The Rolling Loud festival makes its New York debut this weekend, with a powerful lineup that includes some of the biggest names in hip-hop. The bill is topped by headliners 50 Cent (whose first major performance in many months takes place tonight), J. Cole (Friday) and Travis Scott (Saturday), Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Jack Harlow, Polo G, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, Moneybagg Yo, Roddy Rich, Rod Wave, A$AP Ferg and dozens more, along with Bobby Shmurda’s first New York show since his release from prison, rising star Sleepy Hallow, Armani Caesar (who just might be joined by the rest of the Griselda crew). See the full lineup below.
PvNew caught up with cofounders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler as they applied the finishing touches to the festival. “We’re walking the grounds right now and it looks great,” Zingler says, “walking the grounds, making our little sweeps and adjustments, but it’s looking great out here, we’re very excited.”
While the lineup is packed with A-list contemporary talent, 50 Cent occupies a Coachella-type O.G. spot on the lineup, making his first major performance since before the pandemic before a hometown crowd —he grew up just a couple of miles from Citi Field. It’s also hard to imagine he’d let the moment pass without some major guests.
“50 is definitely the king of New York, and I hear he’s got some great guests coming with him,” says Cherif. “We’re really excited.”
Asked for a hint as to who those guests might be, he says, “I hate sneaking surprises, so let’s just say some New York-based talent, for sure.”
Founded in Miami in 2015, Rolling Loud has become the biggest hip-hop festival in the country, with installments in Los Angeles and the Bay Area as well as Australia and Europe; its next event takes place in Southern California in December. For the New York debut, they did not hold back.
“It’s probably one of our more stacked lineups,” Cherif says. “You’ve got two of the biggest contemporary artists with Travis and J, Cole and then you’ve got a legend like 50 Cent, who during his heyday was the top rapper in the game and is also very much a hometown hero for New York. He’s still very much a superstar with all his endeavors and we’re very excited, and our undercard is stacked as usual. It’s definitely the biggest hip-hop lineup that’s ever come to New York, without a doubt.”
