Joey Bada$$ @ The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 27 Oct

The three support acts at The Liquid Room tonight never let the energy drop for a second. There's a small, but keen crowd for Chuck Strangers and it swells as Aaron Rose takes the stage and has the whole room jumping; not bad for a couple of fifteen-minute-sets. The main support, Sampa the Great, is solid too, but struggles to maintain the exuberance of Rose. She wins the crowd over eventually though, incorporating shouts into a chorus, and throwing in a choice Lauryn Hill cover.

The support acts directly follow one another, so the 20-minute gap between Sampa and Joey provides the first chance to catch your breath. It's quickly interrupted, however, by the arrival of Joey Bada$$'s DJ playing a selection of bangers from the likes of Dre, Kendrick and Waka Flocka Flame that pushes the crowd into overdrive.

Bada$$ eventually arrives and works through a selection of cuts from his latest, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, the record that comprises most of the set. He's energised and the crowd respond by bouncing, moshing and singing/rapping back every word. The initial rush is complemented by a run of hits in the middle of the set, including Y U Don't Love Me?, Amerikkkan Idol and 95 Til Infinity.

Bada$$ is chatty and genial throughout, but focused on the music, leaving the flourishes to his DJ. Survival Tactics elicits one of the biggest reactions (and moshpits) of the night as he pays tribute to Capital STEEZ, who featured on the original before his untimely death in 2012. After a typically raucous Devastated, Bada$$ returns with the support acts to thank the crowd. A chant of “Joey, Joey, Joey fucking Bada$$” (to the tune of "Here we, here we, here we fucking go”) is given an impromptu beat that Bada$$ then freestyles over. It's a nice touch to finish a show that is equal parts rap virtuosity and club excess.