EARTHGANG @ SLC Twilight 07.12.2025

Atlanta hip-hop duo EARTHGANG kicked off this year's SLC Twilight Concert Series. Photo: Diego Andino.

Concert

There’s a heap of praise I could give to EARTHGANG, a duo that continues to withstand the test of rap-trend time and distill down all the discordant elements that make Atlanta rap so magical — from sometimes freaky to relaxed Southern cool, the Spillage Village rappers can do almost no wrong. The landscape of the Atlanta rap scene has never been hotter and seems to throw up new lyrists daily, and though Olu and WowGr8 don’t float to the top of the charts as often these days, they remain as prolific as ever, collaborating with Damon Albarn, Snoop Dogg and T-Pain on their newest record PERFECT FANTASY under J.Cole’s own Dreamville Records. It’s rare that such an accomplished group would grace Salt Lake City, but we’ve been blessed.

Their high-energy set was genuinely wacky, as I saw the group walk out to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles,” pausing on every other lyric for the audience to fill in for the vocals as both Olu and WowGr8 took turns shouting, “You should know this!” The call and response theme continued throughout the set, from shouting “Earth?” “Gang!” to filling in the lyrics of their most notable tracks. For a group that is often categorized as lo-fi, EARTHGANG blew the metaphorical roof off the Gallivan Center and may end up being one of the best and tightest sets I’ve seen in 2025.

Opening guest spots from Utah’s own hip-hop outfit Bad Luck Brigade and Detroit R&B-turned-noise-rock singer JMSN also shone very brightly. BLB is a supercharged group overflowing with talent and attitude. It’s just a matter of time before their throwback, lounge-style hip-hop makes it into the mainstream and carries them into the spotlight they deserve.

JMSN’s set was fascinating. The former The Game collaborator dropped the soft R&B turtleneck for a grimy stained white shirt. I can only assume we were graced with a full performance of his yet-to-be-announced album that took place ahead of his cell phone-free shows in LA and NYC. For fans of JMSN’s old music, this pivot is one of the most extreme I have known and could pass as a Nine Inch Nails blended with Wormrot project. It’s loud, guttural and sexy. I can’t wait to hear it again in its entirety.

This set was the kickoff show of the Salt Lake City Twilight Concert Series, which features upcoming performances from bands like Japanese Breakfast, Waxahatchee and Big Thief. If you want to witness the some of the best shows SLC has to offer this summer, get your tickets at saltlakearts.org.