2015 will be a year for the books for music lovers in Florida thanks to the first annual Rolling Loud. For the city of Miami to host a single-genre festival not named Ultra, can only mean that progress is among us. Concert promoter powerhouse Dope Ent. took home the W for this one, as they curated a convincing enough lineup to recruit masses of hip hop heads from all over the state and beyond to this one-day festival.
Prior to Rolling Loud Festival, there had not been a decent lineup of assorted rap talent, from top to bottom, in well over half a decade (RIP Rock The Bells). With that said, it was refreshing to see a full cast of familiar faces, who seem relatively like-minded, grace the same venue on the same day. Honestly, how else would Floridians be able to smoke out to Curren$y, bust out their Dr. Dabbers to Action Bronson, and get trippy with Juicy J in the span of a couple of hours? For fans of local emerging rappers, there was no other way that they could witness Denzel Curry, Robb Bank$, and Yung Simmie perform “Threatz” together multiple times in one day.
Beyond those names, top-billed headliner Travis Scott stole the hearts of practically the entire attendance, as he enthusiastically energized the massive outdoor crowd with his bouncing around, stage diving, and crowd surfing antics. The raging amongst fans was unlike any crowd seen before in Miami. Thousands of people from all ages and backgrounds were chanting Travis Scott lyrics at the top of their lungs. Somewhere in that crowd, someone must have been wondering how so many people out here were so familiar with his material. It was a refreshing moment to be a part of.
Sadly, as far back as anyone can remember, there had not previously been established institutions like Dope Ent. showcasing as much local and emerging talent combined with esteemed major artists south of A3C Festival in Atlanta. Additional major markets like New York and Los Angeles see this type of output on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Florida practically relies on this company to provide Florida stops on mid-to-major level rapper’s national tours. Even then, the location factor and a long history of poor attendance make it difficult for booking agents to want to look in our direction. In saying that, Rolling Loud was a huge step in the right direction towards bringing more rap south of Atlanta—particularly Miami.
Rolling Loud, in its first year mind you, saw unprecedented attendance at a venue that could have easily drawn away attendees with its flood-prone circumstances. Ultimately, it was a well-strategized lineup, because while everyone’s Jordan’s and Yeezy’s were becoming valueless by the hour from mud and flood puddles, they remained loyal to the artists they wanted to see perform and stuck it out for the long haul. Seeing close to ten thousand people congregate to the main stage at the end of the night to see Schoolboy Q crush it with a live band manifested a bigger picture: Florida has a hip hop support base, contrary to what promoters and booking personnel would like to believe.
The fact of the matter is that everyone out here is used to bad weather, faulty venues, and delayed performances, but if the presentation is up to par, they will still show up and turn up regardless of the setbacks. This was the exact mentality of Dope Ent, who relentlessly hustled to and from stages to keep the event running in the midst of what most promoters would call “An act of God” (used in booking agreements as a clause to be able to cancel the show without liability). Instead of taking the easy way out, they optimistically carried on, producing what would be one of the most memorable music events in Florida’s recent history.
A video posted by LIL 1/2 DEAD (@retchyp) on
I never crowd surf but at #RollingLoud I decided to do my entire verse in the crowd. ?? A photo posted by M-11 (@lightskinmac11) on
