A cloud of rebellion and angst billowed through the subway doors of the 7 train leading to CitiField Stadium in Queens, where Rolling Loud was set to take place. Hundreds of kids roared down the subway stairs where they were met by ticket scalpers and lines to show proof of vaccination in exchange for a mint green wristband for a chance to see some of their favorite artists hit the stage live.
Rain, sleet, or snow (and it did rain), the weekend promised performances from some of the hottest bubbling rap acts such as Stunna Gambino, 22Gz, Young Devyn, Griselda, Armani Caesar, City Morgue, and of course, performances from some of the biggest names in the music industry including headliners 50 Cent, J. Cole, and Travis Scott.
The New York edition of Rolling Loud was an illuminating experience that delivered a space for young music enthusiasts to gather with their friends and listen to all the music their parents hate to love. Much like any festival, technical difficulties (A Boogie’s mic not working when 50 Cent brought him out) and artists not showing up to their set (like Chief Keef — who rescheduled for the next day) were par for the course. These are problems that I have learned to accept over the many years of attending festivals, including Rolling Loud.
Most of the performances at Rolling Loud are really about energy and vibes. A majority of these acts don’t really put on full-out shows, instead, it’s more like the artist vibing with the crowd to their own songs. City Girls had a fun set and the crowd was really with them singing along to their hits such as “Act Up” and “Pussy Talk.” Gunna, Lil Yachty, Moneybagg Yo, 42Dugg, and Lil Uzi Vert all put on the type of set that saw the artists mostly vibing with their fans from the stage. The more seasoned acts, such as J. Cole, Rick Ross, and Wale, gave more of a live performance that saw the crowds swelled up to the brim for their wealth of hits. Among the younger artists taking a chance at truly rapping live was Roddy Ricch, who also had a live band with him, but even he wasn’t immune to allowing the audience to vibe with him, especially during “The Box.”
When it came to production, performance, and energy, a few acts stood out. Namely, 50 Cent, who put on a head-bopping nostalgic set. Ending the first night of the fest via Queens, Jamaica’s finest was smooth. The rap luminary also brought out A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, A$AP Rocky, and DaBaby, which the crowd seemed to love. Who doesn’t want to see “In Da Club” or “Many Men” live from a living legend?
The following nights, however, the festival itself belonged to Playboi Carti and Travis Scott. They are clearly what Rolling Loud was made for. It is why we attend — to rage and nothing else.
God bless anyone who was front and center of the Carti set because I have been there and you have got to really be with the shits in order to survive that kind of energy. I can only imagine how wild things got when he brought out Uzi for “Shoota.” The flashing white and red lighting cloaked over his black vampiric silhouette was captivating and the rain just added texture to the entire set, while the chaos and madness were orchestrated by his guitarist. It was bewitching to witness in real-time.
Travis Scott’s set was pure insanity. It was as if the entire festival swarmed to the Deleon Stage to catch his performance. I was situated somewhere near the middle-back of the growing crowd and at the stroke of the clock, the curtains came down and intense energy flowed through the crowd placing us all on the same frequency. The only thing to do was let go and go with the wave of the audience, instead of fighting it. Bodies bounced and dropped left to right. “I’m the highest in the room / Hope I make it outta here,” never felt so real.
There’s all this recent talk about how the metaverse is supposed to bring people to live shows without having to be physically present. I would like to see technology accurately replicate the kind of intensity that happens at a Travis or Carti show (throw Rocky, Uzi, and Ski Mask in that category too) because — sheesh!
Overall, Rolling Loud New York provided a huge cathartic release to a sea of kids pent up during the pandemic. Even as the event came to a close, the subway was no match for the hundreds of festivalgoers who filled up the 7 train, exiting Citi Field. That is where the party continued.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Utopia season may very well be upon us, as Travis Scott announced the first new music from his hotly-anticipated album on Twitter with a cheeky reference to cheesy ’90s tabloids like Weekly World News. Remember seeing Bat Boy on the grocery store checkout stand? Travis Scott does. Along with his exuberant promise of “SOME NEW MUSIC AT MIDNIGHT,” Travis included cover art inspired by the covers featuring the fictional Bat Boy creature, with Travis photoshopped into the character and a headline reading “THE TRUE DYSTOPIA IS HERE!”
It’s worth noting that November 5 will also kick off the third iteration of Travis’ Houston-based Astroworld Festival, which should be a nice salve for H-Town natives after the Houston Astros lost the Major League Baseball World Series to the Atlanta Braves (gotta be doubly embarrassing to lose to a team with that name, yeesh). In all likelihood, the set will be the first time Travis performs the new music from his long-awaited fourth studio album, which has long been rumored — but never confirmed — to bear the title Utopia. The art from Travis’ announcement seemingly bears out those rumors, although it also suggests that he might have been baiting fans all along for a switch to the opposite.
Malu Trevejo has officially left Cactus Jack Records. The Cuban singer is no longer in contract with Travis Scott’s label. Malu Trevejo Leaves Cactus Jack Records Malu Trevejo is a Cuban American singer and influencer who first became popular as a result of her videos blowing up on the app musically. She now has 20 […]
Shortly after the release of his third album, Astroworld, in 2018, Travis Scott launched his very own festival under the same name in his hometown of Houston. He delivered two editions of the showcases, one in 2018, the other in 2019 before. The pandemic stopped a third one from happening in 2020. But the festival will be back this year, bowing at the end of the week. As an added treat, Scott announced his first solo set of the weekend will be livestreamed exclusively on Apple Music.
“Travis Scott’s Astroworld: Live” will stream in 167 countries on Friday, November 5 at 7 PM PST/ 10 PM EST, according to a press release. The announcement was made with a brief video that quickly recaps some of the most exciting moments from past Astroworld festivals.
In total, this weekend’s Astroworld Festival will feature performances from 21 Savage, Baby Keem, Bad Bunny, BIA, Chief Keef, Don Toliver, Earth, Wind & Fire, Houston All-Stars, Lil Baby, Master P, Roddy Ricch, Sheck Wes, Sofaygo, SZA, Teezo Touchdown, Toro Y Moi, Tame Impala, Young Thug, and Yves Tumor.
You can view the teaser video for the Astroworld livestream above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Straight up, streetwear wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for hip-hop. The two entities go hand-in-hand, pushing up against and off of one another in their steady quest to take over the world. That’s not hyperbole, streetwear and hip-hop have taken over the world. Hip-hop went from a niche genre that was written off as a fad in the late ’70s and early ’80s and blossomed into a phenomenon that has since influenced every other genre of American music (see autotune country) and become the dominant musical genre of cultural expression in America. Streetwear similarly went from being a niche fashion aesthetic to a world-dominating force in modern fashion. Whether you’re a small fashion label just getting started, or an iconic luxury house like Gucci or Louis Vuitton, if you’re not designing streetwear, you’re not connecting with the people.
Streetwear and hip-hop haven’t just been growing parallel to one another, they feed off of one another. Hip-hop provides the face, streetwear provides the look, and the two entities rely on one another to move product. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the best sneakers (arguably the emblem of streetwear itself) have a rapper’s name attached. In a celebration of hip-hop and streetwear, we’re running through the most important hip-hop sneaker collaborations of all time, starting with…
Adidas Superstar, 1986
Adidas
The Adidas Superstar is not technically a hip-hop sneaker collaboration, but because of Run-DMC’s hit single “My Adidas,” it felt wrong to start this list anywhere else. Make no mistake, a fresh white pair of Adidas Superstars with contrasting stark black stripes is a look wholly owned by Run-DMC Streetwear fans treat this sneaker silhouette and colorway as a stone-cold classic, and Adidas has “My Adidas” to thank for that.
The song’s video gave the world its first glimpse of hip-hop’s new look and from “My Adidas” on, the two entities have been in lock-step. The sneaker features a leather base with a shell toe cap, it’s one of Adidas’ oldest and best-selling sneaker silhouettes. Adidas would go on to let Run-DMC design their own version of the silhouette, but nothing beats the OG.
Nike Dunk High Wu-Tang, 1999
Nike
No other rap group quite understood the synergy between streetwear and hip-hop like the Wu-Tang Clan, who went off and started their very own successful streetwear label, Wu-Wear. In 1999 Nike tapped them with a special Friends And Family Only release of the high-top Nike Dunk.
The colorway was lifted from a set of sneakers celebrating different university sports teams, this black and gold iteration was meant to represent Iowa University, but since it shared a color scheme with the Wu-Tang logo, Nike slapped a W on the heel and tongue, and with that simple move created one of the most sought after sneakers of all time.
ICECREAM Dollars & Diamonds, 2003
Getty/Uproxx
Pharrell Williams doesn’t get enough credit for being lightyears ahead on seeing the linkage between not just hip-hop and streetwear, but the importance of Japanese designers to the medium. Streetwear wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence of Japan, and it was Pharrell who was smart enough to link up with cutting-edge designers like BAPE figurehead NIGO before anyone else. The result was his very own label, Billionaire Boys Club, and the brand sneaker brand ICECREAM.
Pharrell was the first rapper turned sneaker designer, and this pair Diamonds and Dollars silhouette was his attempt at fusing streetwear and skatewear into a single entity. It was a success, it signified a turning point in streetwear that would see the aesthetic completely absorb the world of skateboarding.
Air Jordan 4 Encore, 2004
Getty/Uproxx
When “My Adidas” and the Wu-Tang Dunks dropped, streetwear was still pretty niche, but by the mid-00s the fashion aesthetic started to hit the mainstream. When Eminem linked up with Nike for the Air Jordan Encore, named after Eminem’s album of the same name, people lost their minds. This shoe single-handedly created the modern sneakerhead.
It remains one of the most popular sneaker colorways of all time, fetching bids exceeding $20,000 on aftermarket sites like StockX and eBay. Nike will occasionally drop a refresh of this sneaker in very limited runs, so it’s still possible to own a pair without paying a fortune for it. Good luck.
BAPE Kanye West Bapesta College Dropout, 2007
Bapesta
Long before Kanye West had his own sneaker brand, and even before he started calling himself “Yeezy,” West linked up with Japanese streetwear label BAPE for the College Dropout version of the brand’s Bapesta sneaker silhouette. The sneaker features a tan and brown leather upper with red accents and a cartoon graphic of Kanye’s Dropout Bear character.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Dropout Bear, Ye ditched the mascot after the “Graduation Album” which was released the same year. It’s a reminder of a younger more playful Kanye and still to this day, a pretty dope design, even if it’s a far cry from what Kanye would design with his own Yeezy brand.
Odd Future x Vans Syndicate Old Skool Pro S Golf Wang Pack, 2013
Vans Syndicate
Pharrell combined the worlds of street skating and hip-hop, and out of that came Tyler The Creator’s Odd Future collective. Inspired by the sort of bright color palettes you’d expect out of a Wes Anderson movie and not what you’d find in a typical hip-hop music video (at the time) Tyler The Creator presented his dark strain of hip-hop with a juxtaposing visual aesthetic that forever changed the look of modern rap music.
Before Tyler The Creator, the idea of a rapper wearing a sneaker with a pink sole is something only Kanye West would do, but he didn’t. Tyler did, and this early collaboration with Vans eventually caught the eye of Converse, who swooped up Tyler and gave him his own sneaker line by the name of Golf Le Fleur.
Air Yeezy 2 SP Red October, 2014
Getty/Uproxx
Another Kanye West sneaker? Yes. If you can’t talk hip-hop without mentioning streetwear, you can’t talk about either without mentioning Kanye West. His presence will weigh heavily throughout this roundup. While his cultural status is not quite at the heights it was just seven years ago you can’t deny that the name Kanye West still holds a lot of weight amongst hip-hop fans and sneakerheads alike.
But before Kanye West put his stamp on the world of footwear with his Yeezy Brand, he tried things out with Nike. Ultimately, it didn’t work out (Nike didn’t want to give Ye as much creative control as he wanted) but 2014’s Air Yeezy Red Octobers were the first indication that people needed to take West the sneaker designer as seriously as they took West the hip-hop producer and rapper.
Even today, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this all-over scarlet red colorway. Just look at the thing! Tell us you don’t want a pair.
Air Jordan 12 White OVO, 2016
Jordan Brand
Drake hasn’t had quite the same level of success attaching his name to sneakers as his contemporaries, but the Jordan 12 White OVOs is one of the finest colorways the sneaker has ever seen in its entire run, and it has Drake to thank for that. There is nothing special about this sneaker, Drake didn’t offer up any radical suggestions for a re-design, but what it presents is a highly effective colorway that exudes luxury and class thanks to its mix of white leather and gold accent work.
You can hardly tell Drake has anything to do with the sneaker, and that’s kind of its strength.
Adidas Yeezy BOOST 700 Wave Runner, 2017
Yeezy Brand
We can’t overstate just how important Kanye West’s name is to the world of sneakers. It’s arguably just as big as Michael Jordan’s, so we couldn’t finish this list without talking about West’s label with Adidas, Yeezy Brand. By 2017 Kanye West and Adidas had already been making sneakers together for five years, but West wasn’t really taken seriously as a footwear designer. That all changed with 2017’s Wave Runner.
When the Wave Runner dropped, which is still the 700’s best colorway, Kanye West singlehandedly made the ‘90s influenced “dad shoe” the hot footwear item everyone had to have. The world of sneakers changed once this shoe dropped, brands like New Balance, Nike, and Adidas started to bring out more of their ‘90s designs and Adidas was able to slash the price of these shoes from the usual $300 to the more affordable (but still expensive) $240.
After the success of the Wave Runner, Adidas themselves started to put more faith in Kanye, increasing the sneaker release runs of all of his future shoes in an effort to make them more accessible amongst the public.
Jordan 1 High OG SP Fragment x Travis Scott, 2021
Nike
If Kanye West dominated footwear in the 2010s, it’s looking more and more like Travis Scott will inherit that crown for this current decade. This year saw the release of Travis Scott’s 13th Nike collaboration, the Jordan 1 High OG SP Fragment x Travis Scott, a partnership with streetwear label Fragment Design. It’s not the first sneaker people would associate with Travis Scott — that would be the Jordan 1 Mocha — but, and brace yourself for this one, it is the best.
No, it’s not quite as iconic as the coffee-toned Mocha that it’s meant to be a sequel of, but give it time, that combination of University Blue, white leather, off-white midsole, and a black oversized backwards swoosh will no doubt go down as not only one of Travis Scott’s best sneakers but one of hip-hop’s best sneaker collaborations of all time.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Over the past few years, Travis Scott has cultivated a reputation for giving back to his hometown via the Cactus Jack Foundation, and next month, he’ll extend his philanthropy even further as his Astroworld Festival now includes an Astroworld Week. In the days leading up to the festival, which lands on November 5-6, Travis is taking over Houston with events looking to benefit local youth including a celebrity golf tournament and softball game; the unveiling of his Cactus Jack Design Center, several public basketball courts, and a youth community garden; and a slew of sneaker release events in conjunction with Nike’s SNKRS program.
In addition, Travis revealed the premiere date for the A24-produced film, Red Rocket: November 6, during the Astroworld Festival. The Astroworld Festival lineup, which was revealed earlier this week, also includes 21 Savage; Baby Keem; Bad Bunny; BIA; Chief Keef; Don Toliver; Earth, Wind & Fire; Houston All-Stars; Lil Baby; Master P; Roddy Ricch; Sheck Wes; Sofaygo; SZA; Teezo Touchdown; Toro Y Moi; Travis Scott; Tame Impala; Young Thug; and Yves Tumor.
You can find more information about the Cactus Jack Foundation here and more about Astroweek here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Travis Scott is ready to invite all his fans back to Astroworld. Scott has announced the all-star lineup for his upcoming Astroworld Festival, taking place in Houston, Texas. Astroworld Lineup Includes SZA, Baby Keem, Chief Keef And More Travis Scott’s third installment of his Astroworld Festival will feature Scott as a headliner alongside a carefully […]
Travis Scott has done really well his with Astroworld Festival over the past few years, as it routinely has some of the most appealing lineups on the fest circuit. Fans have come to expect that, so much so that the event sold out in May, well before the lineup was even announced. Speaking of that, Scott shared the lineup for the 2021 event today, which is returning on November 5 and 6 at Houston’s NRG Park.
The full lineup, in alphabetical order, consists of 21 Savage; Baby Keem; Bad Bunny; BIA; Chief Keef; Don Toliver; Earth, Wind & Fire; Houston All-Stars; Lil Baby; Master P; Roddy Ricch; Sheck Wes; Sofaygo; SZA; Teezo Touchdown; Toro Y Moi; Travis Scott; Tame Impala; Young Thug; and Yves Tumor.
In keeping with the modern trend in hip-hop, Young Thug’s newly released second(!) album, Punk, is a star-studded affair on which the trap experimentalist is accompanied by a plethora of guests from across the genre. However, unlike his previous release, So Much Fun, he expands the range of artists he taps to help him fill time, including newcomers like ASAP Rocky, Doja Cat, and Mac Miller among his frequent collaborators like Drake, Gunna, and Future. He also reunites with J. Cole, Juice WRLD, and Post Malone after working with them on some of their biggest singles.
Thug, who officially kicked off the promotion for his latest album with his first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Concert alongside rock drummer Travis Barker, rolled out the album in a most unusual way, only releasing one single, “Tick Tock,” and playing new songs at places like Givenchy’s Paris Fashion Week show and in the backseats of Lyft drivers’ cars. And speaking of cars, his release party stunt of trashing a brand-new Rolls-Royce with baseball bats alongside Gunna and Metro Boomin drew both attention and criticism. However, judging from the fact that many fans on Twitter freely admitted to staying up later than usual for the release (midnight Pacific, three hours later than most New Music Friday releases), it would seem that these tactics had an overall positive effect on the album’s reception.
You can check out some of the new songs from Punk above and listen to the full album courtesy of Atlantic and YSL here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Just days after releasing his third album, Life Of A Don, Houston rapper Don Toliver has paired one of the album’s standout songs, “Flocky Flocky,” with a suitably lo-fi video featuring his fellow Texan — and label boss — Travis Scott. The video’s shot like a throwback home movie, with grainy footage depicting the two rappers boarding private planes, riding in limos, hanging out in the studio, and throwing money at the strip club.
“Flocky Flocky” is the fourth video from Life Of A Don after “What You Need,” “Drugs N Hella Melodies,” and “Way Bigger.” In addition to Kali Uchis, who appears on “Drugs N Hella Melodies,” and Travis Scott, who appears on “Flocky Flocky” as well as “You,” the album features an appearance from Travis Scott collaborator Baby Keem on the song “Outerspace,” and HVN and SoFaygo on the song “Smoke.”
Travis Scott, meanwhile, has made a slew of appearances on new albums as fans await his own new album Utopia. In addition to his two appearances on Don’s album, Travis popped up on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and on Baby Keem’s The Melodic Blue. He’s also expecting his second child with Kylie Jenner while working on a companion film for Utopia.
Watch the video for Don Toliver and Travis Scott’s “Flocky Flocky” video.
Life Of A Don is out now on Cactus Jack and Atlantic. Get it here.
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