On record Pusha T's trademark is his cold flow but he's a much warmer live performer. The vibe is still raw and dark but Pusha exudes more energy than menace. Even his coldest couplets are delivered with a hint of a smile.
Pusha T's career has been enjoying a renaissance since he hooked up with Kanye West and the G.O.O.D music family. He gives both the label and it's founder multiple between song shout-outs.
Most of the set is drawn from his October 2013 release My Name is My Name. After a slew of mixtapes the album was his first official record as a solo performer. The album's production was controlled by Kanye West who was still very much in a Yeezus frame of mind when we was working on the album. The record works really well live. His raw raps cut through the record's expansive arraignments.
Dublin's Button Factory was packed and sweaty by the time Pusha took to the stage just after 9 o'clock.
The likes of 'King Push' and 'Numbers on the Board' are individual highlights but the show's standout passage is the middle section when he fires through a mix of his G.O.O.D music and Kanye West features. 'Runaway', 'So Appalled', 'Mercy', 'New God Flow' and the Cruel Summer version of Chief Keef's 'Don't Like' send the crowd into overdrive.
Pusha talks a lot about staying raw and being a street rapper but his contemplative quasi-ballad '40 Acres' has to be one of the most underrated hip hop tracks released in the last year. He plays it as the first track of his encore. It breaks the set up nicely, but it's a momentary intake of breath during what is a frenetic live show.