The Texas rapper made headlines after his arrest on Friday, Aug. 21, in the Dallas suburb of Allen, where he was jailed after being charged with driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and unlicensed possession of a firearm, according to Collin County, Texas, records.
Released Saturday, BigXthaPlug (born Xavier Landum) hustled to Des Moines to bask in the Grandstand lights, delivering his hits as if nothing had happened. The 28-year-old appeared unfazed, commanding the stage with the unshaken confidence that has helped him become one of rap’s fastest-rising stars.
Despite the booming bass and his Southern swagger, the performance seemed stuck in cruise control, leaving the set feeling repetitive by the night’s end and fans rushing out of the venue once he left the stage.
BigXthaPlug’s crowd-pleasing hits carry the night, but stay in one lane
Hitting the stage shortly after 9 p.m., hype man and MC DJ Five Venoms warmed up the crowd with tunes like Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” which got the audience on their feet. He also led the crowd in call-and-response, getting them to yell “AYE!” BigXthaPlug’s signature ad-lib, and then “X!” from their diaphragms in response to his “Big!”…