KEY POINTS:
It's 10.30pm and the crowd is growing restless. Swirling and surging, the throbbing mass begins to chant. The ongoing call fills the sound chamber, steadily gaining momentum. "Lupe, Lupe, Lupe..."
Security guards are poised, ready for action. One stands on the bar, looking down on the crowd. A bottle is thrown, and he's off, dragging the culprit out in a firm headlock.
It is a scene more fitting of a death metal gig, than the tame, radio-friendly rap of Lupe Fiasco.
The crowd continues to wait. As the clock ticks ever-closer to 11pm - Fiasco's call time - anticipation is rife.
DJ Simon Says takes the stage and lays down a beat. The bellowing bass of Gemini - a fellow rapper and label-mate - fills the room as he runs onstage to greet Auckland.
A ten-minute solo set follows, before Fiasco slowly saunters on stage. His cool, calm and collected demeanour belies the frenetic explosion he is about to unleash.
In an theatrical, mime-like performance, Fiasco riles the crowd, pulling out out a t-shirt with words "Choice Bro" emblazoned on the front.
Without saying a word, he has the wild, scrabbling mob under his spell.
And then he begins.
As the rapper bounces across the stage, spewing his rapid-fire lyrical poetry, it's like watching a video in fast forward.
Launching into the Kanye West collaboration Touch the Sky, Fiasco feeds off the screaming crowd, before goading them further with a series of cadence calls.
After the first verse of He Never Lies, Fiasco stops the music.
"I didn't come here to play with y'all," he announces. "When this song comes on, I want you to go completely ape shit."
As take two unfolds, the entire room jumps, the sea of people moving as one cohesive unit.
An hour later, Fiasco gets to the crescendo of the night up, with a trio of hits - his first single Kick Push, his latest single The Cool and the yet-to-be-released Superstar.
And then, just when it seems we've reached the end of the road, he pulls out the biggest performance of the night - Daydream.
Thunderous applause fills the Studio, as Fiasco bows deep and exits the stage, leaving the once riotous crowd to disperse, sedate and satiated.
