— Last weekend’s Rolling Loud California 2023 was a huge success. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of what happened from start to finish.
Rolling Loud California 2023 packed in dozens of performances over three action-packed days, bringing rap superstars, respected OGs, and the hottest rising stars to Hollywood Park for an unforgettable weekend. In the shadow of the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium and under an endless stream of planes flying into nearby LAX, the California festival had a special vibe from the start, with fans and artists alike knowing well that the whole world had their eyes on hip-hop’s biggest stage.
The festival’s first action-packed day, brought performances from some of the most exciting names in rap, including Playboi Carti, who debuted a new song and performed with the energy and spectacle that befits a headliner. Beyond King Vamp, the day included sets from fan favorites like Chief Keef, Ski Mask The Slump God, and Tyga. Artists from Carti’s OPIUM label made a splash, with back to back sets from Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson. Dark trap icons Bones, Xavier Wulf, and Eddy Baker shared the stage, while leading ladies like Saweetie, Bktherula, and Kamaiyah made their presences felt.
As always, Rolling Loud brought out a cavalcade of surprise guests, adding to the already-high excitement level and allowing fans to see their favorite songs performed in full. Tyga invited his fellow L.A. native YG to the stage, delighting the hometown crowd. Saweetie brought out West Coast legend Too $hort to perform “Blow The Whistle,” Rich The Kid performed his set alongside his running mate Jay Critch, Ski Mask The Slump God invited fellow Floridians Luh Tyler and Danny Towers to perform their new song “Florida Water,” plus many more surprise names popping up.
The second day of Rolling Loud California 2023 was one of the most memorable in the festival’s history. As the glorious L.A. sunset faded into night, the stars came out.
Don Toliver got the party started, bringing out the one and only Justin Bieber and acclaimed singer-songwriter James Blake to perform songs from Toliver’s new Love Sick album. Lil Wayne performed a stacked set, hosted a Young Money reunion starring his protege Nicki Minaj (and Young Money signee Gudda Gudda), and performed his hits with 2 Chainz, including “Duffle Bag Boy.” As the historic night came to a close, Travis Scott made his return to the stage, with a new set design and an array of his best songs.
The rest of the day brought even more stars to Hollywood Park. Lil Baby took a victory lap on the Levi’s Stage, leading a contingent of Atlanta rappers that included heavy-hitters 2 Chainz and Young Nudy. City Girls did their thing on the main stage, Aminé arrived with his singular stage presence, rising star Luh Tyler performed his first-ever festival set, and BIA and Lancey Foux cut fashionable figures in front of their adoring fans.
As always, Rolling Loud was a living example of hip-hop’s diverse spectrum of sounds and vibes. Laid back rap fans could enjoy stoner maestros Curren$y and Larry June, while those looking to bang their heads could make their way to sets by Memphis rappers Duke Deuce and Gloss Up, or Florida favorites Pouya & Fat Nick, Robb Bank$, and Danny Towers.
Sunday was another banner day for the world’s largest rap festival. Closing out the festival, and opening “March Madness,” with a bang, Future performed his fan-favorite hits and brought out special guests like A$AP Ferg and Present. Lil Uzi Vert brought the house down with his usual energy and his new top ten hit “Just Wanna Rock.” Lil Yachty was one of the day’s most talked about artists, performing material from his genre-bending album Let’s Start Here. Trippie Redd brought out some high-wattage special guests, including Roddy Ricch, and DDG.
Earlier in the day, fans enjoyed historic performances from some of the most exciting names in the genre, including Ice Spice‘s first-ever festival set and Central Cee‘s U.S. festival debut. The hometown heroes were out in abundance on Sunday. OhGeesy led the way, performing his hits and inviting fellow Californians Kamaiyah, Bino Rideaux, and ASM Bopster, and while other Angelenos like BlueBucksClan, OT Genasis, and Inglewood’s own Rucci threw it down for their hometown fans.
Founded by Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, Rolling Loud continues to deliver the most exciting live experiences in rap, with no plans to stop innovating anytime soon. Rolling Loud California was a bold first step in the festival’s most ambitious year yet.
Stay tuned for more as 2023 continues, including debuts in Thailand, Rotterdam, and Germany, a return to Portugal, and the big one…the eighth Rolling Loud Miami. Also be sure to check out all the recap photos and footage right here.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
