Dom Kennedy Returns To New York; Leaves Fans Awaiting The Yellow Album

A visibly sick and vocally strained Dom Kennedy made his way on stage at The High Line Ballroom Friday night. “I’ve been taking all types of medicine and stuff man. I did my best to pull it through,” says 28 year-old Kennedy recapping the show. It didn’t matter that he was sick for the past four days; he gave his fans just what they wanted.

This was Dom Kennedy’s second show in New York City. After last year’s packed show at the smaller hip-hop venue SOB’s, the coolest rapper from the West made the integral step to repeat it again but on a larger scale. This time he sold out The Highline Ballroom. Throughout the show, Kennedy and DJ Drew Byrd played a short but strong medley of his catalogue. Last year, Dom gained some new fans with his first album, From The Westside With Love II. This year in New York, his sustainability was captured when he performed “Watermelon Sundae,” from his 2008 mixtape, 25th Hour. This time fans rapped it along with him shouting lyrics such as “If you wasn’t into me, I’d probably date your shoes.” And after six projects of consistent bangers and motivational records, Dom Kennedy is a brand that people can trust. Kennedy is a star. He has the potential to be the biggest rapper on the West Coast.

With consistent material coming from the Leimert Park emcee, it’s a wonder why he hasn’t signed a major label deal. It’s a simple formula. The girls love him and the guys want to be just like him. When asked about The Big Apple’s reaction to his work, Dom isn’t too surprised they like it. “Niggas know what tight shit sounds like. The same way when I was in L.A, and we listened to Biggie because we was like this shit sound truer than a muthafucka. It sounds good. It makes sense. The fact that they show me the amount of love that they do; I just take it as they’re acknowledging it and saying thank you. We fuck with it,” he says.

Dom Kennedy and his team embarked on this tour without the highly anticipated Yellow Album for fans just yet, although he did preview a new track off the upcoming album. It’s a bouncy, brassy, ghetto anthem reminiscent of “Grind’n.” He raps, “ How you gon’ win if you never wanna risk nothing… Leimert Park niggas never runnin’. They Been thuggin’. New York niggas never runnin’. They been thuggin.” It’s clear his greatest mainstream potential exists in songs like “1997” and “Designer Shit” but fans also love the versatility given with tracks like “It Was Beautiful” and “Dom’s Prayer.” It’s been awhile since we’ve had a mainstream ready rapper with good sense.