Token, Ben Reilly, E The Profit at The Shelter @ St. Andrew's Hall

Token, Ben Reilly, E The Profit at The Shelter @ St. Andrew’s Hall

February 14, 2023

by Ami Nicole ACRONYM (Photographer + Writer)

A reminder to those looking for Hip-Hop Roots, The Shelter is legendary.

That must have been why last night felt so good. Token, along with support from Ben Reilly and E The Profit brought tenacity and energy to the basement level of St. Andrew’s Hall. Don’t let the fact that it’s a smaller room somehow downplay the level of talent that destroys that stage. Noted and known, Eminem has played The Shelter in his time, and while it may be cliche to compare the two, Token’s wit and fast tongue feels right at home in Detroit.

Kicking off the night, E The Profit warmed up the crowd, summoning a smartphone illumination to add spectacle to the performance. Ben Reilly bared his body of work, including an unreleased track in which we got to say “yay or nay” at the end as to if he should keep it in the set.

And finally, the main event. Token takes to the stage and plays some of his best, including “30 People” and “Flamingo.” Now, I’ve got to point out “Flamingo” for a second here – because that song is the reason why this review is happening. Yep, breaking the fourth wall to explain:

The track “Flamingo” was one of the songs added to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 Remaster, in addition to the classic tracks we knew and loved. Because of this, I came across Token, and listened to his discography after falling in love with the track. In short, Tony Hawk is still influencing my music choices in 2023.

Back to the show: Token was having a little bit of a rough time rapping because he started to lose his voice a bit on the tour. He was still bringing 10000%, which you have to commend him for. The energy was there, and the way he actually PERFORMS while rapping. I’ve seen tons of performances throughout my career, and I can’t tell you how many people just look like they’re strolling for a paycheck, rather than giving it their all. Token is definitely on the side of bringing the action, and we think we captured that perfectly in our gallery below.