GREY DAY 2023: $UICIDEBOY$ PERFORM AT THE MODA CENTER

Nine years ago, two young, broken men created a pact together: They would begin pursuing a musical career, and if it failed, they would both commit suicide. And thus, the New Orleans underground rap duo “$uicideboy$” was born.

The duo, Scott Anthony Arceneaux Jr., known professionally as $crim, and Aristos Norman Petrou, known by the stage name Ruby da Cherry, have since grown from their humble beginnings to international notoriety.

$crim and Ruby have faced heaps of criticism from mainstream media due to their abrasive and offensive language and subject matter, including motifs of suicide, addiction, and anti-religion. Yet they have managed to gather a cult following online and on streaming platforms, so much so that their single, “…And to Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around,” became their first RIAA platinum single once it reached over a million sales in November 2021. It remains their most streamed song on Spotify, with over 580 million streams.

$uicideboy$ went on their first Grey Day tour in 2019 with other artists that also are signed onto their independent record label, Grey 59 Records (G59). In May 2023, the duo announced their Fourth annual Grey Day tour, and after seeing the lineup, I immediately signed up for pre-sale tickets.

I was introduced to $uicideboy$ in 2018 when I randomly discovered their album “My Liver Will Handle What My Heart Can’t” on Spotify. As someone who has struggled with addiction and has felt like a “black sheep” for most of my life, I found some of the themes of their music relatable. 

It was unlike anything I’d heard before, and it was my introduction to this niche, underground hip-hop scene. I’ve been a fan since, and was excited to see they were coming to Portland along with Ghostemane, another favorite musical artist of mine.

The concert, which took place on Oct. 18 at the Moda Center, began with short performances from openers Sematary, an underground artist who has gained traction through TikTok, and Ramirez, a West Coast rapper who is also on the G59 Records label. Next up was Canadian rapper Freddie Dredd, performing hit singles including “Limbo,” “WTH,” and “All Alone.”

Dredd’s set was followed by City Morgue, another rap duo consisting of rappers known professionally as ZillaKami and SosMula. City Morgue are known for their unique way of blending heavy rock/metal and rap music together. Their lineup included the singles “HURTWORLD ’99,” “Space Cowboy,” and “DRAINO.”

The final opening act was Ghostemane, whose set was much longer than the others. He performed tracks from his two most recent albums, “ANTI-ICON” and “N / O / I / S / E.” He also performed one of his most popular songs, “Mercury: Retrograde,” from his 2017 album “Hexada.

Then came $uicideboy$ headline act. They played an impressive set of 29 singles, ranging from some of their earlier and most iconic work such as “Carrollton” and “For The Last Time,” to some tracks off their newer projects, including “Bloody 98 (Feat. Ghostemane)” and “Provolone & Heroin (Feat. Freddie Dredd).”

After they performed their emotional, raw single “…And to Those I Love” as the final song of the night, both Ruby and $crim gave heartfelt statements about how much their fans, new and old alike, mean to them, and how they wouldn’t be where they are at or able to do what they do if they hadn’t gotten professional help for their mental health and addiction struggles.

All in all, it was a very fun show, and I definitely will attend again the next time they come back to Portland!