Concert Review: Anik Khan Brings Habibi To Rough Trade NYC
Anik Khan has a FOLLOWING so DO NOT mess with him. That is the message I got from his sold-out show at Rough Trade. It was clear that his fans roll deep for him, and they do it with pride. The Bangladesh native grew up in Queens, and was repping for his beloved borough, of which dominated the crowd. To be frank, Khan’s whole performance felt like a fun celebration and steered presentation of positivity for his Bangladeshi culture/ Queens’ roots .
As he uttered how unconditionally loving and generous his people are the crowd cheered. It is no secret that being Muslim in America is not necessarily respected or welcomed, of which Bangladesh is predominantly Muslim. Thus, Khan focused the night on two things: proving his people know how to get lit and bring light to the world. As Bollywood music played while he spoke and then led into songs such as, “Habibi” and “Cleopatra”, the audience went wild, and Khan ate their cheers like Popeye eats spinach. It strengthened him, and could be seen as he proudly announced that he could barely hear himself from all the cheers. He loved how they loved him, which made him riff up tracks like, “Kites” and “Tides”, and flirt with the audience. Now I am not saying he was hitting up the crowd for numbers, especially because his mom was face-timed to watch his performance. Yet, there is a certain, seductive swag from which he carries himself that comes off like he is trying to charm everyone of his viewers personally. As he rolled through the stage in Bollywood-esque dances and with an “old-school” rap/ R&B style, it was clear Anik Khan has studied the playbook of Hip Hop greats such as Jay-Z. As a performer, you have to have a confidence that makes you too hot to touch, but too bright to not, at least, want to watch.
Khan is a star, and, if you are not convinced, go to his concert. He knows how to entertain people, and make them believe he is the most dynamic, riveting artist of all time, of which he can easily go from smooth R&B coos (Too Late Now) to dropping verses like anvils over any cartoonish head (“The Borough”) . Thus, Anik Khan proves the key to a great performance is believing you are THE GREATEST. For More Information On Anik Khan Click Here.
