Feelin' Felly

By Danielle Clough

As Felly took the stage at the Westcott Theater this past Thursday, the crowd bolted towards him and immediately started bouncing up and down to the beachy rhythms and intricate raps. Connecticut rapper Felly has mastered the production of jazz-influenced, beachy syncopations, and trap elements to concoct something of his own style. Generated his own genre of music and naming his album after the fact is a bold move — nonetheless brilliant.

Felly then brought up fellow rapper Trip Carter to perform their song, “Bag Season,” produced on Felly’s sixth studio album. The pair rapped back and forth, feeding off of the other’s energy to a track with tropical attributes.

After his performance of “Pretty Girl,” Felly asked the crowd if it was okay for him and his entourage to play live music. Felly on the guitar, Trip Carter on the bass, Gyyps on the drums, and Solwas on the piano — the group curated a version of their Surf Trap genre with live instruments. This time, the sound encompassed psychedelia as the piano stretched wavelengths and the cymbals echoed quietly behind Felly’s soft singing.

Felly’s jazz-influence shown through during his live instrumentals — as well as his vocals. The tropical alternative indie vibe of the show summed up his take on his own performance — “planet of life.”

As the vibe died down from the upbeat raps to a melodic live performance, Felly stood solo as he sang his tribute to late rapper, Mac Miller, in a performance of “Come Back to Earth.”

Staying true to the tour, Felly welcomed back Surf Trap by telling the crowd “when you wake up tomorrow you’re a brand new motherfucker.” By the end of the performance all three rappers on the tour, Gyyps, Trip Carter, and Felly, jumped around the stage in a high-energy finale.