It may have been Philly, but the vibe was all “New York State of Mind” thanks to Jay-Z’s all-star lineup of the most influential acts for this year’s “Made in America” (MIA) festival. The festival took place on Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the 3rd and 4th of September. This year marked the 10th year of the festivals running and it was extraordinary. The Brooklyn rapper enlisted a hip-hop-heavy lineup, including Tyler, the Creator, Lil Uzi Vert, Don Toliver, and Bronx-born Pusha T. Although named “Made in America,” the festival featured acts from around the globe, including Nigeria, Sweden, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Colombia and The Dominican Republic.
Named after Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Frank Ocean’s hit record “Made in America,” this festival “sums up the superstars’ feelings about black history, America, Jesus, and revisiting their respective rises to fame.” With their dedication to social action, MIA featured a “Cause Village” giving various charitable organizations a platform for their various causes. With free swag, fun games, and music, Cause Village was a lively part of the festival.
Day-one headliner Tyler The Creator, fresh off his 2021 Grammy-winning album, Call Me If You Get Lost, performed songs new and old. Including fan favorites “WUSYANAME,” “Boredom,” and “Yonkers.” The West coast rapper felt at home on the East, as he exchanged his usual witty, dry humor with the crowd. Before departing, he made sure to state that this was the “last show for this era.” Marking the conclusion of his extravagant Call Me If You Get Lost run.
Day-two headliner Bad Bunny stopped at MIA amid his World’s Hottest Tour. Bad Bunny’s tour has already visited Yankee Stadium on August 27, where the demand for tickets was so high that they added a second show the next day. During the second Yankee Stadium performance Bad Bunny was presented with the MTV Video Music Award for Artist of the Year.
Bronx-born rapper Pusha T made an appearance this weekend. He recently released an album titled It’s Almost Dry, which featured production almost exclusively from Pharrell and Kanye West. The album also included a feature from festival curator, Jay-Z. Pusha performed many songs from the album, including the scratchy “Diet Coke”, which includes production from West and New York’s own 88-keys. Pusha played hits records throughout his discography, crowd favorites included his verses on “Runaway” and “I Don’t Like.”
Jay-Z called upon Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Zah Sosaa, and many others to represent Philadelphia at MIA. Uzi himself has been on a festival run as of late, having performed at Something in the Water, Rolling Loud Miami, and Outside Lands within the past few months. Uzi is also slated to appear in New York later this month at Rolling Loud NY.
Full Festival Lineup: Bad Bunny, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalegra, Pusha T, Don Toliver, Tate McRae, Fuerza Regida, Toro Y Moi, Larry June, Babyface Ray, Rels B, Victoria Monét, Chimbala, Ryan Castro, Young Nudy, Kenny Mason, Coast Contra, GloRilla, Jeleel!, Jenevieve, Zah Sosaa, Ambré, Armani White, Kur, Kalan Fr.Fr.,Dixson, and Becca Hannah.
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