One of the biggest music festivals of the year, Rolling Loud, came to New York the last full weekend of September. As there were so many artists and musicians there, things are never going to go as expected, whether it’s a 40 minute delay by Nicki Minaj, a caring PnB Rock Tribute, or an iconic return for Tjay, there was no predicting what it was going to be like. 

So, what is Rolling Loud? Each year, many rappers come together for three days filling their  time span playing their best songs for the crowd. It’s a traveling show all over the United States, its biggest hits being New York, California and Miami. New York is one of their bigger festivals, but during covid it had to be shut down, leaving many disappointed. It consists of stages sponsored by Fashion Nova, D’usse and SNIPES. Rolling Loud NY’s first day was kicked off with clear beautiful skies and the performances from headliners Playboi Carti, Chief Keef and Nicki Minaj as well as other features from stars such as Lil Uzi Vert, Dababy, and more. Day 2 continued with slightly sunny conditions and Lil Baby, Lil Tecca, Don Toliver, and others taking the stage. Day 3, the final day, saw extreme rain and cloud conditions with performers Fat Joe, Future, Soulja Boy and more closing out the music festival.

Lil Tjay made his return to the stage on September 23 after his recovery from being injured in a shooting in June. Wearing a bulletproof vest, Tjay greeted the crowd and voiced his appreciation to be able to be there. He put on an amazing show, showing that this was a strong comeback for him, leaving fans wondering what he has next for us in the near future. 

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie paid tribute to PnB Rock,who was tragically robbed and killed  at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles on September 12. He requested the crowd put their lights in the air in a show of homage to Pnb. A Boogie played Rock’s vocals from their 2017 track “Lovin” in one of the more uplifting moments of the weekend. Closing the show with cuts like “My Sh*t,” “Jungle,” and “Drowning,” A Boogie continued his streak of epic returns to his hometown, displaying no signs of rust considering his extended layoff, and just did not miss. 

A$AP moshed with his fans, leaving them with an unforgettable show. Joined by multiple members of his crew, A$AP proceeded to command the crowd to open up various mosh pits for fans to party in, some of which he joined during his sets. As he went to surf the crowd, he jumped up and landed on top of his fans successfully, yet went down quickly as his fans began grabbing and dragging him down, wanting a piece of his clothes to take home. 

Nicki Minaj arrived after a 40 minute wait, dressed in an all-black custom Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2022 runway look. She injected a burst of energy into the crowd. Fans forgot about the wait and the Queen did not disappoint, opening with “We Go Up,” and closing with an a cappella rendition of “Moment For Life.” We have answered our question, how can you give a rap queen her flowers? The answer is simple: you give her the headlining act slot for a three-day rap festival on the opening night to set the tone for every artist to follow.

As for others’ opinions of Rolling Loud New York 2022, they all have positive words to share. “After going to this music festival, I never want to miss another one, ” said Senior Olivia Holmes regarding her experience.

“Rolling Loud is such a fun experience. If you have the money and time to go, it’s definitely worth it!” says Saffiyah Hack, also a senior, about her time at this music festival. If you are a music lover and haven’t experienced this festival yet, I highly suggest that you do. It can be a once in a lifetime experience to see your favorite artists perform.