REVIEW: Ghais Guevara @ The Cantab Lounge 8/1

Photo Credit: Sandra Ebert

Review by James Klein

On Saturday night, Ghais Guevara brought Cavalier and student 1 to the Cantab Lounge’s basement venue, the Cantab Underground, for an intimate yet thrilling show. Beneath the streets of Cambridge, the rappers showcased three distinct approaches to hip hop, from Cavalier’s deeply poetic lyricism to student 1’s eclectic, colorful delivery to Guevara’s rapid-fire, political lyricism over a range of underground and trap beats.

Kicking off the night were sets by Boston-based DJs: SEE.DJ and DJ Rayvino. They ramped up the crowd with versatile sets, spanning everything from Clipse to Björk. As fans came down the stairs into the venue, conversation flowed freely among DJs, artists, and audience members, reflecting the community-driven atmosphere of the night.

Shortly after SEE.DJ finished his set, Cavalier took to the stage, urging the crowd to move closer and get loud. Signed to billy woods’ Backwoodz Studioz, Cav is a frequent collaborator with woods, Quelle Chris, Iman Omari, Child Actor and other Backwoodz-associated artists. His music reflects the label’s aesthetic through jazzy samples, abstract lyrics and stream-of-consciousness storytelling. Beyond the music, his set was hilarious; Cav muted and unmuted the MacBook playing his beats, interrupting his songs with quips that made it feel like a stand-up set. Toward the end of his set, he gave a speech about the importance of culture, jokingly ending with the conclusion that selling drugs was the moral of the story.

Next up was student 1. Hailing from Minneapolis, student 1’s style occupies the colorful world often associated with internet rap. Sounding like a mix of early Odd Future and modern JID, student 1’s higher-pitched, fast-paced bars were introspective, optimistic and quirky. His set was also funny, continuously asking ridiculous “would you rather” questions between songs, such as “Would you rather have two butts or four legs?” and “Would you rather be Papa John or Kramer from Seinfeld?” One standout was “pSiLLy MaTh,” which showed off his blend of goofy and reflective lyrics.

After student 1, Guevara burst into his set and maintained this momentum the rest of the night. He said he was “running through oldies” as he played “Warrior Bred,” “Collateral” and “Black Unity” off his 2020 album “May Ur Melanin Shield U From Ragnarok.” Guevara took very few breaths as student 1 DJ’d and hyped up the crowd behind him. “Collateral” contained an instantly recognizable slowed-down sample of Maroon 5’s “This Love,” which Guevara rapped over through NBA, comic book and biblical references. On “Black Unity,” Guevara energized the crowd, repeating the “All I gotta do is push the button” chorus. He paced relentlessly across the small stage without missing a single syllable.

He followed with the 2021 song “Blood Starved Beast” featuring more introspective lyrics that asserted his place at the top of the rap game as “that guy, not even a top 3, reachin’ a new peak.” Guevara then performed his 2025 song “The Old Guard Is Dead,” whose instrumental famously introduced Kendrick Lamar during the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. Guevara confidently rapped more about his superiority, saying “I just bet a hunnid on ‘self, Feelin’ like Bean in ’04 with no help.”

Next came “C.I.A Psyop.” Between a catchy chorus, Guevara delivered verses against Western imperialism, rapping “Hurdled straight over angles, anchored the courage, Heard it once from a man how he told it, Reign from the folks that gave the Anglos detergent.” Guevara followed with another pick from “The Other 2/5ths,” “Eazy E Tu Mama Tambien,” whose repetitive “Don’t make me get hostile” chorus further heightened the set’s energy.

Guevara took it to his most recent album “Goyard & The Kayfabe Reveal” with “Battle of Ressentiment,” built around a Solange sample saying “I’m gonna look for my body,” underscoring the song’s meditation on a spiritual escape from modern violence. Guevara then ended the set with “Stuntin Like My Daddy,” bringing the night to an emotional close with its reflections on generational trauma. 

Guevara’s set was a whirlwind and felt like it was over before it even started.

After the show, Guevara, along with student 1 and Cav, lingered at the merch table, chatting with fans long after the music ended. Their willingness to spend time with concertgoers reflected the authenticity that defines their artistry.