Last Friday (July 7), a billboard in London popped up promoting the Antagonist Tour, including Atlanta rappers Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and Homixide Gang. Although dates and tickets for the supposed tour were not yet available, fans of these artists, all signed to Carti’s Opium record label, began to burst at the seams with excitement. Now, we have official confirmation that the tour is happening.
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On Wednesday morning (July 12), the Antagonist Tour’s dates were announced, as Carti, Lonely, Carson, and Homixide Gang will join forces for 38 shows from September to December. While most of the dates take place in the United States, the last 10 tour stops will be in Europe, as the Opium gang will hit cities like London, Dublin, and Paris. Registration for pre-sale for tickets can be found on Carti’s website.
Simultaneously with the tour’s announcement, which will be Carti’s first tour since his disaster Narcissist Tour in early 2021-late 2022, fans noticed that the event page for the November 30 show in Berlin included an interesting tidbit about Carti’s plans for the rest of the year. Mentioning Music, an album Carti announced during his XXL Cover Story in April 2022, Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin alleged that Carti is looking to put out the LP before the Europe leg of the Antagonist Tour, which starts on November 19 in Dublin. Seemingly an accident, though, Mercedes-Benz Arena soon scrubbed this portion of the event description from their website.
“After the release of his new album ‘MUSIC’ the 26-year-old artist will pay Europe a visit in the context of his ‘Antagonist Tour,'” the site read momentarily.
When speaking about music with XXL last year, Carti explained that the project would be a cathartic moment for him, marking his first studio album since Whole Lotta Red in 2020.
“I was about to name my album Music because that’s where I’m at, you know what I’m saying? Music. Because that’s all it is at this point,” he said. “I have a lot to say, I’m ready to speak my mind and just let it all go. It’s me.”
Additionally, he touched on the contents and song topics included in the album, such as his belief that he has bipolar disorder.
“Love. Sex. Drugs. Changes in my life,” he added. “I’ve been rapping about going to rehab. I want to go to rehab because I think I’m bipolar. I want everybody to feel free. I want this album to make everyone feel free. I hope this album brings peace to the world, honestly. I’m in love with what I’m doing. Like I told you, you can’t put a genre alternative [on me].”
Not much has come out about Music since Carti’s XXL conversation, which is sadly on brand for the enigmatic trap-rapper. In fact, the project is one of three albums he has announced since Whole Lotta Red. In companion with the Narcissist Tour, Carti was meant to release an album under the same name. Never happened. Then earlier this year, alongside Louisiana emcee NBA YoungBoy, he announced a joint LP titled 004KT, and has not followed up with any semblance of a rollout since.
Ultimately, the mere fact that Carti executed the full announcement and deliverance of the Antagonist Tour should be an overwhelming delight for fans of him and the rest of the Opium roster, as he has now become notorious for not fulfilling any creative endeavors he typically plans.
Check out all the Antagonist Tour dates below.
9/6/23 Denver, CO Ball Arena
9/8/23 Salt Lake City, UT Delta Center
9/9/23 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
9/12/23 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
9/13/23 Portland, OR Veterans Memorial Coliseum
9/15/23 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
9/16/23 San Francisco, CA Chase Center
9/17/23 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena San Diego
9/20/23 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena
9/23/23 Glendale, AZ Desert Diamond Arena
9/26/23 Austin, TX Moody Center
9/27/23 Houston, TX Toyota Center
9/28/23 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
9/30/23 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
10/1/23 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
10/2/23 Chicago, IL United Center
10/4/23 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
10/5/23 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
10/6/23 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
10/7/23 Boston, MA TD Garden
10/9/23 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
10/11/23 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
10/13/23 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
10/14/23 Indianapolis, IN Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/15/23 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
10/17/23 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
10/18/23 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
10/20/23 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
11/19/23 Dublin, IE 3Arena
11/21/23 Manchester, UK AO Arena
11/22/23 London, UK The O2
11/24/23 Brussels, BE Forest National
11/25/23 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
11/27/23 Milan, IT Mediolanum Forum
11/29/23 Cologne, DE Lanxess Arena
11/30/23 Berlin, DE Mercedes-Benz Arena
12/2/23 Paris, FR AccorHotels Arena
12/4/23 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena
(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
