Finesse2tymes at the Rust Belt -- August 5.
Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
Lauded by Pitchfork for his "thunderous voice" and the creator of a major Billboard hit with last year's major-label mixtape debut 90 Days, rap singer/songwriter – better known by his professional moniker Finesse2tymes – headlines an August 5 concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, his December recording leading Yourstru.ly to rave that "the delivery is superb, and the beat arrangement is classic hip-hop."
With the 31-year-old rapper born and raised on the East Side of Memphis, most of Finesse2tymes’ young adulthood was surrounded by the walls of a prison cell. His first prison stint happened at 14 and he was in and out of prison until his most recent release federal custody on July 1, 2022. At 21, he started making music, forming a collective called Memphis Greatest Underrated with several local artists including Blac Youngsta and Moneybagg Yo. The crew released a self-titled EP in 2016 while Finesse was serving his final stint in prison as the group disbanded. While away, Finesse2tymes perfected his craft, writing rhymes and plotting his next moves to ensure this prison sentence will be his last. He found a way to keep track of the major players in the industry who followed his music. Among them was Mob Ties Founder and CEO J Prince Jr., son of legendary Rap-A-Lot kingpin J. Prince, who later signed the rapper.
In 2019, he gained traction with the release of his mixtape Hustle & Flow, although Finesse2tymes also had a fallout with Moneybagg Yo. In September of 2022, however, both artists ended their feud and Finesse2tymes was signed to Moneybagg Yo's label Bread Gang. He also released his single "Black Visa" with the latter, and that October, he signed to J Prince Jr.'s record label Mob Ties in a joint venture with Atlantic Records. Also that month, Finesse2tymes released his single "Gucci Flow" with American rapper Gucci Mane. His single "Back End" gained traction on TikTok, and in December of 2022, he released his mixtape 90 Days with appearances from rappers Gucci Mane, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Baby, and producer Tay Keith. Among the recordings raves, AllMusic declared, "His flows are tough, energetic, and personal, with hard-hitting bars about resentment and difficulties bouncing back from jail time on 'Get Even,' assertion of dominance over pitiful foes on 'Back End,' and grievances over disloyal friends and lovers on the Lil Baby-assisted midtempo groove of 'If You Still Wit Me.'"
Finesse2tymes headlines his East Moline engagement on August 5, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $50-110, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
