EsDeeKid made history on Rolling Loud Day 1 by bringing the excitement, chaos and new music that festivalgoers were hungry for.
Orlando faced its hottest heat wave of the year this past weekend, but that didn’t stop Rolling Loud from delivering one of its strongest installments in recent years. Held at Camping World Stadium, Rolling Loud presented an impressive lineup centering the underground, featuring many new faces and a few familiar ones. For those of us chronically online, the lineup felt like a dream come true. Anticipation, sweat and marijuana filled the air as fans traveled from near and far in hopes of seeing their favorite artists over the course of the three-day festival.
Rolling Loud featured three stages: The Under Armour Stage, The Verizon Stage and The Zig-Zag Stage. The festival also included countless food stands, multiple VIP areas, hundred of activations and charging booths. No festival would be complete without the help of amazing sponsors like Dunkin’ Donuts and Under Armour. Both brands featured unique activations to help fans stay hydrated. Dunkin’s “Refresherland” activation previewed three new flavors arriving later this summer: “Cherry Lime Rickey,” “Pink Pineapple Lemonade” and “Double Strawberry Daydream.” Additionally, Dunkin’ gifted free fanny packs and hats to help festivalgoers stay cool in the heat. Under Armour’s “Fit for the Pit” activation offered a hydration station to prevent guests from overheating and featured an exclusive VIP lounge for influencers and media. These activations were among many of the highlights the festival had to offer.
Credit: (Rolling Loud / Respective Collective)
Rolling Loud was jam-packed with nonstop excitement. There were many standout performances including SahBabii, ChiefKeef, Nettspend, Lazer Dim 700, EsDeeKid and, of course, headliner Don Toliver. SahBabii performed hits like “Pull Up With Ah Stick,” “Anaconda Livin” and “On Film.” Lazer Dim crowd-surfed, while ChiefKeef had fans rapping along bar for bar during one of Rolling Loud’s most chaotic mosh pits. ChiefKeef performed fan favorites including “I Don’t Like” and “Love Sosa.” Tezzus brought out Diamond* to perform their collaborative track “Bada Bing, Bada BØØm” before surprising fans with an appearance from Young Thug. Nettspend performed despite the rain and even had special guest NorthWest in attendance.
Both EsDeeKid and Don Toliver performed at the Under Armour Stage, which hosted many of Rolling Loud’s biggest acts across all three days. Don Toliver closed out day 1 of Rolling Loud by bringing out close friend and collaborator Yeat to perform their record “Rendezvous.” He drew one of the largest crowds of the night, with many fans flying out just to see his performance. In addition to his set, Don Toliver also premiered the unreleased music video for “E85” from his latest album Octane.
Credit: (Rolling Loud / Respective Collective)
By far the most unforgettable set of the night was EsDeeKid’s. Making his Rolling Loud USA debut, EsDeeKid did not disappoint. Complete with a castle stage design, flame-throwing gargoyles, knights in shining armor dueling onstage, and flaming swords, fans were transported to a medieval wonderland featuring their favorite rising artist. Every time EsDeeKid yelled, “open that s*** up!,” the crowd erupted into an unstoppable moshpit. If the atmosphere wasn’t insane enough, EsDeeKid also previewed unreleased single “Rock Wave” during his legendary set, further cementing himself as one of the best performers at this year’s Rolling Loud.
