Since the start of the pandemic, music fans have been without the thrill of live performances.
This weekend, however, marked the long-awaited return of festivals, as Rolling Loud not only lit up Miami with sets from hip-hop’s brightest stars, but is also changing the way artists handle their own tours.
Rolling Loud comes back stronger after pandemic
Rolling Loud’s mission is to put priority on rappers and their fans. Other inclusive festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella have seemingly sprinkled in hip-hop acts over the years, while Rolling Loud books bonafide superstars and ecelectic up-and-comers alike. RL co-founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler seized this opportunity — identifying the need for an immersive festival experience solely dedicated to rappers and their die-hard fans.
In an interview with Power 106 Los Angeles, Cherif discussed hip-hop’s need for an annual festival as well as the origin and strategies behind curating the festival’s lineups.
Cherif, who also manages Ski Mask the Slump God, envisions Rolling Loud becoming even bigger than it already is — hoping to add shows in Europe, Asia, Austrailia and South America.
He told Complex, “We really see ourselves just becoming more and more of a household name. Throughout the pandemic, we expanded a lot into our media department and did more content. We’re looking to keep upping our content game through different touchpoints of original content, documentary content, festival content, music, all types of stuff.”
Rolling Loud started in Miami in 2015, and has since expanded to New York, San Francisco and even internationally to Portugal. This year, RL has begun to partner individually with artists to manage their tours — lending their expert insight as artists begin to hit the road once again.
Jack Harlow, Trippie Redd, Moneybagg Yo and Rod Wave all have partnered with RL for their upcoming 2021 Fall tours. At its festivals, they offer concert-goers incentives such as food trucks, merch, VIP areas and more. It remains to be seen if these perks will be applied to these artist’s solo tours, but regardless, is a leap forward for Rolling Loud.
Rolling Loud – Miami was filled with memorable moments, incredible performances and ultimately new music performed live! Artists in Young Thug, Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert all teased new tracks off of their respective upcoming albums.
Check out our favorite moments from Rolling Loud below!
