On Wednesday night, Playboi Carti brought his new album to Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, performing his track “Slay3r” off of Whole Lotta Red.
The 24-year-old rapper stuck to his usual aesthetic for the show, suspending himself off of a ladder inside of an empty warehouse. Carti is surrounded by hype men during the performance, all of them dressed in black clothing with oversized black sunglasses.
Carti’s track pays homage to Slayer, one of the most influential metal bands ever. It makes sense that Carti would pay tribute to the group on Whole Lotta Red, as he’s essentially building off of the dark, violent aesthetic that Slayer pioneered. Carti even has the band’s name tattooed on his left hand.
Even though Carti can’t currently tour Whole Lotta Red due to coronavirus concerns, he kept the same electric energy and stage presence that he would have at a live show. The album, which has been at least two years in the making, was predicted to move about 125K-135K units in its first week, taking the Billboard #1 spot from Taylor Swift. While the project initially hasn't necessarily had the greatest reception from long-waiting fans, Playboi Carti has shown that he can prove himself no matter what the critics think.
Watch Playboi Carti’s full performance on The Tonight Show below. Let us know if you were a fan of Whole Lotta Red in the comments.