He also announced a joint album with Lil Wayne expected for release this July.Ģ Chainz performs on the Midway at Hyde Park Summer Fest on Saturday evening, June 17, 2023.

Epps, started in the music industry as a protégé of Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter, featuring on the song “Duffle Bag Boy.” Before performing the song at Summer Fest, 2 Chainz gave shout outs to the many big-name Chicago artists he’s collaborated with: Kanye West, Chance the Rapper and Chief Keef. So to have that collective, I would refer to that as Black Excellence,” he said.Ģ Chainz brought the crowd into the night as he performed his classic songs and features including “No Lie,” “It’s a Vibe,” and “Mercy.” The artist, Tauheed K. “You spend some time talking to people that were hanging out there, you ran into lawyers, nurses, teachers, police and firemen. That particular crowd that (attends) is typically the backbone of the South and West sides.” “(Summer Fest) has grown tenfold, maybe that’d be an understatement as it relates to not just the growth, but the impact. “My first Summer Fest was 12 or 13 years ago - it was like a block club party,” said Thomas. Midday on Saturday, as crowds waited for 2 Chainz to take the stage, Chicago historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas remarked on the growth of the festival over the years. This year, Swain pulled together numerous big-name acts – 2 Chainz, The Clipse, Lil’ Kim, Robert Glasper - some through personal connections, hoping to deliver a lineup that resonated with his mostly Black audience. Since restarting in 2022 after a two-year pandemic hiatus, Summer Fest has gone from a one-day lineup to two days, and introduced a tiered ticketing system offering exclusive VIP areas and amenities. Having no previous experience in the music booking business, Swain spent three years working with Chicago Special Events, one of the largest event producers in the city, learning the trade. “Compared to other parts of the city, we didn’t have outdoor summer events for people to participate in.” “We realized that we were filling a void that existed on the South Side,” he said. But Swain observed that attendees were less interested in tasting craft brews than in seeing live music outdoors. Started in 2014 by Jonathan Swain, owner of Kimbark Beverage Shop, the festival was originally named Brewfest and meant to drum up business for the shop. RELATED: DJ Terry Hunter Discusses Grammy Nomination and MoreĬhicago DJ Terry Hunter performs at Hyde Park Summer Fest on Saturday afternoon, June 17, 2023. “I know my city and preparing to play records for the city I know so well was really easy and I was excited to do it.” “The lineup for both days was mainly hip-hop and R&B, but this is Chicago and you must have house music on the main stage,” he said.

“(The organizers) always have such attention to detail when it comes to planning.” “My experience at Summer Fest was amazing,” Hunter told the Herald.

A highlight of his set, he told the Herald, were songs “Funkanova” by Wood Brass & Steel and “Let No Man Put Asunder” by First Choice, which resonated well with the crowd. When longtime house DJ Terry Hunter took the main stage at Hyde Park’s Summer Fest early Saturday afternoon, the energy in the crowd of hundreds of “die hard” house fans gathered on the Midway Plaisance was electric.Īfter leading with his new mixes and his Grammy-nominated remix of Beyonce’s “BREAK MY SOUL”, the South Side native transitioned his set into the “old school Chicago classics” that he said always get the crowd into a groove. Spencer Bibbs / Hyde Park HeraldĮditor’s Note: The following article was originally published in the Hyde Park Herald. Tobe Nwigwe performs on the Midway Plaisance at Hyde Park Summer Fest on Sunday evening, June 18, 2023.

Lyrical lemonade festival attendance