Starting his major label career at the age of 19, Lupe Fiasco found himself thrust into the limelight at an early age. While this certainly didn’t stop the Chicago MC from ascending to the top of the critical heap in just a few short years, it did have its drawbacks. Many of Fiasco’s early performances were shaky and unfocused; most attributed this to a lack of on-stage confidence, stemming from the rapper’s age and relative inexperience. Now 25 and two critically acclaimed albums into his career, Fiasco no longer has an excuse to hide behind his studio output. So, has the promising young rapper finally matured into a compelling performer? As D.C. learned on Wednesday night, the answer is a resounding yes.

Throughout the sold-out show, Fiasco seemed totally at home at the 9:30 Club; pacing up and down the stage like he owned it, he dominated the mic, dishing out rhymes with equal measures of ferocity and detached cool. Backed by an eight-piece band consisting of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards and bringing out hook-singing songsmith Matthew Santos on more than a few occasions, Lupe’s live setup boasted a fuller, richer sound than just about any hip-hop show this side of the Roots.

The main attraction, however, was Fiasco’s flow, and the MC certainly didn’t disappoint in that department, gripping the mic with both hands while spitting complex rhymes with clarity and focus on each song. Heck, he even looks like a real rapper now—gone are the size medium sweatshirts and prescription glasses of two years ago, replaced by sunglasses, leather racing jackets and oversized shirts emblazoned with flashy gold designs.

Photo by Lionel Deluy, courtesy of Atlantic Records.