Walking through Lollapalooza on Day 2, TRiiBE culture correspondent Rome J. overheard one sista say, “There’s way more Black people here today.”
Friday’s lineup brought a good mix for Black festgoers: a little fun nostalgia with T-Pain, flirty afrobeats and alté with Amaarae, and vibey R&B with Chicago’s own Ravyn Lenae.
Just before 7:00 p.m., one 17-year-old rapper commanded all the attention as she headlined the festival’s BMI stage. Her name is Star Bandz, the south suburban Sauk Village sensation whose 2024 hit “Yea, Yea” landed on Pitchfork’s 100 best songs. The music video for the record, filmed during her 16th birthday, has well over five million views on YouTube right now. In 2024, she made Complex Magazine’s list of 13 best teen rappers.
It made sense for Lolla to give Star Bandz a prominent set. She’s charismatic and her flow is super impressive. The crowd went up when she brought out Chicago rapper Chuckyy and New York rapper Sugarhill Ddot; the latter performed their collabs “Energy” and the viral “My Baby.”
Lollapalooza continues today through Sunday. Today’s lineup includes rapper BossMan DLow, a surprise set from Chance the Rapper, the swamp princess Doechii, and rapper-producer JPEGMAFIA.
See more photos from Lolla Day 2.
