Billboard Takes Over Long Island for Second Annual "Hot 100" Music Festival

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J. Cole performs at the Billboard "Hot 100" Music Fest on August 21st, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof).

Billboard’s “Hot 100” Music Festival came to Long Island’s Nikon at Jones Beach Theater this past weekend. Saturday’s lineup included huge pop stars such as Ariana Grande and hip-hop artists such as Fetty Wap. The venue itself is worth praise; as the name insinuates, the outdoor theater sits directly on Jones Beach pointing towards the Atlantic Ocean side of Long Island’ shoreline. On the water is not an over exaggeration. The venue’s stage literally hovers over the water protected in a small bay; therefore, artists and crew can only access backstage through side entrances or a tunnel underneath the venue. After the rain showers cleared up Saturday, the comfortable temperatures and fair skies created a perfect background for the outdoor music festival. 

Fetty Wap performs at the Billboard "Hot 100" Music Fest on August 20th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof).

Though the Billboard Music Festival included three stages in total, the two side stages were immensely smaller than the main stage that is the original Jones Beach Theater seating. Therefore, the bigger artists such as Fetty Wap, Rachel Platten, Martin Garrix, and Ariana Grande were all on the main stage. Fetty Wap came onstage with his entourage and feature artist Monty, a rapper highlighted in hits such as “679” and “My Way.” It was everything a typical hip-hop star’s performance includes: fun excitement from his hype man and crew, sing-a-longs to hits, and fun stage effects that support the badass nature of Fetty. From his mostly-shirtless set to his eye slit, Fetty is not someone to be taken lightly. He’s intense, and his hit-after-hit streak is not something to be taken lightly. 

Ariana Grande was the headliner of the evening, beginning her set around ten o’oclock. Her cute, perky yet sassy nature exudes onstage. Grande adorned a casual, army green outfit with sunglasses for the beginning of her act that reinforces her diva attitude that comes across in her lyrics. That’s partially the appeal of Grande; she began crashing the charts and gaining Billboard attention because she boldly stated that she has “one less problem without ya.” Grande has only grown, as she grew out of her teenage looks to a full-blown young woman. “Dangerous Woman” is an example of the sophisticated sensuality in her new album. Grande made sure to sing her new hits such as “Into You” in addition to old hits like “Bang Bang” and “Problem.” Like her personality, Grande’s performance was upbeat and full of activity. Dancers accompanied her, as she quickly lost the sunglasses and bounced around the stage. It was a fun and fresh way to end the first night of the beautiful, coastal festival. 

Sunday’s lineup was a mix of old stardom and new. J. Cole, a rapper known for his intricate lyrics and limited flashiness, was one of the main acts that brought a crowd. His energy is always palpable, and the rapper is a great asset to the hip-hop industry because he brings the witty, deep level to rap music that is sometimes ignored with other artists. Desiigner, a smaller rapper known for his big hit “Panda,” also performed Sunday at one of the smaller stages. He ran through the crowd and seemed to really enjoy himself, but it is still a question whether or not Desiigner can continue his fame and not become a one hit wonder. Calvin Harris was the newer talent that rose to the main stage for his headliner performance. His status has really picked up the past few years, with almost ever song he makes becoming a major radio hit.  His time onstage was a total production; from the lights to high-energy music, it was exactly what a DJ performance should be.

Check out photos from the weekend below:

Day 1

Day 2

Photos: Pitbull Brings "Badman Tour" to Boston's TD Garden

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Pitbull performs at the TD Garden in Boston as part of his "Badman Tour" on August 12th, 2016 (RJ Jaczko/Roman's Rap-Up).

Mr. Worldwide, better known as Pitbull, brought his Summer 2016 "Badman Tour" to Boston Friday night for an unforgettable evening of Latin-infused pop music.

Check out photos of Pitbull and opener Prince Royce below: 

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Take 'The High Road'

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Wiz Khalifa performs on "The High Road Tour" in Mansfield, MA on August 6th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof).

Jhene Aiko performs on "The High Road Tour" in Mansfield, MA on August 6th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof).

Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg rolled through Mansfield’s (MA) Xfinity Center for “The High Road Tour.” While the two rappers had multiple openers, they had no problem wrangling in the rowdy fans for their two-hour set. Jhene Aiko was one of the openers; the female R&B singer who promotes peace and self-love in her music, sounds just like her records. When an artist can sing live just as well as she does on track, it’s something special because all of the technological advancement in record studios can distract a listener from half-baked talent. However, Aiko is stellar; she wore a long, vibrantly multi-colored sweater, a baseball cap, and two low buns. Her careless nature and smooth R&B tone welcomed a performance of eye-closing, hip-swaying fans dedicated to her music. Aiko stated, “I don’t put on a circus act when I sing,” hinting at the technological advancements in the touring realm, as well, that can cover up the actual singing. Aiko kept it simple and beautiful. 

Snoop Dogg performs on "The High Road Tour" in Mansfield, MA on August 6th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof).

Wiz and Snoop Dogg’s performance began just a little after 9pm, after Kevin Gates closed the opening acts with songs such as “2 Phones.” However, the two rapping megastars did not originally come onstage together. Snoop took the stage first, holding a King Kong-sized joint, with the carefree attitude that Snoop’s fans over the years have always loved. The familiar background music for Snoop’s introduction came over the speakers after “The High Road Tour” video, and the fans went nuts. Soon after, Wiz arrived onstage in light jeans and a white shirt, welcoming his own strong fan club to his opening song “Bake Sale.” The two rappers alternated songs to eventually join each other onstage later in the set. The performance included famous hits with features from the two, such as DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” and Akon’s “I Wanna F*** You.” Their hit collaboration, “Young, Wild & Free,” finished out the show with rave excitement from the audience. However, the night’s main attraction was not either of the rappers; it was weed. The plant constantly growing in popularity and reformatting laws, weed was prevalent in conversation due to the business side of Wiz and Snoop’s careers, as well. Both sell weed paraphernalia and will soon sell actual strains in the handful of states where it’s legalized. Wiz promoted his Taylor Gang label in the middle of the set, a label that includes lots of weed-obsessed hip-hop stars who consistently shake the charts. The atmosphere was celebration – partying, smoking, drinking, enjoying each other’s company. Yet, Snoop made the effort earlier on in his set to sing a Biggie song and Tupac song. Amidst all the fun, this back-to-back song choice demonstrated why it’s important to still cherish Snoop, and why their tour together with new stardom and old is admirable. Snoop breathes the past of the hip-hop realm; he was a part of the Dr. Dre’s producer career; he lived through legends such as Biggie and Tupac, and he has seen the tremendous change occurring in hip-hop through all those years as an icon. Therefore, he has a respect for where the industry has come from that newer artists cannot match. Snoop should be applauded for taking time to remember those artists who so tremendously impacted hip-hop, and Snoop himself should be admired for the legend of peace, rap, and weed that he is.

Photos: G-Eazy & Logic Bring "Endless Summer Tour" to New England

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G-Eazy performs at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA as part of his "Endless Summer Tour" (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).

Even the "Endless Summer Tour" must come to an end.

G-Eazy and Logic brought their co-headlining "Endless Summer Tour" to Boston's Xfinity Center Amphitheater this week for one of the final shows of the tour with support from YG & Yo Gotti.

Check out photos from the performances below:

G-Eazy

Logic

YG & Yo Gotti

Coldplay Brings Colorful "Head Full Of Dreams" Tour To Gillette Stadium

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Coldplay performs at Gillette Stadium on July 30th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).

Coldplay brought their "Head Full of Dreams" tour to Massachusetts's Gillette Stadium Saturday night. Much like their new album and peace & love morals represent, the show was full of color. The light up bracelets that Taylor Swift recently used for her 1989 tour appeared at the show, and the crowd lit up in technicolor on-beat to Coldplay's songs throughout the show. It was perfect for such a vibrant album; the band played oldies such as "Yellow" while the crowd lit up a soft yellow, and their new hit "Adventure of a Lifetime" brought a ripple of colors throughout the crowd. 

In addition to the bracelets, Coldplay brought other technological advances to the concert realm that brought energy and happiness to the crowd. Fireworks, confetti, and balloons also appeared during certain songs. Chris Martin also made sure to take moments between performances to give thanks to his bandmates as well as spread good vibes to the audience and the world. This happy, peaceful moral standing is something that is always comforting to see, as Coldplay's audience is large, so the positive use of their public platform is an honorable industry move. While Coldplay also made sure to play other new hits such as "Hymn for the Weekend," noted for featuring Beyoncé, they also appealed to the crowd with "Viva la Vida" and "Clocks." Their instrumental skills in coordination with Martin's erratic energy and vocal chords make Coldplay a band that continues to grow and isn't close to fading away. 

Coldplay is a band that uses new developments such as the bracelets to their advantage, but not so much that it overshadowed their strong sound or covered up a weak sound. There's a fear that concerts nowadays stray too far away from the basic vocals and instrumentals. However, Coldplay's "Head Full of Dreams" tour is a good example of how these developments can help make singing songs into full, interactive performances that only enhance an artist's sound instead of distract from it.