Affirmations and introspection filled City Winery’s intimate performance space last Thursday night during the St. Louis stop of the “Everything’s That Deep” album tour by Wellston native AJ McQueen. Joining him were fellow St. Louis artist KVtheWriter and Dajha Vu of Memphis. Together, they delivered a show that encouraged the audience to reflect on their present circumstances while claiming the future they desire.
At the concert, McQueen — a rapper, songwriter, poet and author — shared words of wisdom and offered an intimate glimpse into his spiritual worldview.
“The reason it’s hard to fly is because you have weights on you,” He said. “Sometimes you have to reflect on the past, use it as fuel and alchemize it. It’s okay to go back to see how far you came.”
He also revealed that he fills his music with affirmations.
“The letters are really spells, that’s why it’s called spelling and you have to speak good spells over you,” he said. “Some people don’t know how to do that and that’s why my music is a cheat code. You can use my music to speak the words over yourself.”
The passion for using music as a healing mechanism was also shared by opening act KVtheWriter, who turned to music after losing her father and brother to gun violence. She performed “You Don’t Really Know About,” a rap with a hopeful message about her loved ones and persevering through loss.
She also performed the triumphant “Feel Good,” which shares its name with her line of CBD products and the poetic rap “Pray.” She closed with her viral hit “Figure Out the Rest,” a song many listeners are still surprised to learn was written and performed by KVtheWriter.
Next was Memphis artist Dajha Vu. She came out swinging – blending her southern accent with a New York-style rap flow over iconic beats such as “If I Ruled the World” and “The Players Anthem.” She also performed her version of “I Choose Me,” a song about self-love and personal growth. Her setlist also included “Fear.” The unreleased track about losing herself to fear featured a repetitive chorus that could easily become a personal mantra.
The mantras continued with headliner AJ McQueen.
“My music is affirmation music,” he said. “Any song that I do, repeat the words and you are literally speaking to your spirit.”
McQueen has taken his affirmation-centered music across the nation, spreading “God Body Energy” while embarking on his fourth independent tour.
He opened with “THAT THING,” which samples Lauryn Hill, and “Ginger Root,” a standout track from his previous album, “When We Evolve.” The melodic and hopeful song was followed by his “Sweet Love” remix from his viral On the Radar appearance. After finishing the song, he repeated his favorite and most thought-provoking verse, giving the audience another opportunity to absorb its message.
He did the same later in the show with songs such as “TOUCH SOME GRASS” and “GREEN PASTURES,” two poetic tracks about finding deeper love, moving with faith and taking accountability. He then invited Dajha Vu back to the stage to perform their collaborative single, “Just Like Music.”
The soulful love song captivated the audience, with heads nodding along as some sang the lyrics while others grooved to the music. McQueen continued his soulful, high-vibrational set, blending fan favorites with songs from his new album, Everything’s That Deep.
He closed the performance with “SIT YUH SELF DOWN,” a song that shares its title with the introspective book he released this spring. Before beginning the poetic rap, he encouraged the audience to open themselves to the lyrics, let go of excuses that keep them from living for themselves and embrace the determined energy that filled the room.
“I pray that my music makes you do something. Makes you forgive yourself and others, makes you love yourself and make you love others,” McQueen said as he ended the concert. “Go do something with the energy. It can’t be created or destroyed so you might as well use it.”
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
