North Texas Daily

Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee, otherwise known as hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd, performed at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday on the UNT stage.

The two brothers, although born in California, spent most of their childhood years in Tupelo, Mississippi. They were raised in the Ida Street housing projects, a place where some of the worst crimes in the state occur.

As if that was not enough, their parents divorced early on in their youth, leaving the brothers to seek shelter in abandoned homes throughout the already dangerous area.

With very few role models surrounding them, the pair found inspiration from David Banner, another Mississippi native doing big things in the music industry. It was then that music became their peace-of-mind amongst all of the chaos and crime around them.

“When we were growing up, it was just about perseverance,” Slim Jxmmi said.

Having that attitude served them well. The brothers taught themselves how to DJ, record beats and use their natural born gifts as performers to generate a local buzz.

What once started as local abandoned house parties, soon turned into an appearance on BET’s “Wild Out Wednesday” segment for 106th & Park. They caught the attention of a producer in Tupelo by the name of P-Nazty, who then introduced the duo to super producer Mike WiLL Made-It’s Eardrummers Entertainment production team. The rest is history.

Slim Jxmmi from the group Rae Sremmurd performing on the UNT stage at Oaktopia Fest 2016. Taylor Ratcliff

The brothers were scheduled to play at 10 p.m. but because of the rain, the show was pushed back a half hour to ensure the safety of the equipment and the artists as they performed. Many people took shelter under nearby vendor tents as they waited for the storm to pass.

Oaktopia’s official twitter page assured everyone that the show would continue and their word was kept. By 10:15 p.m., a large crowd of people had regathered at the UNT stage, ready to “start a party.”

“Their show was something that I’d been wanting to see,” Oaktopia attendee Derek Nelson said. “They bring a lot of energy and excitement and it radiates to others. They’re so diverse that a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds can have fun at the same time.”

At a Rae Sremmurd concert, if anything is certain, it is that fans can expect showers of champagne, water and pineapples.

The DJ took the stage before anyone else, using his time before the show to set up, smoke and interact with fans. On the table were huge bottles of water, champagne and a single pineapple.

The show began promptly. Slim Jxmmi entered first, wearing a large pink mink coat and smoke goggles. Swae Lee followed just behind him in a long green jacket, wearing all white underneath.

They wasted no time going into their first song, “Start A Party.” They hopped and danced around, smoke shooting out of the stage. The crowd sang along, waving their arms and dancing excitedly.

“Their performance was pretty lit,” attendee Mike Fox said. “We needed that little personality to come through the city and turn things up, especially with all of the bad that’s been going on.”

Swae Lee from the duo Rae Sremmurd performing on the UNT stage at Oaktopia. Taylor Ratcliff

As their set went further on, the crowd at the stage grew larger. Rae Sremmurd’s sound quickly overpowered the stage beside it.

The brothers went through several crowd favorites such as “No Flex Zone,” “Come Get Her,” “No Type” and “Up Like Trump.” With each song the crowd became more invested.

At one point, the brothers instructed the crowd to grab something they all could throw. When the beat dropped, they wanted them to throw everything up in the air. The crowd obeyed and sure enough, up went beach balls, hats and even shoes.

“The show was cool, I loved it,” Rae Sremmurd’s DJ Jay Sremm said. “I saw a lot of forty-year-olders out there, but we liked you guys’ energy.”

The duo thanked the fans for partying with them before they left the stage, adding that they were planning on attending a few other parties in the Denton area and may even attend the Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday.

They encouraged the crowd to come and hang out with them while they were in town.

Featured Image: The duo Rae Sremmurd performing on the UNT stage at Oaktopia Fest 2016. Taylor Ratcliff