Eladio Carrión is no stranger to breaking barriers, and his explosive takeover of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center proved once again that he’s operating on a whole new level. In just two years, the U.S.-born, Puerto Rican rapper elevated his career from performing in intimate venues like The Theater at Madison Square Garden to headlining arena territory at the Barclays Center.
His arrival in New York City comes one week after he launched his DON KBRN World Tour, presented by Live Nation, on Aug. 27 in Charlotte, N.C. Kicking off the show at 9 p.m., the Kansas City-born artist lit up the stage with tracks from his latest album DON KBRN, including fan favorites like “Invencible,” “Ohtani,” “Vetements,” “H.I.M.” and “Broly.” He also performed songs from his albums Sol María (2024), 3MEN2 KBRN (2023), SEN2KBRN VOL. 2 (2022), Sauce Boyz 2 (2021), and his 2024 EP Porque Puedo. (See the full setlist here.)
Over the course of two hours, the Latin trap star delivered a show packed with jaw-dropping yakuza-inspired visuals, surprise guests — Young Miko, Rich the Kid, Ty Dolla $ign, Lenny Tavárez, J Quiles — and undeniable energy.
Next, the Sauce Boyz hitmaker will bring his electrifying show to cities like Chicago (Sep. 7 at the Rosemont Theatre) and Miami (Sep. 13 at the Kaseya Center), with stops in Houston, Texas (Sep. 17 at 713 Music Hall), before concluding the U.S. leg in Los Angeles at the YouTube Theater on Sep. 27. Following his U.S. dates, Eladio will take his international tour to Latin America, making stops in major world cities like Bogotá, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.
Here are five takeaways from the trap star’s DON KBRN World Tour show at Barclays Center.
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Japanese Yakuza-Styled Aesthetics
Right as the show began, audiences were visually transported into a world inspired by the Japanese yakuza, the infamous organized crime syndicate, paired with an overarching samurai discipline courtesy of the four backup dancers. Bright neon-colored visuals, traditional Japanese architecture, and text stylized in Japanese characters lit up the massive LED screens. Carrión himself embodied the aesthetic, kicking off the performance in a sleek black suit adorned with intricate silk embroidery — and a dragon stitched across the back of his jacket. The thematic cohesion shown in his performance extends in his latest album Don KBRN, shot entirely in Japan.
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Star Power Galore
The surprises kept coming throughout the night, but the special guests brought an undeniable “wow” factor to the show. Puerto Rican stars J Quiles and Lenny Tavárez joined Carrión onstage for amped-up collaborations, while rappers Rich the Kid and Ty Dolla $ign had the crowd hyped with their performance of “Carnival” — originally recorded by Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, and ¥$. Later, Young Miko made her grand entrance to perform the effortlessly cool “AMG” alongside Carrión — and even treated fans to her own hit “Wassup.”
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Samurai Moves & Breakdance
The four Asian backup dancers were a big highlight of the show, embodying the fierce yakuza spirit in sleek suits while showcasing incredible athleticism. From stylistic fight-inspired choreography to jaw-dropping breakdancing and backflips, their strength and dynamic moves captivated the crowd every time they appeared, adding a thrilling layer to Carrión’s performance.
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Retro-Futuristic Vibes
While the Japanese aesthetics defined much of the show, there was Y2K energy woven throughout the visuals. From Matrix-inspired neon code cascading across the massive screens to old-school Windows tabs popping up, these nostalgic nods added another layer to the event. Not to mention, the dazzling (and at times dizzying) light effects — straight out of a sci-fi world like The Fifth Element — amplified the futuristic vibe, making the show an worthy audiovisual experience.
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Fan Engagement
Eladio Carrión took moments throughout the night to connect directly with the crowd, thanking them for their support and reminiscing about his journey since his debut album, Sauce Boyz (2020). At one point, he even gave a heartfelt shoutout to his parents, who were in attendance, including his mom, Sol María, who inspired his 2024 album of the same name.
Toward the end of the show, the artist paused to reflect on modern concert culture, asking fans to put their phones away and fully immerse themselves in the moment. To drive the point home, he performed “Eladio Carrión: Bzrp Music Session, Vol. 40” twice — once with phones out and once with pure crowd engagement. The energy during the phone-free version was unmatched, with the crowd jumping, raising their hands, and moshing in a way that felt like a nostalgic throwback to pre-smartphone concert days.
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