Hey folks! It’s 5ABIO here with a quick recap of day two for Lollapalooza. This is more of a blog type post than it is a write up going in full detail about artists. There was so much that I could do with the time I had so I tried to do as much as I could to see as many artists as possible with the time give.
I was at Lolla for Day 2 specifically for Hip-Hop because this day was full of different Hip-Hop artists and had the most to showcase from the three day lineup. I was also able to see other acts from different genres but I went with the intention of seeing as many Hip-Hop artists as I could.
Just for a little further clarification, I was there from 11:30am-10pm so there was much ground to cover. There were also some time conflicts so I was only able to see some artists for about half their set and others for their entire set.
Mick Jenkins 11:45AM [Full Set]
The day started with Mick Jenkins, the lyrical savant from Chicago’s Hip-Hop scene that has amassed nationwide attention as a result of his conscious raps that take a stance against social injustice as well as unrest over the wrongful murders of black youth and black lives. Needless to say, Mick Jenkins was one of the reasons why I decided to come to Lolla because I have been able to see his growth from Trees & Truths to the recent Water[s] and Waves project.
[Vid credit Pursuit of Dopeness]
It was really remarkable to witness his set over the years. The first Mick show I attended was two years ago at Township in Logan Square where he rocked a crowd of 50 people. Years later Mick easily PACKED a crowd of thousands as he had the Pepsi stage over capacity all clinging to every word and knowledge he spoke to his fans.
The highlight of his set was the new music as Mick played three joints off the forthcoming Waves project he is set to release recently.
Raury 12:50pm [Full Set]
[Video credit: Pursuit of Dopeness]
I’m pretty new to Raury. The recent XXL Freshmen and Atlanta, GA native has been captivating crowds because he’s not the norm when t comes to the Atlanta Hip-Hop scene. Up to the point of this performance I had only heard two songs from this promising artists and at first didn’t know what to think of it over than ‘this is different’. That uniqueness has led me to further appreciate Raury after his set. The kid is special. He reminds me of a mix between Outkast and Frank Ocean cause the kid can sing and his production is different, it’s folk, it’s pop, it’s music that should be appreciated for what it is and his live performance turned heads. It definitely made a fan out of me.
Travi$ Scott 2:15pm [Full Set]
Name another artist with this many fans at a 2 o’clock show? Travis Scott is a star. @trvisXX #LaFlame #Lollapalooza pic.twitter.com/aALeHpmHMD
— Prospect Sound (@prospect_sounds) August 1, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsGOOD MUSIC signee Travi$ Scott is another artists that I was not too familiar with. I had never heard any of his projects but had been exposed to him on features he was on. He was one of the artists I wanted to see the most because of the fact that he was under Kanye’s brand and is highly considered to be the future of Houston’s Hip-Hop scene. For those that were not in attendance, ‘the Rodeo’ was shut down real quick.
[S/O Pursuit of Dopeness]
This performance was a bit of a disappointment. For the set being expected to be an hour it started with 30mins of DJing which brings down Travi$’ performance to at least a half hour, right? WRONG. Travi$ performance lasted about 5-10minutes before folks in the crowd started creating rampage. It didn’t help that Travi$ pretty much incited a riot and prompting folks to hop on stage with him. This led to a lot of ‘fuckboys’ hopping on stage, security starting to flex people, and eventually the set canceled within 10mins to Travi$ performance. It was a huge letdown for a lot of people that really wanted to see his performance which was packed with his esteemed ‘Rangers’.
Death From Above 1979 4pm [Half Set]
I’m checking out Death From Above 1979 at Lollapalooza Chicago 2015 #lolla Samsung Stage pic.twitter.com/d593OE866A
— Fabio Botero (@fboterom) August 1, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Death From Above 1979 is a band I had been put on when I was in high school by my best friend so I looked forward to seeing them live. I spazzed out as they performed as well as I was able to hear my favorite “You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine” in the 30mins I had before running off to see the next performance.
Toro Y Moi 3:45pm [Half Set]
.@ToroyMoi en @lollapalooza 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/Ywf6uBvlf9
— Ibero 90.9 FM (@Ibero909FM) August 1, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI only know Toro y Moi cause Treated Crew/Legion of Dudez showyousuck made a mixtape rapping over their songs so I had to check it out. It had the ShowYouSuck stamp of approval and I definitely did dig the 30mins of the performance I saw. It’s not what I would usually listen to but it was interesting live.
Tyler, The Creator 5:45pm [Half Set]
Tyler The Creator showed out for a huge crowd @lollapalooza #iHeartLolla pic.twitter.com/9ZqhrK1YIq
— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 2, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Tyler the Creator at Lollapalooza 😍 pic.twitter.com/2z5oByV73B
— Sydney Moloy (@SydneyMoloy) August 2, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
For those not too familiar with Tyler, The Creator- he is one crazy dude! The substance matter in his lyrics reminds us how wicked and weird we are individually, which is why folks gravitate towards his music. I had only seen videos of him live so I had an expectation of what his set would be. I’ve been following his Bastard project so I expected a wild yet fun performance which is what we got at Lollapalooza as the Golf Wang/ODD Future emcee delivered his fan favorites as well as new joints off his recently released Cherry Bomb project.
Kid Cudi 6:45pm [Full Set]
Kid Cudi at Lollapalooza pic.twitter.com/cH4Wwx2t0T
— Rappers Said (@RappersSaid) August 3, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Cudder was the highlight of Lolla. From beginning to end his performance was high energy as he continuously interacted with his crowd that was packed. Cudi not only delivered some of his most celebrated material but as well as delivered a new acoustic joint as he showcased what is in store from his forthcoming project. It was a real dope set from beginning to end and definitely one of the highlights of Lolla.
I really like @KidCudi new song “Confused”,but the acoustic version he did at @lollapalooza is kinda my obsession pic.twitter.com/0VcSt5flk0
— Caleb Gall (@TheWolfofGallSt) August 3, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Metallica 8-10pm [Half Set]
With a two hour set I had to make sure I saw the legendary Metallica. I’m a Hip-Hop head to the core but I know when to give respect where it’s due so seeing this legendary band was my biggest priority. As someone that is not that too familiar with the legendary band, Metallica was not only welcoming to new listeners but played a wide array of classic and newer material to welcome any listener that wanted to give them their time and an ear to play to. This is a once in a generation type band playing for the first time at Lollapalooza which became a once in a lifetime event in my first ever Lollapalooza.
G Eazy 9pm [Half Set]
The last on the list for me to see was G Eazy. He’s another artists that I wasn’t too familiar with but was definitely digging from the few joints I was able to hear as well as the few live television performances I had seen him on previously before seeing him live. The Bay Area emcee not only introduced me more to tracks I hadn’t heard before but as well as payed respect to the city that lay the groundwork for his sound as he embraced his listeners in Chicago and welcomed him to witness more of his roots and influences. Also, one of the cool highlights was G Eazy embracing the greatness behind the Chicago Hip-Hop scene and bringing out Vic Mensa to perform his hit “U MAD”.
Overall, Lollapalooza for me was a real cool experience. I was able to see once in a lifetime performances by some of the best doing it today and it has definitely gotten me thinking of continuing to attend for many years to come.