BY TER STAFF
Sunday marked the final day of Common’s (now 2-day) music festival, AAHH! Fest. Taking place at Chicago’s Union Park, Common brought some of the biggest names in hip-hop to his hometown festival. Following Saturday’s Community Day, where fans got to see some of the city’s young talent perform, as well as surprise guest appearances and sets from Chicago’s own, Tink, Taylor Bennett and Dreamville’s Omen, Sunday’s main stage lineup was stacked from top to bottom.
First up was a Chicago native and one of our favorite emerging artists, Sir The Baptist. With some huge co-signs, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne (just to name a couple), Sir The Baptist is making waves throughout Chicago and the rap world as a whole. Whether you’ve been hooked from Day 1, or were blown away by his moving performance at Lollapalooza this year, Sir The Baptist is one of the easiest rappers to root for right now and his single ‘Raise Hell’ will certainly get you on your feet.
Next up, AAHH! Fest saw a performance from another one of the city’s more conscious rappers, SAVEMONEY’s Vic Mensa. Another rapper who had a moving and memorable set at Lollapalooza this year, Vic Mensa brought performances of his politically charged EP, There’s Alot Going On. Following Vic’s performance, Odd Future’s Syd tha Kyd-led group, The Internet hit the stage, and delivered as always.
Moments later, it was time for another one of Chicago’s own to hit the stage, this time ‘Don’t Tell ‘Em’ singer Jeremih. Giving fans a half hour of some of his biggest hits, Jeremih’s set was definitely for the ladies in attendance tonight. Following his set, and some of music’s most talented young artists, was all for the hip-hop heads in the audience. Next, AAHH! Fest saw sets from The Roots, Common, Ice Cube, Bilal and a surprise appearance from R. Kelly, all legends in their own right.
But after a few legends in hip-hop stepped off stage, it was time for the night’s headliner, none other than J. Cole. Returning to Chicago, after a headlining performance for the opening night of Lollapalooza’s huge 25th Anniversary, J. Cole killed it, to no one’s surprise. While J. Cole is one of the few artists tonight without direct Chicago ties, you wouldn’t have guessed it by the audience’s reaction as Cole stepped on stage. Michael Jordan isn’t the only great name from North Carolina embraced by the Windy City, as J. Cole will always have a second home in Chicago, and that was more than evident tonight. AAHH! Fest will have a tough job matching this year’s performances in 2017.
Check out our photos from AAHH! Fest 2016 below.
The Early Registration 