It was a controversial act that had the difficult task of getting the crowd at Countdown going in the 26-degree heat on Monday – a fact recognised by the rap group known for wearing their characteristic skimasks when group member Dinero announced: “I almost feel like taking the mask off.”

But the skimasks stayed on. And the heavy drill beats in their opening songs ‘Alt har sin pris’ (Everything has a price) and ‘Spind den’ (Spin it) got the sweating crowd – largely consisting of topless young men – energised despite the numbing heat.

Hard aesthetics
Shooter Gang have made a name for themselves as a controversial rap group with hard aesthetics from the troubled neighbourhood of Aarhus West. Their lyrics and music videos revolve around violence, crime and aesthetics such as roaring scooters, police sirens and shooting pistols.

And so, it was not surprising that when Shooter Gang made a name for themselves with hits like ‘Mask på’ (Mask on) and Sinaloa stil’ (Sinaloa Style) they caught a lot of criticism from the local police, politicians and media outlets.

Tropic conditions
The crowd on Monday afternoon was more welcoming to their gang aesthetics, trying their best to get the party started in the heat. But a combination of the tropical conditions, and a sound setup that had the rap group vocals turned down a notch too much, was a difficult challenge for the three young rappers.

Not even a surprising visit from the iconic Aarhus-rapper L.O.C., who has made the song ‘MJ’ with Shooter Gang, could get the crowd going for more than a few moments.

However, the best was saved for last, when they triumphantly played their big hits ‘Mask på’ and ‘Sinaloa stil’. The combination of energetic movement on stage and their vocal mix finally turned up a notch gave a promising finish to the set.