Anees – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – July 28, 2022
Anees Shares His Positive Energy With Philadelphia Fans
I've written plenty of concert reviews now, but never have I felt as speechless as I am after seeing Anees live. The up-and-coming rap artist Anees performed in Philadelphia during his last week of his debut "Summer Camp Tour" on July 28 at World Cafe Live. Anees has been making a huge name for himself in the music industry, attracting millions of listeners from all over the world. This sudden success is without a doubt well deserved.
A few weeks before seeing him live, I had discovered Anees singing his unreleased song, "Leave Me" on Tik Tok. I instantly fell in love and had to know more. 30-year-old Anees Mokhiber was born in Washington D.C. He used to be an attorney, and as I found out during the show, he was miserable with this life. He made the risky decision to pursue his love for rap, and clearly it has paid off.
I did a deep dive on his socials and discovered his healing journey, spiritual manifestations and poetry. You can tell that he has grown into the truest version of himself since leaving his life of law. Since releasing his 2021 single "Slip," Anees has been blowing up on the charts, now claiming over three million monthly listeners on Spotify and over half a million followers on Instagram. His most recent single "Sun and Moon" hit fifty million streams on Spotify in only three months. Most recently, Anees gave a stunning performance of that single on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Anees' show opened with singer/songwriter Michael Minelli. His soulful, angelic voice and powerful lyrics filled the hearts of everyone listening. I don't normally see crowds show as much love and support to opening acts like they did for Michael. He exuded bright energy and confidence, which was contagious to everyone in the crowd. Michael's words spoke of love and empowerment, and he even gave a shout out to all of the "beautiful, hardworking, independent women" listening. We hear you Michael, and we love you too.
Anees hit the stage with his band, sending powerful vibrations throughout the venue. Everyone in the crowd was cheering, singing along and dancing together. I could tell by Anees' reaction that his Philly fans had exceeded his expectations. Throughout the show, Anees repeatedly told the crowd that he had never experienced this much energy from his viewers. He told us that he was so exhausted from his tour, but we were uplifting him to keep going.
During Anees' performance of "Love is Crazy,” he invited a couple up to the stage. I knew exactly where this was going. Just two days before, the rapper had posted a couple getting engaged on stage during his show with the caption, "Anyone else want to pop the question at one of my shows?" Turns out, one Philadelphia fan had been interested. The man on the stage got down on one knee and proposed in front of the entire crowd! There wasn't a dry eye in the audience. Anees hugged the couple and continued singing his song to them. It was a really special moment for everyone to be a part of.
Anees got deep with the crowd during his "Boba Thought" section of the show. This is something that Anees frequently posts on Instagram where he shares spiritual words of wisdom while sipping on his favorite treat. "If you're in this room you are safe to be exactly who you are," Anees told fans. "Life is full of beauty, but there's also a lot of toxicity and hate out there. This here is a safe space for you. You are exactly as God intended you to be at this moment." I actually shed a few tears during this segment of the show. Every word that comes out of Anees’ mouth sinks deep into your soul.
The lyrics of Anees' songs embody positivity, love, relationships and spirituality. Anees' wisdom rang true to everyone in the uplifting words of "Drunk on Myself". He told fans, "I wrote this song when I was forgetting how to love myself." Self-love is a frequent message in his music, also mentioned in an unreleased song he sang to us. The refrain reads, "I love myself enough to get some space from you. I'm not the old me anymore. I'm not the old me, now I'm my own me."
Anees has caught the attention of a lot of big names over the last two years, including Justin Bieber. In April of 2021, the two artists got deep on Instagram live after jamming out to "Slip." Justin lifted his arms up as the song came to a close and pronounced, "You can't not feel that bro, it's literally physically impossible." Anees' talent and positive vibes are magnetic to everyone in the music industry discovering his music. Justin is one of many hoping for Anees to find success. "I want to share your incredible music with everyone, everyone should hear it," Justin said on Live.
Anees' way with words is unbelievable. Even when Anees wasn't performing his own songs during the show, he was freestyling or sharing poetic wisdom with his fans. He freestyled about Philly for a few minutes, and everyone was going absolutely insane. His last words before walking off the stage were, "This was the best show of my life Philadelphia, thank you." I will definitely be coming to see Anees on his next tour. I'm sure by then he'll be selling out huge arenas.
Brenna Hallman
Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: August 1, 2022.
Photos by Chris Sanchez-Paralta © 2022.