Opium Takes Tampa: Playboi Carti’s Antagonist Tour Was an Experience

By Alexia Cretoiu

November 30, 2025

Courtesy of Alexia Cretoiu

Playboi Carti and his Opium collective didn’t just perform — they brought an entire world with them.

Carti, the Atlanta trap icon whose music balances intensity and euphoria, brought his Antagonist Tour to Tampa, and the night felt like stepping into a different reality. Known for his dark aesthetic and influence on the rage rap scene, Carti has cultivated a devoted following through both his solo work and his Opium collective, which includes Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, Homixide Gang, and the emerging talent Apollo Red. Witnessing them perform together made it clear: Opium isn’t just a label, it’s a movement, a community, and a shared energy between artists and fans.

As I stepped into the pit, the arena already pulsed with anticipation. The fashion within the crowd spoke volumes: nearly everyone was dressed in black, draped in leather, denim, and designer accents from Balenciaga, Chrome Hearts, and Rick Owens. It was not merely about looking stylish; it functioned as a shared uniform, a means of aligning with the music and with one another, and a tribute to the aesthetic Carti has cultivated over the years. A thick haze of fog lingered low across the floor, lending the pit an almost cinematic atmosphere.

Apollo Red opened the night, setting the tone from the first moments of his set, followed by Homixide Gang, who performed my personal favorite, “Redrag,” from their new album Homixide Lifestyle 2. With each verse, the energy in the pit continued to intensify. Destroy Lonely took the stage next, delivering his breakout hit “If Looks Could Kill” alongside tracks from his earlier projects, his presence magnetic as the crowd responded with unrestrained enthusiasm. Ken Carson followed, driving the atmosphere into overdrive with “Lord of Chaos” and pacing his set to build steadily toward its most explosive moments. Each performance layered anticipation, compounding the momentum until Carti’s eventual entrance felt truly monumental.

When Carti finally emerged, two massive trucks rose from beneath the stage, framing him like a scene from a dystopian music video. Fire erupted around him as “POP OUT” blasted through the speakers, creating a spectacle that was simultaneously raw, chaotic, and exhilarating. The energy in the pit surged with each song, the mosh pit continuously opening and expanding, sending waves of euphoria through the crowd. The first half of his set leaned heavily on his latest album, MUSIC, with tracks like “OPM BABI” and “CRANK” delivering an unrelenting punch.

Midway through the set, nostalgia and raw energy took over. Carti shifted to Whole Lotta Red, performing “Stop Breathing” and “Rockstar Made,” and brought out Trippie Redd for a surprise performance of “I Miss the Rage.” Hearing Trippie live added a whole new layer of intensity, the crowd’s energy skyrocketed, matching the raw, chaotic emotion of the track. This moment perfectly bridged the present and the past, blending Carti’s new material with the nostalgia of earlier hits.

Carti closed the night with “24 Songs,” a highly anticipated, unreleased fan-favorite that I have long held close. The nostalgia hit hard, and the line “I can’t believe we made it this far” resonated more than ever. It was more than a lyric; it felt like a reflection on how much one can grow in a few years, how far one can come when continually pushing forward, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. Standing there, surrounded by hundreds of fans all caught in the same memory and emotion, the moment became one of collective triumph, a shared acknowledgment of the journeys we have all undertaken, the struggles endured, the perseverance shown, and the small victories and leaps forward achieved. In that instant, music and memory intertwined, and the energy of the crowd transcended the concert itself, embodying a profound sense of being seen, connected, and reminded that immense growth is possible even within a short span of time.

The Antagonist Tour wasn’t simply a concert; it was an immersive experience of sound, fashion, emotion, and shared energy. From the fog and fire to the trucks and designer-styled crowd, every detail contributed to a night that celebrated rage, nostalgia, and triumph, and left every fan, myself included, with the reminder that we really have made it this far.