Last Tuesday night on Oct. 9 marked the return of rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to the Wellmont Theater. In what was a much anticipated show, due to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s hot moment in the rap game, fans did not disappoint and made themselves present outside of the Wellmont well before doors opened.
Once the venue’s doors opened, the excitement was noticeable as fans filled the streets of Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, making their way toward 5 Seymour St. Fans who were not in line to enter rushed to the line where they underwent security check. Those who arrived early to get front seats stood excited with their ticket in hand.
Inside the venue, fans were entertained with today’s most popular hits, ranging from Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba” to Drake’s “Nonstop.” An already packed Wellmont Theater came to life as fans on both the floor and balcony section sang along to their favorite hits while waiting for the Bronx, New York rapper’s arrival to the stage.
After a couple opening performances from up-and-coming artists, it was evident that fans could not wait any longer. The message was loud and clear: fans wanted A Boogie.
“A Boogie!” chants started to erupt from everywhere—all the way from the balcony to the floor— and each time they seemed to get louder.
At approximately 10 p.m., Artist Julius Dubose, better known as A Boogie, hit the stage. The Wellmont Theater went wild as the “Drowning” artist walked across the stage. A Boogie stopped and admired the crowd in attendance before starting what would be almost an hour of live performance.
The Highbridge neighborhood rapper performed songs only day-one fans would know, recent releases and even never before heard music from his upcoming “Artist 2” album. The record is a follow-up to his 2016 mixtape “Artist” and is set to be released later this year.
During his set A Boogie talked with the crowd numerous times, telling them how much he appreciated their support for his music. Songs he performed included “Drowning,” “My Shit,” “Beast Mode,” “Jungle,” “No Promises” and fan favorite “Say A’,” along with many more.
The rapper even took the phones of fans to record himself performing live, certainly something they will never delete or forget about. Every once in a while, A Boogie took water breaks and later performed another song with the same energy.
At 10:56 p.m., A Boogie thanked fans for attending the show and walked off the stage. Fans could simply not ask for more of a performance. Fans proceeded to exit The Wellmont Theater after having witnessed a great show. Other fans took their final pictures with friends to remember an unforgettable night at the Wellmont.
“It was better than I thought,” said Stephanie Celis, 17, as she waited for her ride to pick her up outside the Wellmont.
Celis came from neighboring Clifton, New Jersey, and said she had a great time.
“It was an amazing show,” Celis said. “The turn up was real.”
Ratiba Megalla, 16, said she was part of the many attendees who screamed “A Boogie!” long before he hit the stage.
“I wanted him to perform earlier,” said Megalla, who resides in Secaucus, New Jersey.
A Boogie performs at Montclair’s Wellmont Theater for the second time. Cristian Inga | The Montclarion Photo credit: Cristian Inga
Though A Boogie made Megalla, along with others wait, Megalla said it was worth it.
“He performed all the songs I wanted –’Jungle’ and ‘Beast Mode,’” Megalla said.
A Boogie delivered an unforgettable night for the many fans that filled up The Wellmont Theater. The night was filled with old songs, recent songs and unreleased songs that fans got to dance and sing along to. Though A Boogie has reached so much success at his young age, he remains humble and that is a trait fans love him for.
This is what makes him a unique artist that fans can connect with. As a Bronx native, Jersey is not too unknown for A Boogie. After the show, A Boogie walked the streets of Montclair like an ordinary person, taking pictures with fans who filled Bloomfield Avenue.
A Boogie then drove himself away into the darkness of the night as fans waived and screamed “Goodbye Boogie!”
