Waking up on the last day of Rolling Loud was like waking up at your best friend’s house you’ve been staying at for the weekend knowing your parents are coming to get you because it’s the last day. You know you must make the most of your final day there. We woke up, got everything prepared for the final day, and headed over to Aryan and his friend’s hotel they stayed at to pre-game. When we got to their hotel room we saw there were solo cups and an almost empty Hennessy bottle covering the table.
The last time Ant and I saw a Hennessey bottle was his birthday six-months prior. If today was anything like his birthday, he was in for an unforgettable finish to the weekend.
When we all made it to the festival, personally I didn’t have that many artists I was that interested in besides Playboi Carti, Don Toliver and Future. We spent time revisiting some places from the previous days, planning out the mosh pits we'd be in that night fell. Aryan and his friends said that with the addition of us, they could make a bigger mosh pit that was safe. Just a month prior was the Astroworld tragedy, so the thought of unsafe conditions where people could get hurt wasn’t what I was up for. However, these guys were safe and that’s what they wanted us to know. The pits would be mainly us, so when people fell, we’d pick them up and take care of one another.
When it was getting darker, we all met up again as a group at the back of the VIP section that overlooked the Cîroc stage. Ant and I showed up with our best food from the festival yet in hand and took time taking pictures with the rest of the crew. It felt like we were all adventuring together into the massive landscape of people all preparing for the final night at the biggest stage. We took pictures with the crew, discussed the artists we had seen separately throughout and planned how we were going to maneuver our way into the pits properly. Ant took off first and I got a wide shot video of him entering the crowd excited. This time we were on the right side of the stage from the artists’ view. This last night felt the most cinematic of all.
Aryan’s crew were big fans of Nav, superfan like. I had never heard of him before, but that was the beauty of an event such as this one. You got to be introduced to new sounds outside of what you’re normally accustomed to. There weren’t many pits for his performance, but Nav’s energy was a good kickstart. Aryan specifically though was fond of Don Toliver. All day he asked us about what songs we knew and if we had ever seen him perform before. I knew when Don took the stage, Aryan was ecstatic. I had just recently discovered him from Kanye West’s Donda album as vocals on his track “Moon.” When I heard him singing that track to us live, I got a taste of how special of a talent he was. Don also had his hits that got the crowd moving, tracks I had seen him perform on tour with Travis online before. The song that stuck out most to me was “Lemonade.” I had heard that track the most on the radio. It would be suggested in my Spotify playlist plenty of times. Now it was definitely added to my rotation now. The pits were opening by this point, and it was nice to observe them instead of being a part of them.
The visuals Don provided as the backdrop for this set on stage were also mesmerizing and my favorite use of the screens behind him. At times it felt like we were being sucked into a vortex, other times it felt like we were strolling through a dystopian Alice in Wonderland scene. After Don was Playboi Carti, who goes against my playlist of artists the most. As I said before, the mumble rap scene wasn’t my cup of tea, but there were a few tracks Carti had that made me view him differently as an artist. I knew what I was getting with him versus Cole, or Cudi. He wasn’t going to rap every word, or even put much effort into his performance at all besides jumping around and screaming in the microphone while his tracks played in the back for him.
However, I had seen countless times online how electric his fans were. From the very beginning of his song “Stop Breathing,” it was insane. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. We weren’t even that close to the stage, and the energy of everyone jumping, screaming, and moving to the music before Carti even came out was hitting us. Ant and I went with it. As I tried to hold my phone in the air to record, I found myself being spun around still recording somehow.
The next twenty minutes were mayhem. I couldn’t stand still, everyone was jumping, pushing, and shoving others around to create bigger pits as each songs beat dropped and transitioned to the next. The only time of reprieve was in-between songs that Carti allowed us to open more pits for. I was pushed back quickly into a clump of people who didn’t want to be in a pit. It was exhilarating though. Keeping my eyes on Ant was harder this time than during Bas, or even Sheck Wes. I would dart my eyes around to look for Aryan and the others, but they were long gone, suctioned into the crowd doing their own thing.
Carti's set was chaotic in the bundles of people around us, but overall was an experience unlike any other. Ant and I were safe and had time to jump in a few mosh pits. As quickly as it began, it ended. It can be categorized as straight pandemonium and I loved every second that I was safe in. Like I said, some pushing and shoving into others, but I never felt like I was in any real danger where I couldn’t get off the ground or protect myself.
After catching our breath, we knew Future was next. Hell, everyone figured Future was next…but that didn’t happen. We waited for a minute looking at the blank stage wondering how long it was be before he came out. Certain rappers are notorious for being late, Future was one of them too. Suddenly, over the speakers you could hear “alright everybody, put your hands in the air if you’re ready for DaBaby!” That’ll suck the air out of the festival quick. Confusing, cursing and boos rained down as quite honestly, I don’t know what track was playing. I’m not a fan of his or know any of his songs besides some features he has on “Under the Sun” with Cole and Lute and “Levitating” with Dua Lipa. That’s it as far as songs I care about in his discography.
The last major festival set he performed on, brought some controversy. The boos rained down heavier this time then his last time on stage. Fans were holding up their phones on snapchat with the black screen and big letters telling us this isn’t Future and asking for where he was. DaBaby was supposed to be on the Power 106 stage, which was the farthest of the stages around us. It was comical watching packs of fans move and push us out the way to leave, thinking Future was on another stage considering DaBaby wasn’t supposed to be performing here. Ant and I were confused as well, but we moved forward in the crowd, hoping Future would come out afterwards anyway. I didn’t know any songs, move or vibe with anything he was doing on stage.
It was sad to watch, but we just took time chatting about other things and had ourselves prepared for what was next after him. His set was cut short. To this day we aren’t sure why. However, he told us that they had to move him from his original stage to this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was because there weren’t enough people at his stage, so they moved him because he wasn’t as much of a draw as Future or Trippie Redd, who was on the Punx Stage. That's just speculation though.
Nevertheless, Ant and I were up closer and when Future came out, it was insane. Phones shot up in the air to record everything as we went track by track of some of his greatest hits. “Mask Off, Bugatti, Stick Talk” and more had us all jumping. My personal favorite was “New Level.” As a performer, Hendrix doesn’t move around much, but he was dripped out, had women dancing around him and the pyro was pumping out.
It felt like every night, each artist had their own aesthetic. It made every night feel distinctly different from the last. Future’s set was shorter than expected, Roddy Rich came out as a surprise. “The Box” was the only song he performed. It was a nice switch of pace for us in the crowd. However, throughout his performance, it felt like there was something building. Roddy Rich left, and Future played “March Madness,” the track we wanted to hear most of us. Even after that, the DJ and Future looked at each other and said that they can turn it up even another notch. I put my hand on Ants shoulder and could feel that something special was going to happen.
The opening lyrics of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” blasted out, the DJ screamed out “RIGHT SIDE!” Pyro erupted as the base of the track kicked in, and Kanye West stepped out to surprise us all. I couldn’t keep my phone in the air to record his entrance long. He brought out a performance filled with energy and engagement.
Everyone knew his lyrics. I’ve tried my best to use as many adjectives as I can to describe performances at this festival, there aren’t any I can find to describe when Kanye was performing. It felt once in a lifetime, it was a Kanye West moment. He took over and made it his set. Screaming out “I told you he’d be here,” to Ant was liberating, thinking just two nights ago in Los Angeles Kanye and Drake were performing, so it seemed like a forgone conclusion one of them would show up.
“Wait till I get my money right,” thundering with the crowd made me laugh, because indeed I could think about it in my own sense. I wasn’t financially worried, stifled or crippled by anything. I had more than enough funds to not just go on a trip like this, but to comfortably have the time of my life too. I got to have so much more fun, as a reward of all the demanding work I did to enjoy this. He played Hurricane and Praise God, which were my favorites off Donda. I never imagined that I would see him perform live. His music seemed like it had been a part of my life forever.
He had a resurgence as an artist after his mental breakdown in 2016 in Sacramento, now, in an almost poetic manner, he made a triumphant return in California in Los Angeles, and now here at Rolling Loud. He marched around the stage to hype up everyone as he embraced the crowd, throwing his hands in the air elevating our intensity.
The DJ told us to “give it up for Ye,” which was what he officially was going by now instead of Kanye. The rest of his Praise God track played as he walked back to the DJ where Future was standing observing him. I had almost forgotten that he was still even here. Kanye talked to the DJ for a moment while I could collect my breath and get some energy back. Ant was stoked, I barley remember what we were telling each other, by my guess, some excited gibberish filled with anticipation for what was to come next.
Suddenly, it was as if you could feel the energy of the next song he wanted to play. Future said aloud that this Rolling Loud had the best fans in the world. He wasn’t lying there. Kanye smiled, and "Father Stretch My Hands Part 1" began. There are many iconic beats in hip hop and rap culture, listing them would take forever. Just know that this beat drop alone is one of them. Right before the beat dropped, money was thrown in the air, fireworks from the other stage went off, almost perfect timing considering it wasn’t even for his performance and when the beat did drop, Kanye was front and center at the edge of the stage throwing his hands in the air with joy.
It was nice to see him happy again and giving his all with this performance on an impromptu notice. After that song went off, he wanted to keep us guessing as to what he could do next. I hadn’t seen Future as excited as he was with the look he gave Kanye when “F-up some Commas”, came on. Future’s normal hook played, but Kanye and Future were smiling as they walked up closer to the edge of the stage again. Then he freestyled. How old school and out of nowhere, but also right up the alley of Kanye to do so. It was without a doubt my favorite video to capture the whole weekend. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the greatest freestyle in the world, but it was effective in its impact.
He was having fun and afterwards laughed with him as they made their way back to the DJ. “Way 2 Sexy” played next. We all figured Drake would come out too just for fun, however he didn’t. That was alright though, it was a nice tease. Of all tracks to play, for it to the be their most recent track together made sense. Nevertheless, Kanye partied on stage with Future for a bit and left. Man, that was some moment. When we first got to the festival, I had an idea to keep track of all the artists I had seen live. Anthony had a longer list of his own, so I asked him to send his over to me of the ones we had just seen at the this weekend.
I’m not even sure how to wrap this up honestly, we left the venue, pyrotechnics and fireworks went off, and we got an uber back to the Airbnb. Sleeping that night was easy because we were the most exhausted. We flew back the next day and before we knew it, we were back home. It was all worth it. What an amazing day. To think that on December 12th, nine years ago I would go through one of the toughest times of my life. Now, on the same date, it was the last day of one of the greatest times of my life, made me put that day into a unique perspective now.
It was as if I couldn’t feel an immense sadness or depression over me because I turned the energy of that day from somber, to joyful and inner peace. At times when I was standing in the crowd between artists when Ant was looking off or doing other things, I’d close my eyes, and smile with a quick prayer in my head to my father. I was grateful that for the first time, I wasn’t forcing myself to be sad on the day of his passing. It felt like he simply told me that morning to “have fun son, always cherish this day, make it yours now.”
Last but not least, thanks to Anthony for coming along. He knows more than anyone else how meaningful this was to do. I advise people, whenever they go on grand adventures, to do so with those who you know will bring great energy with you to make unforgettable memories. Thanks for reading about my time in California.
Next up, Rolling Loud Miami with Kanye, Future and Kendrick Lamar!
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