Summer Smash 2024 Recap: Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Chief Keef (2024)

CHICAGO — Back on site bracing Chi-Town’s sweltering mid-June heat (topping out at 95 degrees on this particular weekend), it’s evident Lyrical Lemonade’s sixth annual Summer Smash festival is bigger than it ever has been.

Seat Geek Stadium in Bridgeview is massive—becoming the new home of Summer Smash a year prior—but felt extra crowded, hosting a total of 120,000 guests over the three-day weekend. Fumes of sweat and swirls of dust swat at the uncovered rocks scattered across site. The hordes of typical basketball jersey, fishnet-clad fans stomp around the Lyrically-infused grounds with a sense of urgency, hoping to catch a glimpse at their favorite artist by beating the heat. Installations inspired by Lyrical Lemonade’s music videos (yellow ties from Juice WRLD and Cordae’s “Doomsday Pt. 2” or life rafts from Lil Yachty’s “Strike” to name a few) hang like portraits inside of the 15-foot high LL cartons toppling over you at the entrance.

The king of the castle, Cole Bennett, pops in and out of Lenny’s Tent (where we were mostly stationed throughout the three-day weekend) like a comic book character—gifting friends with hugs and appreciation for showing out. The Tent has become a right of passage for the next wave, as Nettspend, OsamaSon, Xaviersobased, Hardrock, Lazer Dim, Rich Amiri and more each had their turn at a iconic tent turn-up—competing for a control of the chaos.

As far as main stage acts, Opium took over Summer Smash with intent. Sets from Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, Homixide Gang and Playboi Carti—who brought the entire Opium cohort (yes, all of Opium) on stage with him during his Saturday headlining performance—captivated crowds so much so that fans were in a full-on sprint to the pit. It wasn’t the only group effort of the weekend either, with Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, SoFaygo and Chase B joining forces as Cactus Jack live for the first time (even teasing JACKBOYS 2) in the process. And Chief Keef back in Chicago for the first time in a decade? A homecoming fit for a king.

Maybe it was the rains or the riots, but something was in the air at Seat Geek for Summer Smash 2024.

All photos courtesy of John Cotter

Check out our full coverage below!

Lazer Dim 700

Personality shines brightest when Lazer Dim graces the mic—or the camera. It’s clear the INJOY artist is enjoying the rapid rise to underground stardom—smiling, joking and being genuine in very facet. “Asian Rock” and “Laced Max” were OGM anthems of the weekend, as Lazer and Emwell made for a few hilarious moments behind the scenes, as well packing the early kick-off crowd at Lenny’s Tent.

OsamaSon

Goose Creek’s supreme flexer OsamaSon commanded the tent with pure, raw rage on Friday afternoon. Clad with rock-pit anthems tailor-made for the mosh, the grittiness of Osama Season and FLEX MUSIX kicked off the early slate of performances at Lenny’s Tent on a high.

Giving fans a little bit of everything—especially songs from his recent breach—Osama’s set reached peak status when close friend and frequent collaborator Nettspend joined him on stage. As the duo that continues to take over the underground, Osama and Nett fully represent the next wave of superstar voices—evident in their legendary Tent turn-up.

Destroy Lonely

As “LUV 4 YA” blares throughout the confines of the Lyrical Lemonade stage, Destroy Lonely—rocking an all-black BLAKKAMERICA Alpinestars fit— screams “New sh*t” repetitively on beat. Playing a trove of new tracks during his Summer Smash set (which he promised days earlier alongside a new album), the Opium star squeezed every ounce of intrigue at the Lyrical Lemonade stage—cascading between NOSTYLIST and If Looks Could Kill cuts seamlessly. Previewing songs off his upcoming album LOVE LAST FOREVER, Look Killa’s LLF era already feels refined and ready for the jump Lone’s looking to achieve.

Cactus Jack

When in Chicago, you gotta hit the iconic Ferris Bueller “chika-chika-ahh” sound effect. Travis Scott used this FX as a song shuffler during his Friday night headliner featuring all of Cactus Jack. A 75-minute collaborative set with Chase B, SoFaygo, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver and, of course, Travis brought on intrigue as to how their joint set would play out. Fans were rewarded when Travis and Don joined each other on stage for an impromptu freestyle, as they ad-libbed “CANT SAY.” “HARDSTONE PSCYHO, riding on a cycle, ride it to the night show,” Scott smiles (alluding to “ANTIDOTE”) as Don sings. Travis leads Toliver softly off stage, then turns back: “Chase B, I wanna shake up Chicago a lil bit.”

A set that consists of “Butterfly Effect,” “Nightcrawler,” “Antidote” and “FE!N” (over five times), Scott’s end-of-show message rang as loud as the edgy yet classic setlist he led. “I’m nothing without Don Toliver. I’m nothing without Sheck Wes. I’m nothing without SoFaygo,” Scott declared in front of a crowd of 40,000, then teasing the very existence of a JACKBOYS 2 and how it’s currently in the works.

As a frequent fest-goer of Travis Scott’s main stage slots, this one felt more intimate than most. You can tell Don Toliver brings the best out of Scott’s atmospheric bag. But what was most impressive was not only the inclusion of Cactus Jack (mind you, this actually being SoFaygo’s first public co-sign), but the pace of it all; how each artist reacted to being the “next one up.” It didn’t matter if they were 30 minutes late, an impromptu, playlist-like show (“what songs are you gonna play?”) turned into being among the most enjoyable sets of the weekend. The experience of Cactus Jack being at their full power is what made it fire on all cylinders, instead of it just being another Travis Scott headliner.

Day 2 (Saturday, June 15)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sets from Rich Amiri, Xaviersobased, Cash Cobain, Lil Tecca and LUCKI kept fans busy on Summer Smash’s second day, but two captured all eyes on opposite ends of the industry. Nettspend (who commands the underground with just a handful of songs) and Playboi Carti (whose oft-delayed rollout to ‘I AM MUSIC’ regains steam) are who we focused most on. Their sets were filled with can’t miss moments.

Nettspend

Describing Nettspend‘s performance at Summer Smash following his mini-tour, which included a Rolling Loud slot, can be summarized in one word: Aura. The 17-year-old star in the making may have a handful of solo songs to his name, but this doesn’t stop fans from singing every single word to them. Backstage collects the internet’s most niche, underground stars—a new wave Met Gala—just to watch Nett perform.

Cole Bennett stands idly by, as Nett moves presidential surrounded by a crew of 30, which includes security, his management and friends. His all-white fit accents his bleach blonde hair, as Nettspend steps on stage to a surmounting roar within the tent—the loudest all weekend. He barely makes it through “Nothing Like Uuu,” sitting down gasping for air while fans shout every single word. It’s one of those moments that are impossible to replicate, and in hip-hop, these come around once in a career. For Nettspend, though, I’d put my money on many more moments like this.

Playboi Carti

NEW MUSIC. Yes, you read that right. Always a jaw-dropping spectacle that incites every fiber of your being to watch intently, this wasn’t the same old Playboi Carti set we’ve seen at past Summer Smashes and Rolling Louds. An entire new setlist, curated by Carti’s right-hand man DJ SWAMP IZZO, saw the Opium leader covered in strobe lights and smoke, joined by the entirety of the 00 collective on stage. Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, Homixide Gang, Burberry Erry, everybody can be seen at Carti’s side while he performs “H00DBYAIR“—the first of many new tracks Carti graced fans with this year.

Playing “Different Day,” ‘BACKR00MS,” “KETAMINE” and “2024,” everywhere you look, you see fans phone-clad capturing every move Carti makes. The crowd is more enticed than ever, there’s no murmurs of the same old same old from fans. There’s just MUSIC, because that’s all it is. If Carti’s new snippets are any indication of the album being on track, we are so back.

Day 3 (Sunday, June 16)

Wolfacejoeyy

Admittedly, Wolfacejoeyy went through it to start Summer Smash on Sunday. Multiple stage changes, starting out at the tent and then inside Seat Geek, set things out on the wrong foot. However, Joey made the most out of the mess, putting together one of his more interactive and intimate sets to date. Stepping down into the crowd to perform tracks such as “Don’t Be Dishonest” and “cake” off his debut album, VALENTINO, Joey always has a lot of love to give—taking time to spot us backstage to chill or just catch a set.

His Sunday performance encapsulated his personality perfectly, pointing out fans in the crowd that really showed their appreciation as he instantly reciprocated it. Wolfacejoeyy doesn’t put on a face through his music, he’s really him, and that authenticity has lent to the New York singer’s stratospheric rise in recent months. “Baby, you can swing my way,” is still stuck in my head. Joey is never not in rotation.

Hardrock

Much can be said about Hardrock‘s first-ever festival performance, but let me sum it up in a few words: You felt alive. Gritty, guttural and overflowing with adrenaline, the rising Atlanta star brought in a who’s who of underground tastemakers (including ourselves) on stage. Standing next to longtime Lyrical Lemonade curators, Kids Take Over’s Arshan and crew, 42Daily’s Sam among a slew of camera men and iPhone shooters striving to capture this much-anticipated moment, Hardrock finally emerges to My Gift To You‘s lead track “South ATL” to the roars of the tent.

Mixing in cuts from his debut album 1of1, this is yet another defining moment for Hardrock in a long line of many lately. Screaming, circling and overall just pouring pure excitement into his set, Rock closed out with the song that started it all for him, “Feel Alive,” and the crowd went nuclear. Let it be known that Hardrock is truly a 1of1 talent, and Summer Smash further solidified it. Well Well Well… on the way? Perhaps. We’ll keep you posted.

Homixide Gang

Off the back of their latest mixtape, I5U5WE5, Homixide Gang proved that their control of the mosh continues to get better and better with each performance. Packing probably their largest crowd to date—without the help of other Opium talents—Meechie and Beno were attentive, energetic and overall engaging throughout their 30-plus minute set.

Donning all-black on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the heat doesn’t seem to bother Beno or Meechie, who fully live in the moment at the Lyrical Lemonade stage. Oh, peep Meechie rocking the OGM chain during this set. More with us and HXG coming soon.

Ken Carson

GO! In a dead sprint towards the Lyrical Lemonade stage—literal moments after the festival re-opened its gates due to a severe weather watch—Ken Carson‘s unmistakable “are you tired?” blares from the far side of the main stage. The team just catches Carson at the start of his set, drenched from the downpours and high winds of the past hour that caused the entire festival to evacuate (including security).

Nevertheless, the show went on, as Carson—who was brought out by Destroy Lonely on Friday to perform “Veteran” and “Singapore”—continued his energetic run of live performances playing “GO,” “Rock N Roll” and new hits like “overseas.” Teasing the deluxe to A GREAT CHAOS over the past few months, Ken’s Summer Smash set seemed to be a precursor for the chaos that’s coming soon. Now… GO!

Lil Yachty

Colored beach balls and boat buoys were tossed from pit to pit like pinballs during Lil Yachty‘s annual outing at LLSS. Boat and Summer Smash go together like fine wine and cheese, but it wasn’t your typical Yachty set we’ve seen in year’s past. Sure, the “you know what time it is” callout—referencing the craziness “COFFIN” conjured amid his infamous walkout in 2022—grilled-clad smile and sinister look played into Yachty’s undeniable turn-up (opening with “GIMME DA LITE,” “Solo Steppin Crete Boy,” “STIRKE” and a few cuts off It’s Us, Vol. 1), but was matched with another viral moment.

Ian not only recreated Yachty’s “COFFIN” walkout to the Lyrical Lemonade-assisted “Figure It Out,” but lifted ragers to max volume as soon as they saw him strut on stage. Arm-in-arm, the Yachty-Ian co-sign feels like the most Lyrical Lemonade thing Lyrical Lemonade could do. However, it definitely made for a moment everyone in attendance (and online) fully took in.

Chief Keef

A long-overdue homecoming fit for a king, Chief Keef not only closed out Summer Smash on Sunday night with a bang, but with absolute jubilation. Coming out screaming and smiling bright, I never thought there would be a day where I’d hear “Love Sosa” and “Faneto” in my home city, but Lyrical Lemonade made this possible.

Not even a near tornado or thunderstorm could stop this moment from happening, as Chicago–nearly 40,000 deep filing every crevice of the concrete to catch a glimpse at Sosa–showed out for the awaited return of the rightful king of drill. The set itself felt like a block party with old friends, touting the largest festival crowd I’ve seen in my career thus far. These b*tches really love Sosa, and Chicago definitely showed out. All hail Almighty So.