Hip-hop artist and Huntington Beach, California-native Yung Pinch brought his “All 4 the Love” tour to Newport Music Hall Tuesday night. His debut album, “714Ever,” was released in 2016, and since, he’s emerged as a rising artist in the hip-hop scene.
Yung Pinch’s entrance immediately grabbed my attention. His set began with “Here We Go Again,” and the crowd seemed to know every word. Pinch’s track “No Good” came on next and the fans nearly started a mosh pit. His deep bass and quick rhythm helped the crowd’s overall experience as well.
The highlight of the night came when Yung Pinch performed his hit track, “Look Like,” which was very melodic and extremely well received, Pinch’s audience sang in unison, and his fans were perhaps one of the most vocal crowds I’ve ever seen.
Yung Pinch also performed an interesting cover of “Say it Ain’t So” by Weezer. The hip-hop take on a rock classic might have been my personal favorite moment from his set. Toward the end, Pinch performed his biggest hit to date, “When I Was Yung.” I could barely think with the crowd noise. Snapchat’s and phone lights practically lit the entire stage.
As for the openers, hip-hop group Insomniacs blew the roof off. Local to Columbus, the group’s presence was well received. Its aggressive hip-hop sound created an electric atmosphere. Time and time again, Insomniacs urged the crowd to move, and surprisingly, fans nearly packed the floor for the opening artist. The group was thankful for the fans and showed Columbus love.
Just before Yung Pinch took the stage, DJ Maniac hyped up the crowd. He showed the fans a good time performing various popular songs. Hits varied across the hip-hop spectrum, including Drake’s “God’s Plan.” A clear cut highlight came when he performed “Dark Knight Dummo” by Trippie Redd. The hit track from the Canton, Ohio, native shook the crowd.
Overall, Yung Pinch really surprised me. He has a much bigger following in Columbus than I anticipated. His repetitive lyricism grew old to me after a while, but in today’s hip-hop, he is following the blueprint of a charting hip-hop artist. One thing that upset me is the fact that he barely sang. Backing tracks carried his performance as he jumped around the stage. That being said, he really took control of the Columbus crowd. He thanked the fans for coming out and truly seemed genuine.
All in all, I’d say it was a 6.5/10.