Saul Jimenez
Oct 29, 2026
On his first solo headlining tour, the Los Angeles rapper brought West Coast anthems and deeply personal storytelling to Phoenix, balancing high-energy performances with moments of vulnerability.
From the beginning AZ Chike made it clear that Phoenix was in for a rollercoaster of emotions, emphasizing that “we’re all here to turn up” but stating there’s nothing wrong with “crying at the club”. On the more upbeat and positive side the LA rapper ran through popular collaborations like “Look Like My Mama” with Tyler the Creator, “Movie” with Schoolboy Q, and “peekaboo” with Kendrick Lamar. While those may be his most popular songs on streaming platforms, arguably the biggest crowd reactions came from No Rest for the Wicked tracks “Packed Up”, and “Lamb Truck Keys”, along with a big pop for 2017’s “Burn Rubber Again”.
For the encore, AZ Chike gave fans the choice between the two N.R.F.T.W tracks and concluded Phoenix was deserving of hearing both! In contrast, AZ Chike was able to mix in some more real moments in between the hits. None more impactful than his anecdote about his late friend Mikey, who is the voice behind the outro on “Hateful + Ungrateful”.
AZ Chike told the story about the song being one of the first tracks made for N.R.F.T.W, and how Mikey tragically passed just a few months after recording that sound bite. Despite the tragedy, AZ Chike had great perspective to share about the beauty of music, stating that in a way putting his voice on the album was a way to immortalize him forever. He was also able to get the crowd “crying at the club” with vulnerable storytelling songs like “Uncomfortable Conversations” and “Rock Bottom” that feature raw and honest lyrics about insecurity post GNX, and the hardships he faced to get to this point in his career.
AZ Chike employs a distinct west coast sound with clever lines that stick to your head, and his emphatic delivery adds to his appeal. Despite this being his first solo headlining tour, he’s no stranger to the stage and it shows. Before this tour, he has supported Shoreline Mafia on their 2017-2018 tour, had big time guest appearances with Kendrick Lamar (including the infamous “Pop-Out” show in LA), and made festival appearances at Rolling Loud, and Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw. Between dancing with fans in the front rows and bantering with DJ Scout (who lives in Arizona), AZ Chike showed he knows how to put on a captivating performance.