HOT 97’s Summer Jam once again lived up to its reputation as one of Hip Hop’s most iconic concerts, bringing thousands of fans to Prudential Center in Newark for an unforgettable night celebrating music and culture.
DaBaby is having himself a resurgence, of sorts. Fresh off the release of his fifth studio album ‘Be More Grateful‘, the Charlotte rapper is finding success as he embarks on his tour for the project which has ultimately been pretty well received.
In what is undoubtedly the largest Hip-Hop festival in the world, the ground shivers for miles, roads are blocked and barricaded, and the nearby air brushes you to the stroke of seemingly familiar beats. Rolling Loud returned this year to Miami with none other than the loudest industry-leading names that require no introduction.
Day 1 (Highlights)
Day 1 hosted artists such as Kid Cudi, Playboi Carti, Don Toliver, and Lil Durk with surprise guest Kanye West. While Kanye was set to headline the Ciroc stage on Day 1, he announced he would not make an appearance and Kid Cudi would take his place on the Ciroc stage. This unquestionably ensued a very unhealthy dose of hydration during Cudi’s performance, as some attendees were not pleased with Kanye being replaced, and resorted to throwing numerous water bottles to express their unamusement. While Cudi decided to cut his performance short, Kanye made a very unexpectedly expected Kanye-like appearance with Lil Durk on the GoPuff stage. Many speculated he would certainly show while others feared their most anticipated artist would not walk the stage. While the controversy of spectacular performances and notably undeserved crowd’s judgment left many wondering what is to come of Day 2 and 3, Rolling Loud brought the heat without hesitation.
Day 2
In the midst of misused vodka-filled hydration packs and insta-worthy outfits ready to lose their glow in a spontaneous mosh pit, Day 2 applied pressure with the heaviest line-up of the weekend.
Admirably so, with all the adored chaos that was showcased, Rolling Loud actionably expressed hydration as a priority for their guests with strategically located water stations, concession stands, and water packs thrown (lightly) from the stages to the crowd. Seemingly quite the opposite that occurred the previous night with our ill-fated headliner.
Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Dababy, Polo G, Kevin Gates, and many others appeared on the festival stages on this day with undoubtedly the most attendees of the weekend. Becoming an absolute rager as Future brought out both Travis Scott and Lil Durk as surprise guests. Durk who had previously headlined on the GoPuff stage the day before, entertained no sleep. The festival was a cinematically electric wildfire with fireworks piercing as far as the stratosphere. If all this wasn’t enough, the infamous Rolling Loud Ferris wheel also made its return if the view from the front row didn’t suffice. Travis, who many believed would not continue to perform after previous concert fatalities, stole the show with Future and delivered a truly elevated experience to remember.
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