, NoCap has had some of the best references and examples of wordplay in the modern rap scene.

NoCap’s career began in 2017 with the release of his first EP “Joker,” but things didn’t really start popping off until he released his track Legend in 2018. The music video for which quickly racked up millions of views. Since then NoCap has done some serious numbers with his own projects, with his 2019 release “The Hood Dictionary” peaking at number 80 on the Billboard 200.

Although NoCap’s music can certainly stand by itself, his 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone can attest to it; he has many good collaborations. From Lil Uzi Vert, to Kodak Black, Polo G, and DaBaby the list goes on and on. He has made guest appearances on projects created by the likes of Lil Baby and Mozzy. Additionally, No Cap is currently signed to the Never Broke Again record label, a subsidiary of Atlantic records. This relationship is evidenced by the final track on NoCap’s recent release titled Flags to The Sky, featuring NBA Youngboy.

In 2020 NoCap took to Instagram to announce that he was turning himself in to authorities and would be going to jail for a brief stint. After doing seven months behind bars NoCap has left his legal troubles behind him and appears to be on the straight and narrow. Prior to his incarceration the star took to Instagram to tell fans, “I don’t know how long ima be gone I just want to appreciate my family, fans & friends for rocking w/ me continue to do that while I’m away, I’m not gone promise y’all nothing because I know the process of dropping a album is not over night but I’m most definitely pushing for the beginning of da year ‘Mr. Crawford The Album So Soon.” This is one promise that NoCap has kept, with the release of the 21-track project on April 29th.

Featuring Kodak Black and NBA Youngboy, my favorite tracks from the project are FTW, Choppas And Ferraris, and Shackles to Diamonds just to name a few. On the aforementioned track NoCap’s clever word play is again on display with the MC rapping, “your baby bang red like Santa Claus cause he ain’t used to gettin’ up for Christmas,” and “sit at the house while im rollin’ loud probably take a hundred guns to Coachella.” His first full-length release in two years, “Mr. Crawford” is expected to do some serious numbers.

A prime example of the direction that hip-hop is currently heading, I highly recommend purchasing a ticket to NoCap’s upcoming performance at the Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis. This will mark NoCap’s third performance in Minneapolis, but his first downtown as the main headlining act. With energy, melodic beats, and out of the box wordplay, NoCap will be the hottest show in town the weekend of May 14th, a show not worth missing.