This past weekend, thousands of people found their way to San Bernardino’s NOS Stadium in attendance of LA’s first Rolling Loud since the world opened back up. Each day was teeming with festival food and booth activities— an extensive accompaniment to the impressive lineup this year, featuring hard-hitting performances from the music industry’s most renowned Hip-hop/Rap artists. Rolling Loud’s comeback to Southern California also came with huge changes following the storm of COVID-19 and safety issues affecting both artists and fans, including their newly-implemented 18+ attendee policy as a response to the tragic Astroworld Festival and security protocols requiring artists to leave the grounds after their sets.
Chris Brown and Tyga on stage at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
This year’s Rolling Loud weekend saw everything from a fully-stacked roundup of Bay Area artists including performances from Berner and Mozzy, to Rubi Rose’s (genius) onstage Onlyfans promo, to a surprise Kanye appearance.
In the aftermath of the festival, fans have inevitably been discussing the ever-looming post-festival question: who had the best set? We’ve brought you a selection of runners-up.
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi performing at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
One of the performances that dominated talk at the close of Rolling Loud’s first day was Kid Cudi, whose set— dedicated to the late Virgil Abloh—included a mix of true fan favorites, showcasing songs off his boast-worthy 2020 project Man On The Moon III: The Chosen. Beyond his work on the soundtrack for the upcoming Netflix film Entergalactic, Cudi teased that he would be dropping two albums over the course of 2022 much to the excitement of a roaring audience, launching straight into the debut of new joints like “Freshie” and “Just Look Up,” the latter of which features Ariana Grande for the soundtrack of Netflix’s star-studded film Don’t Look Up, set to premiere on December 24th. In a particularly poignant moment during his performance, Cudi also revealed his final texts to Virgil Abloh— an intimate and lasting tribute to the Off-White founder and world-renowned designer that was nothing short of historic.
Key Glock and Paper Route Empire’s Young Dolph tribute
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Paper Route Empire artist Snupe Bandz on stage at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
Cudi wasn’t the only artist to pay an artist homage over the weekend; Young Dolph’s go-to collaborator and cousin Key Glock was one of a number of Paper Route Empire artists who commemorated the impact and legacy of the late Memphis rapper, a trailblazing multi-hyphenate who was himself a four-year Rolling Loud veteran. Key Glock joined fellow artists OT Genasis and fellow Paper Route Empire rappers Paper Route Woo and Snupe Bandz to perform songs in Dolph’s remembrance. A photo of the late artist underscored by the words “Young Dolph Immortal” stormed the screen as the speakers blasted some of Dolph’s most impactful songs, including “Preach,” culminating in a particularly emotional and beyond-heartwrenching set that separated itself from the rest of the festival.
J. Cole
J. Cole at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
Capping off Saturday night’s set was all-star headliner J. Cole, who hit the Rolling Loud stage to the audience’s explosive cries. Cole’s setlist was curated with both old and new joints, featuring classics that go all the way back to his 2011 and 2014 albums Cole World: The Sideline Story and 2014 Forest Hills Drive respectively, as well as songs off of this year’sThe Off-Season. For many, J. Cole was arguably one of the top performances across the weekend’s board, which was only fitting for what he revealed would be “his last show for a while.” Through and through, he bid love to his fans (at one point, Cole picked up a fan’s phone and started recording himself as he performed his verse on 21 Savage‘s “a lot”) as well as Dreamville signees Bas and Lute, tearing down the festival, raising goosebumps, and demonstrating exactly what it means to live in Cole World.
Playboi Carti
Playboi Carti at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
While fans quickly began drawing comparisons to Carti’s Rolling Loud NYC performance, King Vamp didn’t disappoint. It was clear that hordes of festival-goers had been waiting for Carti all weekend. Accompanied by his skilled guitar player, Carti brought all the energy Sunday night, with live deliveries of songs from his 2020 album Whole Lotta Red— including the electrifying highlights “Rockstar Made” and “King Vamp.” At one point during his set, Carti got onto the cameraman’s platform— a viral moment among the countless videos of the artist bouncing against his stage flanked with pyrotechnics, a spectacle among the rage.
Playboi Carti on stage at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
Future
Future on stage at Rolling Loud California 2021 – Photo for HNHH by @sophiajuliette
At this point, it is little surprise that one of the most memorable and noteworthy sets of the weekend was Future‘s headlining performance, where he performed songs off both his more-recent and marinated albums, from 2017’s FUTURE to last year’s High Off Life. Midway through his set, Future brought out Roddy Ricch, who stepped out for a surprise performance of “The Box.” Coming off the gleam of his run through “March Madness,” however, the Atlanta-raised rapper then introduced Ye to the stage, who ran out to the beat of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” This would historically mark Ye’s first Rolling Loud appearance in a decisively unforgettable finale to the weekend. “Wait till I get my money right,” fans screamed back in fervor, as Future and Ye capped off the night with Ye’s “Hurricane” and “Praise God” off his latest album DONDA and an unreleased version of Future’s acclaimed 2015 hit “Fuck Up Some Commas,” featuring a Rolling Loud Fest-exclusive freestyle from Yeezy. At one point, Ye and Future started dancing to Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” onstage— a special nod to the end of Ye and the 6 God’s years-long feud following their collaborative Free Larry Hoover show just last Thursday.
