Rio Da Yung Og’s homecoming show celebrates Flint rapper’s freedom after release from prison

Rio Da Yung Og’s five-year career in the national spotlight is really just getting started.

The pioneering Flint rapper is back with a new album, music videos, and vlogs after serving a 44-month federal prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

A generation of industrial disinvestment, highlighted by the abandonment of the auto industry and the Flint Water Crisis, have led to the type of bare-bones music made to be blasted through subwoofers installed in the back of Ford Explorers made before 2011.

Rio’s homecoming show Sunday night at Cass Corridor’s Masonic Temple theatre was the first proper concert of his career. His fans knew every word to “RIO FREE” and “WYDT,” dropped last month and 10 days ago, respectively.

The crowd was a diverse mix of hypebeasts and street dudes. While women mostly left their jackets at the door, guys wore Moncler jackets, hoodies, and sweaters by Half-Evil, Denim Tears, Number (N)ine, and Sp5der.

Most common were “Free Rio” and “Rio Free” T-shirts, the latter being sold as merchandise at the show.

The phrase adorns a billboard downtown on East Jefferson Avenue and street posters on Cass Avenue. And last year, a man behind rapper Jack Harlow wore a “FREE RIO” shirt on stage at the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day halftime show at Ford Field.

During the height of the pandemic, Rio gained national attention after he opened doors for a batch of Genesee County rappers who made their own waves during his imprisonment. He credits Detroit’s Peezy for introducing him to the city’s music scene sometime in 2018, after his music caught the former Team Eastside member’s attention. Peezy’s Ghetto Boyz imprint co-signed Rio and he’s been giving opportunities to his friends ever since.

With the help of producer Enrgy, Rio and his friends created a murky sound unique to the city.

Rio’s fellow Flint artists include RMC Mike, YN Jay, Louie Ray, Ysr Gramz, GrindHard E, Bfb da Packman, KrispyLife Kidd, and Babyfxce E.

Some of their songs are gaining traction thanks to social media virality.

A group of rowdy Chaldean teenagers forced extra security to line the space between the front row and the stage while rapping along word-for-word to Babyfxce E’s hit “Pulling Up.”

KrispyLife Kidd’s “Kentucky Love” was another crowd favorite.

Flint’s runner-up YN Jay appeared on stage, but was the only artist on the lineup who didn’t perform. Jay’s viral moments on “Triple S,” “Monday Night Raw,” and “Make Up” are the soundtrack to thousands of TikTok videos (following his ultra-viral “Coochie” dance).

The celebration of Michigan-made music went on for about two and a half hours until around 11 p.m., featuring performances by Veeze, Peezy, Louie Ray, Baby Money, and Icewear Vezzo.

Detroit’s Skilla Baby channeled his inner Travis Scott, jumping into the crowd for a mashup of Fun’s “We Are Young” into his hit “Tay B style.”

Rio appeared emotional while thanking his fans for showing out physically Sunday and online in the form of millions of views.

“I took a chance for this shit, to see y’all right now,” Rio said on stage.

“RIO FREE” has been viewed 35 million times after trending No. 1 on YouTube last month. His second post-prison release, “WYDT,” is approaching 2 million views since dropping 10 days ago.

He’s headed on a U.S. tour for his RIO FREE album. Before prison, Rio released “Fiend Lives Matter” and “Rio Circa 2020” following his debut album “City On My Back” in 2020.