Big Sean – Big Sean’s spectacular Friday performance caught me a bit off guard, to be honest. Although I’ve honestly never been the biggest fan, I know Sean’s an absolute legend and this performance solidified him as a blog era deity in my book. Hits after hits after hits rolled off his tongue as he performed on Friday night whilst engulfed by a gorgeous summer sunset. Opening with “Paradise” followed by “Mercy” followed by “Clique” followed by “I Don’t Like” was a wild run of tracks to start his 45-minute set out. We haven’t gotten a full length out of the Detroit native since 2020 but if we see a new project along with a subsequent tour I’m going to do all I can to be a part of that evening as I thoroughly enjoyed his Summer Smash set.
Famous Dex – Mr. Ohhhhmangahdamnnnnn himself took full advantage of the consistently rowdy nature at the Drink Lyrical Tent Stage as he put on a 30-minute performance that perfectly closed that stage for the day. It’s seemingly been a turmoil-filled few years for Dex but to see him doing well at SS ‘22 and ‘24 warmed my teenage SoundCloud-loving heart. Dex played some of his biggest hits including “Drip From My Walk” and “JAPAN” while also offering the sardine-packed crowd some exciting new tunes to wild out to. Chicago received him well, as expected, and I’m excited to see him perform again soon.
Cactus Jack – To be honest, this was my least anticipated headlining act of the weekend but man did these guys put on an absolute show. SoFaygo led the pack with three songs that thoroughly impressed me. His progression from when I shot him at SS in ‘21 to his commanding opening performance is outstanding. Even if the crowd may have been particularly antsy for the rest of the Jackboys, SoFaygo perfectly set the tone. Sheck Wes followed Faygo with an on-brand booming performance exploding with energy and confidence. Even though Sheck hasn’t released much music the last few years, his hits from MUDBOY and before slap today as hard as they did when first released. The effortlessly dope Don Toliver closed out the “Cactus Jack Openers” with a stunning performance comprised of tracks off of his latest full-length release as well as some of his biggest cuts from earlier in his career. Don has clearly gotten comfortable on some of the world’s largest stages and the SS crowd reciprocated the infectious energy he was radiating. Finally, La Flame Mr. Travis Scott took the stage by storm by opening alongside Don Toliver with their collaborative track “Can’t Say”. This was my first time seeing Travis perform since his spectacular Lollapalooza headlining set on the same night he dropped ‘Astroworld’ and along with the rest of the Cactus Jack crew, he has somehow gotten even better at performing.
Paris Texas – Shoutout the Real Ones for putting me on to Paris Texas but I honestly never have heard their music til now! I was wildly impressed with their utterly cohesive set that instantly turned me into a fan. At first sight, they gave me strong Brockhampton vibes but I think they deserve no comparison as each individual seems to compliment the collective whereas I felt as though Brockhampton was a group of individuals that didn’t come together as well as a group as Paris Texas does. Their rowdy performance that included some special guests such as Sir Michael Rocks turned up the main stage on a scorching Saturday afternoon. I’ll be checking these guys’ music out shortly and I’m convinced I won’t be disappointed… I’d also love to see a collaboration tape between these two and the wildly-dope AG CLUB. Who do I need to talk to to make that happen?
Mick Jenkins – This was the perfect afternoon set! As I predicted in my Dope Dozen for the fest, this was truly one of the sets of the weekend. Blog era fanatics as well as brand new teenage fans came together in solidarity to enjoy every second of The Water(s) as well as some other immaculate Mick tracks during his afternoon set on Sunday. He’s one of those amazing no backing track rappers that is able to effortlessly enunciate every single bar which is part of what makes his performances so enjoyable and impressive. This was my first time shooting pictures of Mick Jenkins and I’m glad that I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity. Shoutouts to both PoD and Mick!
Nettspend – I know a very limited amount of information about Nettspend but I’m completely confident in the fact that he is a young performing phenom that quite literally had a thousand kids moshing uncontrollably screaming every single word of his tracks. Nettspend was the final act at the Drink Lyrical Tent and man, he absolutely took advantage of his solid 30-minute set. It was arguably the highest energy afternoon show of the weekend and even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of his music, I’d strongly consider buying tickets to any of his upcoming shows to simply enjoy his performing abilities. This 17-year-old from Virginia is clearly making some strong waves in the avant-garde hip-hop scene and I’m excited to see how far he can take it.
Lucki – Lucki has slowly but steadily grown into a modern day Chicago legend and it’s always wonderful to see how effortlessly and calmly he’ll command a massive crowd. He had quite possibly the crowd of the weekend at the SPKRBX Stage (I did miss Ski Mask’s set there but I’m sure it was wild) and he orchestrated the sea of fans like it was nothing. Tune’s brand-new full-length GEMINI! released the evening before his Saturday performance, it was dope to see some of those perfectly fresh tracks get performed for the first time, ever. Between his new tracks he fit in some old classics such as “TUNE & SCOTTY”, “Faith”, and “New Drank”. I always yearn for some older FW2-era performances but I fear those days must be behind us… gotta let the kids have the fun nowadays I guess! Tune is on the way to the moon and I’m happy I’ve been a fan for several years now, it’s been fun to watch his growth from the home bleachers.
Playboi Carti -While Playboi Carti’s sets could be considered erratic to some, they are undeniably filled with emotion and passion from the first second all the way to the closing track. This year’s performance featured his typical “Punk Monk” constituents presented on a fiery stage that was truly a sight to see. This set was an absolute treat as 10 out of 15 tracks that Carti played were live premieres and I was impressed to hear how cohesive his set felt as the ‘Whole Lotta Red’ era seems to be gracefully flowing into his ‘I AM MUSIC’ era. “H00DBYAIR”, “EVILJ0RDAN”, and “BACKR00MS” were too tight to hear live and I can pretty much guarantee I’ll be in the house for his next tour. The energy reciprocated between him and his fans is truly unmatched nowadays… you’ve gotta respect his path to greatness. Similarly to Lucki, I wish Carti would spin some older tracks but it seems like the days of hearing self-titled live are over… I still kick myself a bit for seeing Odesza headline Lolla 2018 but oh well, I’m blessed to have seen as much live music as I have.
Hardrock – Hardrock delivered what many consider one of the standout tent performances of the weekend. Despite the brevity of his twenty-minute set, the Atlanta rapper had the crowd jumpin’ from start to finish. His live shows are infused with the high energy vibe characteristic of his Atlanta underground counterparts, but it’s Hardrock’s distinctive personality that truly sets him apart. This was especially evident in his closing track, “feel alive,” which features a Deftones sample. The song created a psychedelic whirlwind that sent the audience into a frenzy, crazy to see this much love for the underground.
Joeyy – On Sunday, Joeyy crooned to the crowd with his hits, as fans seemingly sang along to every word. His music and persona are deeply rooted in meme culture, which was evident in his performance. With goofy stage visuals, hilarious DJ Smokie drops, and his signature pink mink coat worn despite the 90-degree heat, Joeyy was quintessentially himself. The entire performance radiated fun, making it impossible not to smile, regardless of how you feel about the music.
Lil B – The Based God returned for another incredible and electrifying performance at the tent stage, despite multiple delays due to rain. Diehard fans were worried that the fest would pull the plug, but nearly two hours after his scheduled set time, Lil B emerged with the same boundless energy the crowd had been anticipating. It was heartwarming to see a young audience showing so much appreciation for an influential artist like Lil B. Witnessing fourteen-year-old kids singing “Suck My Dick Hoe” bar for bar nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Chief Keef – Cubs winning the World Series, the World’s Fair, Michael Jordan leading the Bulls to their sixth championship—these iconic moments can all be likened to the day Chief Keef returned to Chicago. As a Chicago blog that’s been around since Chief Keef’s early days, it’s only fitting we pay tribute to the GOAT for delivering an electrifying performance in his hometown. While some may have differing opinions, my favorite aspect of this performance was how Sosa treated it like any other, being authentically himself. He played numerous tracks from his new record, Almighty So 2, but also shared the spotlight with DooWop and Tadoe, showing love to those who helped shape the culture with him. Some aspects of his performance might not have appeased the fairweather fans from the suburbs, but f*** em,’ this was for Chicago.
Words by Jack Dombro and Frankie Pastorelle
