Live Review: B Wise

B Wise may not yet be a household name in Australia, but his industry cred is continuing to rise on the back of his slick and confident live performances. His show at Rocket Bar was entirely riveting from start to finish and the audience were transfixed all the way through.

It would have been good to have a touring rapper on supports for this show, but understandably B Wise is still growing his profile and perhaps the costs couldn’t justify it. Nevertheless, DJs had some intense hip hop and R'n'B mixes happening near the start which had the crowd buzzing early. This is always good for hip hop shows as the energy levels are high leading into the main sets.

The MC for B Wise really got the crowd in the mood for the show, hyping up the rapper well before his actual start and playing some great tunes. When B Wise emerged, his super confident stage banter appeared effortless, making him all the more charismatic. The production was fantastic with some flangey funk sounds and some great EQ mixing, which brought the levels down and up, similar to old school house mixes.

As a rapper, B Wise is fluid, confident and clear without the sort of ocker stylings of older Australian hip hop acts such as Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals or Bliss N Eso. This seems like it’s part of a new wave of a more multicultural hip hop movement within Australia with the likes of Tkay Maidza, Kwame, L-FRESH The LION and Arno Faraji also gaining in popularity. B Wise is actually one of the picks of the bunch with his softer soul and funk backing and easy listening hip hop sensibilities. 

Risk It sounded very sweet with a solid call and response with crowd. The cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers' classic Under The Bridge was great, but could have been enhanced with a live band. Older track Prince Akeem always sounds excellent live and the performance of recent single The Code could not be flawed. B Wise is pretty great at whatever he does and his confidence on stage and fantastic backing tracks create a very slick, very professional vibe. If you are a fan of Australian hip hop, definitely keep an eye out for the next B Wise tour.