“Is the world moving fast for you as well?” Loyle Carner asks the crowd part way through his sold-out gig at the O2 Victoria Warehouse.
It's been four years since the south London rapper last played in Manchester and his world has changed a lot. The 28-year-old is now a parent and has reconnected with his own biological father and his Guyanese roots.
It’s given him a new perspective on life, evident throughout his critically acclaimed album, hugo, which was released last October. Carner’s third record marked a departure from his previous work and has seen him shake off his reputation as the nice guy of UK hip-hop.
On his darkest, most introspective record to date, Carner’s anger is palpable as he explores his mixed-race heritage and relationship with his estranged father.
And he’s in no mood for pleasantries tonight as he stomps on stage in a grey puffer jacket, hood up, and launches straight into Hate, a rage-filled track in which he confronts feelings of anger and confusion about injustice and his personal life.
It’s a frenetic start that continues with Plastic and the crowd favourite You Don’t Know. Next up is Georgetown - a nod to Carner’s Guyanese roots - which samples a poem by the Afro-Guyanese playwright John Agard.
On stage, Carner is a restless bundle of energy. Although only slight in stature, his presence is captivating as he paces the stage, the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole time.
Things move down a notch with Desoleil (Brilliant Corners), where Carner’s slick, languid delivery is on full display. At the song’s denouement, the crowd breaks into an impromptu chant of ‘woah-oh Loyle Carner’.
Standing beneath a street light prop, he takes a moment to soak it all in, clearly overwhelmed by the reaction.
Next up are Angel and Damselfly - collaborations with Carner’s old friend Tom Misch - followed by the jazz-infused Homerton, which he dedicates to his young son. If there’s one thing that inspires Carner, it’s family and he makes numerous references to his two-year-old boy, partner, mother, step-father and biological father throughout the set.
The Jorja Smith collaboration Loose Ends and fan favourite Ain’t Nothing Changed are greeted by a sea of hands and phones before Carner turns political, bemoaning the worrying rise in knife crime and youth violence in the haunting Blood On My Nikes.
Towards the end of the song, he's joined on stage by teenage activist Athian Akec, who delivers a poignant speech on knife crime to rapturous applause.
It’s an electrifying, impassioned performance from Carner that exudes energy and positivity throughout. Before launching into the gospel-infused Nobody Knows (Ladas Road), the rapper enters the crowd to hug a young man who he tells us reminds him of a younger version of himself.
When the ecstatic crowd serenades him once more, he is overcome with emotion.
“I was having a bad day til I came out here,” he graciously admits. “Thank you for lifting me up.”
Carner dedicates the next one to his biological father, who taught him to drive during lockdown. HGU is a powerful statement on love and foregiveness, its title a reference to his dad's number plate.
The set comes to a close with the soporific Ottolenghi - named after the chef and one of Carner’s heroes - after which the rapper lifts his hands to his face, humbled by the reception.
“You made me cry,” he says after managing to compose himself. “Take these words and go forwards.”
And with that, he swaggers off stage into the Mancunian night. It won’t be long until he’s back in town though. He’s due to play another headline set at Victoria Warehouse on Friday, March 24 as part of the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.
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