Bun B Cosigns 88 Keys & Kidz in the Hall at Houston Show

Bun B, Houston’s defining MC and remaining half of legendary group UGK, though not slated to perform, left his mark on the Crowd Control Tour at the House of Blues’s Bronze Peacock room on Tuesday night (April 6).

Serving as the host of the night, the Port Arthur native introduced headlining acts 88 Keys and Kidz in the Hall.

“I like these acts because they actually care,” Bun B said. “They have a reputation built on how they connect with the audience when they perform. They talk about the same thing we do. The delivery is just different.”

New York-bred producer turned rapper 88 Keys started things off with his underground mainstays like “Ho’ Is Short for Honey,” “Stay Up! (Viagra)” and an unreleased version of “M.I.L.F.” from his 2008 album Death of Adam.

Headlining the show was the Ivy League-credentialed rap duo Kidz in the Hall. The Chicago and Jersey-based tandem’s uncontainable energy sent a sonic jolt through the mostly college student crowd. Naledge and Double-O then flossed their collective braggadocio on tracks like “Go Ill,” “Take Over the World” and “Mr. Alladatshit” before offering up “Jukebox” and “L_O_V_E” from the new LP, Land of Make Believe.

The exclamation point of the alternative pair’s set was their streetwise hit, “Driving Down the Block.” Bun jumped on stage to enunciate his Southern-fried aesthetic on the remixed track to the delight of the throng, who then proceeded to rap-along to the candy paint-dripped ode to whips. —Maurice Bobb