Metro Boomin, the acclaimed producer, has not just made history but is paving the way for future artists and generations. His recent success speaks to his ability to be resilient in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. With each chart-topping hit and sold-out show, Metro not only secures his own place in music history but also ensures the continued relevance of hip-hop through its evolutions.
In a whirlwind of excitement, Metro Boomin sent shockwaves through Egypt's music scene with news of his show at the iconic Pyramids of Giza. The announcement, made via Metro Boomin's social media channels, sparked a frenzy among fans eager to see him. The concert took place at one of the world's most iconic historical landmarks.
Metro Boomin performing at the Pyramids of Giza. Source: Billboard
A Historic Performance
Metro Boomin headed to the Middle East to rock the Kundalini Grand Pyramids with a two-hour set for quite possibly the most unique concert he’s ever put on, and it all went down in Egypt on April 30. The moment was historic, the coveted producer becoming the first hip-hop producer to ever perform at the Egyptian Pyramids, a testament to his global influence.
His recent performance in Egypt was historic-selling out not just one but two nights at the iconic venue Kundalini Grand Pyramids. Metro was initially supposed to perform one show on April 30. Live Nation, the organizer, announced a second night. The tickets for the historic Giza show were completely snatched up in a jaw-dropping timeframe of under 15 minutes!
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"Sold out the Giza show in less than 15 minutes!" he exclaimed along with a fire emoji. "Excited to come to Egypt and perform in front of the Pyramids, it's gonna be a special night to remember #Boominati."
Throughout his two shows at the Kundalini Grand Pyramids venue, Metro praised his audience and carried with him a sense of wonderment at performing against the backdrop of some of the oldest structures in the world.
“I’ve always wanted to see this [the pyramids] with my own eyes, but I could never even fathom doing a show and performing in front of something as crazy and legendary and history as this,” says Metro. Metro displays this love in his Cairo shows, wrapping himself in an Egyptian flag as the epic intro of “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” with Future and Chris Brown plays out in one of his closing tracks in the set.
“Beautiful country, beautiful city, beautiful people. [You] really can’t even put it into words,” the 30-year-old native of St. “[I] kept looking at the crowd and [was] just amazed that this far around the world, this many people came to see me [and] enjoy these songs together,” the Grammy-nominated producer continued. “And then I just kept turning around and seeing this [the pyramids] behind me.
The Venue
The venue for the highly anticipated event, Kundalini, nestled at the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza, adds an extra layer of mystique and grandeur to the occasion. With a capacity ranging between 1,450 and 2,700 attendees, the stage was set for a monumental evening of music and celebration.
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Born Leland Tyler Wayne, the popular rap and trap producer DJ’d a setlist of his songs at the Kundalini Grand Pyramids. The venue was at the foot of the Pyramids of Giza complex, a global landmark that includes the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The largest of the trio, the Great Pyramid, stands at 481 feet tall.
Metro first announced his trip to Egypt in early April. His time in the Middle East came amid the wave of popularity his recent projects received.
Metro Boomin's Impact on Hip-Hop
Metro Boomin stands poised in quiet confidence, silhouetted against the backdrop of the Great Pyramids of Giza. With an aura of timeless grandeur, the three pyramids echo the iconic rhythm of his “Young Metro 3x” producer tag. In this juxtaposition of ancient wonder and contemporary music, Metro’s presence before the pyramids speaks volumes. It demonstrates hip-hop’s enduring influence and its ability to transcend time and space, from Missouri to the Middle East.
When asked about his first hip-hop memory, and what song or album compelled him to pursue the genre artistically and professionally, Metro points back to the year 2000, with the release of Nelly’s Country Grammar.
Metro’s passion for hip-hop is a driving force in his work. In 2023, when industry concerns arose regarding the genre’s stagnation, Metro took it personally.
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“I really took it personally, in the past couple years, seeing different outlets and people sh-ing on hip-hop, saying ‘hip-hop is dying, hip-hop is this, it’s been this long since there was a hip-hop No. 1,'” Metro told Billboard Arabia earlier in May. “Just trying to spin that whole hip-hop is dying narrative, at the same time trying to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. I felt they were trying to wash our genre and culture away. I’m still in the game and I take it personal.
Reflecting on his roots and the impact of his work on hip-hop, Metro’s passion for the genre is radiant. This undeniable drive propels him to continuously elevate his presence on the Billboard charts and within the genre at large. With each chart-topping hit and sold-out show, Metro Boomin not only cements his own legacy but also pays homage to hip-hop while ensuring its continued relevance for generations to come.
According to Metro Boomin, this success came as a result of what he calls “really caring,” coupled with the urgent need to continue competing with oneself in order to do better than whatever he did last.
As reported by Billboard, with We Still Don’t Trust You arriving atop the Billboard 200 only three weeks after We Don’t Trust You debuted at No. 1, that marks the shortest gap between new No. 1s by an artist since Future replaced himself at No. 1 in 2017 in successive weeks with his self-titled album (March 11, 2017, chart) and HNDRXX (March 18, 2017), both of which debuted at No.
Notably, Per Billboard Explains, Metro Boomin’s Billboard Hot 100 breakthrough as a producer came with Future’s “Honest,” which hit No. 55 in 2013. Over the next three years, he produced 23 more Hot 100 hits. He earned his first No. 1 on the Hot 100 for his work on Migos and Lil Uzi Vert’s collab “Bad and Boujee,” which topped the chart for three weeks in 2017.
The episode explains that Metro boasts a remarkable tally of 16 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including noteworthy productions like The Weeknd’s “Heartless” in 2019 and his collaborative effort with Future and Kendrick Lamar, “Like That,” which clinched the No.
His collaborations with prominent rap artists on groundbreaking albums have been stellar, with seven top 10 entries on the Billboard 200. According to Billboard Explains, notable highlights include Double or Nothing with Big Sean, which peaked at No. 6 in 2017, Savage Mode II, which ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2020, and his solo project Heroes and Villains, which claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 in 2022, maintaining a record-breaking 18-week reign atop the Top Rap Albums chart.
Collaborations with The Weeknd and Future
Metro Boomin has already unleashed two albums with Future and teased a third unknown project, but the grind doesn’t stop there for the St. Louis native. While in Egypt for a concert at the Great Pyramids of Giza in April, Spotify caught up with Young Metro where he divulged his plans for the year, which include more collaborations with The Weeknd, who’s working on his Dawn FM follow up.
“The songs we did with The Weeknd, frequent collaborator of mine, ‘Low Life’ I feel like that was the beginning of our journey to now,” he said while thinking back to their first collab alongside Future that appeared on Pluto’s 2016 EVOL album (“Low Life” reached No. 16 on the Hot 100).
He continued: “For him to appear between the two albums like four times. That’s big. You know, that’s family. Me and him working on a lot of stuff. You know, we cooking up for his new album.
The Weeknd’s signature falsetto was sprinkled throughout Metro and Future’s We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You albums, both of which topped the Billboard 200. It’s been over two years since The Weeknd’s Dawn FM album - which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 - and it sounds like he’s back in album mode, and there could be more heat in the stash from Abel and Metro.
Sample Breakdown: Future - Mask Off (prod by Metro Boomin)
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd and Future. Source: Complex
Chart Performance
Despite the accolades, Metro maintains a subtle balance of confidence and humility, driven by what feels like a clear sense of purpose in how he approaches making music and chart-topping hits.
| Album/Single | Artist(s) | Peak Position (Billboard 200/Hot 100) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honest | Future | - / 55 | 2013 |
| Bad and Boujee | Migos & Lil Uzi Vert | - / 1 | 2017 |
| Double or Nothing | Big Sean | 6 / - | 2017 |
| Heartless | The Weeknd | - / 1 | 2019 |
| Savage Mode II | 21 Savage | 1 / - | 2020 |
| Heroes & Villains | Metro Boomin | 1 / - | 2022 |
| Like That | Future, Kendrick Lamar | - / 1 | 2024 |
Table showing selected Billboard chart achievements
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tags: #Egypt
