Underachievers, Flatbush Zombies electrify the Fillmore crowd

The main criticism of rap these days is that it lacks creativity and open-mindedness. The Flatbush Zombies and the Underachievers reject this theory. The Zombies' positive messages and unique take on life combined with their masterful musical abilities has shot them from rapping in small basement studios in Brooklyn to performing at venues like Coachella. The Underachievers are a more recent development and haven't quite made it as far as the Zombies, but they certainly look to be following their path to fame.

On a frigid Friday night in Silver Spring, the two groups performed for a packed house and did not disappoint. Two opening DJs began the show as people began to file in. They established a lively party atmosphere, playing a mix of known hits and original mixes. Popular songs by A$AP Ferg ("Shabba") and Drake ("Trophies") energized the crowd as they rapped along with the infectious rhymes.
The Underachievers were the first to take the stage. As they entered, a projection of Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" began to play on the back of the stage, an obvious nod to the Zombies and Underachievers' recent project, the "Clockwork Indigo" EP. The film portrayed somewhat of a disturbing background while being a bizarre artistic touch.

AK and Issa Gold, the Underachievers' two members, immediately filled the place with intense energy, performing tracks off their debut mixtape "Indigoism," with hits like "Sun Through the Rain" and "Land of Lords" producing the most hype. The group's unique musical style combines a 90s retro sound and classic rhyme scheme with a more modern hype song approach. Their music, like the music of the Flatbush Zombies, varies in style from chill to concert-ready.

The Flatbush Zombies took the stage next and brought the level of intensity up a few notches. The crowd went into an immediate frenzy as the group played two hits off of their "BetteroffDEAD" mixtape: "Bliss" and "222." After a few songs, the group's members, Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Eric "the Architect" Elliot, had complete control of the crowd. The Zombies frequently used call-and-response and launched themselves into the crowd multiple times. At one point Zombie Juice and Meechy actually came down into the crowd and joined some of the many mosh pits that had been created by the audience.

Near the end of the show, the Underachievers came back on stage to join the Zombies for the final tracks of the night. Each group played two of their biggest individual hits, including the Underachievers' "Gold Soul Theory" and the Zombies' "Palm Trees". To end the night, they came together and performed "Benefit Concert" and "LUAM," two songs off of their "Clockwork Indigo" EP.

After the last song ended Elliot took the mic and looked into the crowd. "That's all we got for you tonight but I got one last thing to say." He then left the crowd with one final message: "open your [freaking] mind."