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Nine Vicious was wildin in downtown Phoenix earlier this week.
The Atlanta rapper’s sold-out concert at The Van Buren on Tuesday got balls-out chaotic after technical issues with the venue’s sound aggravated him early in his set.
“I want you to mess up this venue … because they’re playing with me,” Nine told his fans.
Then it became a total shitshow.
Videos on social media show Nine venting his frustrations, leading the crowd in an expletive-laced chant against The Van Buren and arguing with the venue’s staff. He also threw microphones around and snatched headsets from security. Then he ended the gig after only five songs.
Fans were told to leave the venue. Some weren’t happy about it and reportedly damaged property. Phoenix police were called in and ultimately used pepper spray to clear the crowd.
No arrests were made and nobody was injured. The Van Buren and its owner, Live Nation, reportedly had no comment on the matter. (Phoenix New Times also reached out but didn’t get a response.)
But the fiasco made headlines and went viral on social media. Local news ate it up. Complex and XXL picked up the story nationally.
Thing is, this wasn’t Nine’s first concert crashout of his current tour, which is in support of his most recent album, “Emotions,” which was released in April.
Earlier this month, the 24-year-old rapper and onetime protege of Young Thug staged a similar incident halfway through his Aug. 4 concert at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Maryland. After complaining about the venue’s microphone and asking fans to open the pit, Nine tossed the mic to the ground and stormed offstage.
“Open this pit up,” Nine told the crowd in a TikTok video of the incident. “Since the mic don’t work, I’m gonna come out there and dance.”
The rapper didn’t make it to the pit, deciding instead to throw down the microphone and storm offstage as fans booed.
Nine hasn’t had any further meltdowns since walking out on fans at The Van Buren. Two nights after the fiasco in Phoenix, Nine took the stage at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. This time, he made it through the entire set without incident.
As a fan joked on Reddit, the rapper “took the show from AZ and gave it to LA.”