By Daniel Paiz
We appreciate you for allowing us to grow, for our music to grow, and y’all grew with us too: got married, had kids, got divorced…
-Phonte, last Little Brother concert in Raleigh, NC
October 24th, 2025, at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, North Carolina requires a page in Hip-Hop’s timeline. Friday night was a Revelation in Raleigh with Little Brother’s Final Curtain Call, their last show on the 2025 tour. Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh were all smiles embracing a sold-out venue, where people were wall to wall in an oversold building ready to witness history. There were people from across the country in that venue; the only act slated on the proverbial marquee (sadly the actual sign outside was blank) had to absorb this special celebration.
A historic night
There wasn’t really an opener of sorts, but rather Little Brother’s DJ rocked the decks for about an hour or so. He grooved across regions, eras, and all the expected Hip-Hop tunes across the genre’s history. Even a few Little Brother tracks from earlier in their catalogue made an appearance.
Tracks like “Not Enough”, “The Way You Do It”, and “Slow it Down” were singalongs with the audience. A healthy serving of tracks from The Minstrel Show and The Listening kept the audience sonically well fed, as well as a few tunes from the rest of their catalogue. Little life anecdotes were sprinkled throughout the night, as Pooh and Phonte brought up life changes. They matured from early adulthood to middle age problems, and the health stuff that comes with that. Both guys have worked on their fitness. Phonte recalled a thought from his youth he had to laugh about and share:
(Phonte) I remember back when I was at the track running, I saw old fellas walking and I was thinking “they OLD”. (Rapper Big Pooh) Now he walkin’ the track *pauses, both emcees briefly discuss several meanings for walking the track* I mean, now he is walking around his neighborhood…
Joe Scudda made a brief but memorable appearance for his verse on “Lovin’ It” much to the delight of every single person in attendance. That rare moment of having everyone who rapped on one track together in one place doesn’t happen often. Moments such as this are something to cherish, especially during what’s expected to be LB’s final show.
There was a third member on the stage not counting the DJ, but it was a singer who wonderfully sang and added another dimension to the show. See if you can recognize that voice in footage below from this storied Friday night:
Future endeavors?
Plans for future solo careers were not discussed. Foreign Exchange updates weren’t given, and there appears to be an indefinite hiatus planned at the conclusion of this tour. There will always be speculation that these two reunite. Others might even brashly wish for a reunion with 9th Wonder. There is no real answer to what musical endeavors these two embark on after 2025.
Fans can only hope the solo careers continue at some point, and perhaps an LB reunion could take place somewhere far beyond the horizon. Raleigh and all of the Hip-Hop world will have to cherish the performance from Friday evening. This wasn’t a good-bye, but rather a celebration of what’s been done.
Cypher Sessions 