Exploring Rap Through Collaboration

RAP ARTISTS FETTY WAP AND MONTY KEEP TO CRAFT

On Feb. 24, the weather was warm and the energy was hot as thousands of Denverites congregated at the Fillmore Auditorium to see rap artist Fetty Wap perform as a part of the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour. The night also included fellow RGF Productions artists like Post Malone and Monty.

As the lights dimmed and a purple glow took over the auditorium, the beat of “Come My Way” dropped and Fetty Wap crept onto the stage. The concert attendees went wild, singing every word to the single.

Barely 10 minutes into his performance, Fetty addressed the crowd, saying, “I want to bring on my brother right now,” as upcoming rap artist Monty entered the stage. Monty is featured on several of Fetty’s songs including “Come My Way” and “679.”

As a young rapper, Monty has explored his creative process alongside Fetty in order to create cohesive pieces of music. “We are always in the studio,” Monty said. “Between the two of us, it’s competitive, and we hold each other accountable and push the other one to be better and do more.”

Though Monty is a novice in the rap scene, he has a clear vision of what kind of music he wants to create. “I want to work with a great female artist at some point and do something unique,” Monty said. “Fetty and I want to create music that is unique to us, but also hot, where we try different things and see what works.”

Monty has been an integral piece of the Fetty Wap tour this year and hopes to spread his positivity to fans. “I want everyone to know that they can do it,” Monty said. “Dreams come true. We really are from the hood and we just kept to it. Keep working hard at something and love what you do.”

For the rest of show, the two rappers and friends entranced the crowd with their stage presence. They both had a grandiose amount of energy and sang in unison to every song as sweat dripped off their foreheads. The crowd loved their rendition of Fetty’s charting song “Trap Queen,” which peaked at number two in 2015.

The show concluded with every member of RGF, Post Malone, Monty, and Fetty Wap performing together in one major finale. The finale was something rare and exciting, as it included every person who performed, and made the deep sense of camaraderie between everyone obvious. The concert was full of energy and seasoned talent, and brought a cohesive experience to concertgoers.

—Ashley Bauler

Above: Rap artist Fetty Wap brought a high energy to the Fillmore Auditorium.

photo: Nicole Elizabeth • CU Denver Sentry