Review: Sasha Go Hard At Santos Party House
Here’s an indicator of the presence of Chicago’s drill scene in hip-hop. Sasha Go Hard, the 20-year-old from the city’s South Side, kicked off her NYC debut last night at Santos Party House by arriving to the stage to Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like.” At this point, the song’s riotous energy and lyrics were pretty familiar with the crowd. It set the tone for her entire set—to the delight of many. After building a fan base from her viral street anthems, it’s safe to say that Sasha is breaking out of her regional popularity. “Make some noise if you are ready to turn up!” Sasha shouted as she hit the stage for her first headlining look. Wearing a black tee with the words “Sasha Go Hard” written in yellow and dark shades, the drill princess wasted little time keeping the crowd fired up. She went in with her standout cuts from her second mixtape Do You Know Who I Am?—first with “Why They Mad?” and then the inked up anthem “Tatted.” Chi-Town’s go-to video director and producer DGainz was her hype man for the night, which he accentuated all of her hard-hitting punchlines. Overall, it was a brief set, which made a lot of sense considering she only has a few bangers to her name. “Make some noise if you ready to turn up again,” she asked, before launching into her breakout single, “Welcome to the Real World.” Unlike her first two songs, it didn’t have the same power and weight for a crazy crowd response. Still, she finished strong with the Young Chop-produced “I Think I Like That” that shot up the intensity levels. Sasha Go Hard is proof that the new wave of drill music is gaining momentum. Other budding movements such as the talented Le1f, who turned in solid performances of “Wut” and other Dark York mixtape cuts, are craving their own lanes, but fans have taken a liking to rhymes about the city’s gritty realism. Like many of the teenage artists coming up, Sasha is just appreciative to soak it all in. “Big shout out to everybody who here. We love ya’ll.”
