Review: Two rising hip-hop stars showcase their talents in mighty ways

Smino looked out at the capacity crowd assembled before him on Saturday night at the Fox Theater in Oakland and tried to assess how many first-timers were in the mix.

“I want you to make some noise if this is your first time seeing Smino live,” the St. Louis native instructed.

And much noise was indeed made.

But Smino still wanted to know more.

“Now, I want you to make some noise if this is your last time seeing Smino live,” he said.

And, as expected, the response was much quieter. (Although some party people in the house still happily made some noise, because, well, it was a Saturday night and they were just ready to hoot and holler.)

Yes, hip-hop fans should expect to see much more of Smino, who’s career is just really starting to blossom after years of doing the legwork to nicely position himself in the industry.

The same can definitely be said of Atlanta rapper J.I.D., Smino’s co-headliner on this Luv Is 4Ever North American Tour.

The pairing is proving to be a potent draw across the country — especially at the Fox, where J.I.D. and Smino were set to draw another full house on Sunday.

“I want to thank you for selling out this (expletive) two nights in a row,” J.I.D. said to the crowd on Saturday.

It’s easy to understand why it was so hard to find a ticket to the Bay Area stand — with potential buyers seemingly outnumbering sellers outside the Fox on Saturday — since the show features two rising stars in the hip-hop game.

J.I.D. and Smino, who are in their early 30s, are both touring in support of their third full-length studio albums and appear ready to take their careers to the next level. They are incredibly talented rappers and their showings at the Fox illustrated that they have developed strong bonds with their fans over the years.

Smino was the first of the two rappers to take the stage, standing in front of a backdrop of two large hearts positioned so that their points were nearly touching. The hearts were used as video screens, projecting what was happening onstage as well as other imagery.

Smino — who, like J.I.D., is a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang with Buddy and Guapdad 4000 — showcased his smooth flow and stage savvy as he opened the set with such offerings as “Klink” (from the 2018 sophomore outing “Noir”) and the non-album single “Rice & Gravy.”

“If you came to party, say yeah!” Smino exclaimed.

The crowd was definitely in the party mood, bouncing energetically in the general admission floor area as Smino continued through such fan favorites as “Z4L” (also from “Noir”) and “Netflix & Dusse” (from the 2017 debut “blkswn”). He’d also touch upon a number of tracks from his lastest album, 2022’s “Luv 4 Rent,” including “90 Proof” and “Blue Billy.”

J.I.D.’s set was at least as impressive, especially when he focused on his most recent full-length, “The Forever Story,” which was one of the best hip-hop albums of 2022. In particular, “Bruddanem” and “Kody Blu 31” — two standout tracks from the album — were true highlights of his set.

The jazzy “Workin Out,” from the 2018 sophomore effort “DiCaprio 2,” proved to be an excellent showcase for his smooth vocal work. He’d then go the other direction and burn through the lyrics as he rapped at hyper-speed through the same album’s “Off Deez.”

In all, Luv Is 4Ever proved to be a great doubleheader, featuring two hip-hop talents who we should be hearing much more from in the years to come.