Mannie Fresh

Byron O. Thomas, aka. Mannie Fresh, has been blowing me away since I first saw him live back a few years ago. I didn’t know his music at all really, and saw him perform a short hip hop set at a charity street show. From those few tracks, I was compelled to go and buy his music, and I’ve been following him ever since, and the recent show I caught was something else entirely. It’s evident from his performance the Fresh has been performing and creating music for a long time, and the way that he commands the stage with ease and grace is remarkable.
He walked out on stage with his microphone in the air to catch the screaming and cheering from the crowd, and power it out through the monitors. He introduces himself innovatively with a rap, and then launched straight into the title track from his second solo album. Return of the Ballin. I, along with everyone else it appeared, knew the track really well, so everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs.
He played a great selection of his music, and worked really well with his DJ working the decks behind him. He maintained a high energy throughout the show, and had everyone cheering for an encore at the end, which he provided in style.