[RH Photos] AAHH! FEST 2014 Recap
Photos by AngieStar Photo
Anyone who was at Common's AAHH! FEST experienced an amazing show yesterday at Union Park in Chicago, some even described it as epic. As many guessed, Kanye West performed as the Special Guest, highlighting the evening by performing smash hit after hit, and bringing the night to an energetic close. Outside of Kanye's smash performance, famous comedian Dave Chappelle graced the stage as the evenings host, providing a short stand up that was just as hilarious as expected. Of course, Common didn't miss a beat with his performance either, performing many of his old and new tracks. He even brought fellow rapper Vince Staples to stage to perform "Kingdom" from his latest album, Nobody's Smiling. I can't forget to mention he also performed hit track, "Get em High" with Kanye, exploding the energy of the crowd.
Outside of the headlining performers, the fest had a full line up of sets from varied artists including comedian Damon Williams, and musicians Jay Electronica, MC Lyte, Lil Mama, Lil Herb, De La Soul, Jennifer Hudson, Lupe Fiasco, Twista, and Crucial Conflict. Although not all the artists were from Chicago, the night was to definitely highlight the city's heavy musical influence, and included several interludes of local Dj's playing House classics that kept the crowd moving from start to end. On that note, Chicago's famously known Harold's Chicken even had a food truck on hand, which is always a plus to locals.
As the event was curated by Rhymefest, Aahh! Fest's deepest intention was to create a day of peace for Chicago, since the city is very widely known for it's crime and gang violence. With this, the event was put together with help from Donda's House, Inc., Common Ground Foundation, and Lupe Fiasco's Foundation. The vibe was indeed truly fun and peaceful in all aspects, bringing to attendance Chicago Bulls Center Joakim Noah, visual artist Hebru Brantly, members from the Farrakhan family, and many other artists including rappers GLC, Do Or Die. Amongst the crowd were even friends and family like JHud's adorable son and husband, Kim Kardashian, and much more.
Check out the following photos from the very live event, where you'll also find some behind-the-scenes photos from some of the more famously known attendees enjoying the Aahh! Fest 2014.
Big Sean: "Control" (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica)
Shortly after Big Sean released this bonus cut from his upcoming Hall of Fame album, my Twitter timeline started blowing up with tweets regarding Kendrick Lamar's feature on said track. I found this a bit-odd seeing as the ever-elusive Jay Electronica was also on the bill and, although Kendrick is arguably the best emcee doing it right now, I thought Jay Elec being there would take the spotlight away from the L.A. native. One listen to Kendrick's verse on the No I.D.-produced, "Control", and I could hear what all the buzz was about. K. Dot went ahead, lyrically murked his competition and even name-dropped a handful of heavy-hitters in the industry. Listen below and let us know in the c-section who do you think will come at Kendrick Lamar the hardest, if anyone?
Musicians Against Nuclear Weapons PSA
Check out the video below in which various musicians speak out against nuclear weapons as part of the promo for "Countdown to Zero", a recently released documentary detailing the destruction of the arms race. The movie is out at select theaters now, and the psa below features artists such as Jay Electronica, Ok Go!, Mayer Hawthorne, Michael Franti and more.
Jay Electronica: "Exhibit C" DJ Finyl Redux
Waking up with not much to do has its perks. Las Vegas' DJ Finyl found time on his hands, and gave Jay Electronica's "Exhibit C" a new look. Finyl swapped out soul samples, to create a similar, yet lighter version of the song. Download it below.