It's that time of year again. The Minnesota state grounds are about to become packed as SoundSet gears up for another amazing festival season. It has been incredible to witness the growth of the hip-hop scene in the midwest, with Minneapolis leading the way as one of the main influences. Dubbed as the largest independent one day hip-hop festival in the world, SoundSet drew crowds of 35,000+ in 2017 and expectations are just as high this year.
We had the opportunity to speak with J Bird, who has run the festival for years now, to gain insight into the hard work and energy that has been put in over the past decade to make SoundSet what it is today. "Every year we work to make a lineup diverse within hip-hop culture, to balance the curation of artists, to expand on different styles, voices, and history." The team has done an amazing job over the years of bringing in new artists, both large and small, to fit festival goer's demands.
The variety of acts embedded in each lineup is what makes the single day hip-hop festival so special. This year big-time up and comer A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie raised eyebrows after a breakout year. Tyler, The Creator returns to the festival after performing at SoundSet only a couple of years ago, being a fan favorite. Wu-Tang Clan brings in the history just as J Bird had mentioned, while Logic is ready to set fire to the crowd with energy and creative lyrics. The day all comes together with Migos, arguably one of the hottest acts in the industry, along with Atmosphere, who has always helped to run the festival and traditionally headlines the event.
The festival has grown into something truly special. After being held in Shakopee, Minnesota, for seven years, the event was moved to Minneapolis to allow for expansion, something that was important to meet the large demand. "We always wanted to bring the festival back to the Twin Cities. The state fairgrounds is a perfect location for so many reasons. It's located in the city, they have massive amounts of parking and public transportation," J Bird told our TapSongz Team.
The lineup this year is well represented by Rhymesayers acts including Atmosphere, Prof, Evidence, Grieves, and deM atlaS. "I definitely feel this year embodies what SoundSet has always represented, something for everybody, but really something for the people that truly love hip hop culture."
If you are in the Minneapolis area for Memorial weekend we highly encourage you to grab a friend and head out to the Minnesota state grounds to experience a full day of hip hop fun! Tickets can still be purchased through the SoundSet website linked below. See you there!
We had the opportunity to speak with J Bird, who has run the festival for years now, to gain insight into the hard work and energy that has been put in over the past decade to make SoundSet what it is today. "Every year we work to make a lineup diverse within hip-hop culture, to balance the curation of artists, to expand on different styles, voices, and history." The team has done an amazing job over the years of bringing in new artists, both large and small, to fit festival goer's demands.
The variety of acts embedded in each lineup is what makes the single day hip-hop festival so special. This year big-time up and comer A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie raised eyebrows after a breakout year. Tyler, The Creator returns to the festival after performing at SoundSet only a couple of years ago, being a fan favorite. Wu-Tang Clan brings in the history just as J Bird had mentioned, while Logic is ready to set fire to the crowd with energy and creative lyrics. The day all comes together with Migos, arguably one of the hottest acts in the industry, along with Atmosphere, who has always helped to run the festival and traditionally headlines the event.
The festival has grown into something truly special. After being held in Shakopee, Minnesota, for seven years, the event was moved to Minneapolis to allow for expansion, something that was important to meet the large demand. "We always wanted to bring the festival back to the Twin Cities. The state fairgrounds is a perfect location for so many reasons. It's located in the city, they have massive amounts of parking and public transportation," J Bird told our TapSongz Team.
The lineup this year is well represented by Rhymesayers acts including Atmosphere, Prof, Evidence, Grieves, and deM atlaS. "I definitely feel this year embodies what SoundSet has always represented, something for everybody, but really something for the people that truly love hip hop culture."
If you are in the Minneapolis area for Memorial weekend we highly encourage you to grab a friend and head out to the Minnesota state grounds to experience a full day of hip hop fun! Tickets can still be purchased through the SoundSet website linked below. See you there!