Migos and Lil Yachty review – synths, swagger and strangeness from trap's new stars

So-called hotlanta trap – high on synths, swagger and strangeness – is one of the most exciting genres around. It’s no surprise, then, that this show from its de facto home, the Quality Control Music label, and starring two of its leading lights in the form of Lil Yachty and Migos, sold out instantly, with another date hastily added.

Red-braided, Tumblr-inspired teen Yachty’s up first, showcasing his post-ironic pop-trap on tracks like Minnesota (“flip phone banging off the walls”) and Wanna Be Us (“my hair be red like a cherry”). Meanwhile, some deliberately awful WordArt floats around on the screen behind him, displaying nods to his nautical nom de guerre such as “Beach” and “The Boat Party”. The crowd are particularly appreciative when he brings out caustic UK rapper Stefflon Don, who twerks her way through a quick set.

The main event, however, is Migos – three pals whose earworm trap first rose to the mainstream via viral banger Bad and Boujee, the soundtrack to a thousand memes. Tonight, Quavo, Offset and Takeoff are mostly playing tracks from breakthrough album Culture, including T Shirt (“If you love your mama, scream mama!” they command before launching into the song, about ignoring your mum and selling drugs) and Slippery, less potent minus Gucci Mane but brooding nonetheless. By the time the confetti cascades down during early hit Handsome and Wealthy, it’s clear that Migos – and Lil Yachty, and trap itself – are here to stay. Breathing new life into hip-hop, they’re bad and brilliant.

• At O2 Academy, Brixton, 26 April. Box office: 020-7771 3000.