We were touring all these big hip hop acts, Kendrick even before anyone else was booking Kendrick, when he was doing 700 tickets in Tallahassee. We started in 2010, with shows like Rick Ross, and Curren$y, the Big Seans, Mac Millers, Wale, that type of stuff, Ab-Soul, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Ferg. It’s the hip-hop concert tours that we book in Florida. What’s your previous experience and how does your Dope Entertainment fit in?Ĭherif: Dope Entertainment is a separate company, it’s our first company, that we operate still separately. It’s unlike I’ve seen on other festivals. It pops off in other ways when you combine genres for other festivals, they do just fine combining genres, but there’s something about having all one genre that you get this core following that is unlike any other – the amount of engagement you get, the amount of merch sales, the followers and likes and comments and all that. It’s this a perfect equation that makes it pop off. The combination of the top-tier talent along with the underground and up and coming champions results in a melting pot. By doing that, we’re able to book all the up and comers. ![]() With so many festivals out there already, what makes Rolling Loud stand out?Ĭherif: Our differentiating factor is that it’s 100 percent hip hop. Lil Yachty performs during the Rolling Loud Bay Area at Shoreline Amphitheatre Oct. It’s difficult to get people into China, it’s all government stuff. And a lot of these guys can’t travel, due to legal issues. Internationally, everything’s a little different. Lineups are based on the country and what’s happening locally. We have Japan and China and dates in Europe in 2018 in well. As of right now we are going to be in Asia in 2018. Our goals are to take this event into major markets internationally. Zingler: We’re kind of in our own lane and we have our own goals. These days with what’s going on now, we’re the first and we’re the only ones to be taking it to multiple markets and to do it the way we do. There was Rock The Bells 10 years ago and that sort of thing, but that was a whole different vibe. We were the first of the “modern” hip-hop festivals. Is there any other event like Rolling Loud right now?Ĭherif: No. The event has become known as a premier showcase event for hip hop artists and regularly makes headlines when crazy things happen during shows.Ĭherif and Zingler talked to Pollstar about Rolling Loud’s beginnings, its explosive growth and some standout performances. “It’s not an actual equation, but we kind of know – if I spend this much, have this much big talent with this much up-and-coming talent with the right media and the right lineup, I will generate this amount. ![]() “We just knew what the properly crafted lineup would do,” Cherif told Pollstar of Rolling Loud’s growth. The bill includes major stars like Future, Migos, the red-hot Lil Uzi vert, Gucci Mane, and Post Malone, but Rolling Loud’s pride and joy may be in its ability to field a lineup of true up and comers that may not otherwise have such a platform before they blow up, with a deep lineup of 50 to 75 artists like Lil Wop, Yung Bans and Chaz French. 16-17 at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino. This year, Rolling Loud has expanded into California’s Bay Area as well as the upcoming Rolling Loud Southern California, Dec. ![]() “I think you’re starting to see brands like Rolling Loud and others that are looking more to invest in hip-hop.” “It used to be here or there you’d see Ludacris on something or Kanye on something, but it would take you getting to a certain kind of level,” she said. ![]() Paradigm’s Erin Larsen, who books Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and other rising hip-hop artists (see also: Pollstar’s Urban Live Explosion), says events like Rolling Loud have created more opportunity for artists. We’re supposed to have tickets at the door (laughing).” “For us to sell out in advance in our third year at that scale, I was sitting there like wait, what. It was ridiculous,” said Tariq Cherif, who co-promotes Rolling Loud with partner Matthew Zingler. Rolling Loud started three years ago to just 6,000 fans in Miami and this year attracted 120,000 over three days to see a lineup topped by Kendrick Lamar, Future, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky and many others May 5-7 at Bayfront Park. Now their business is on the verge of becoming a global phenomenon. The independently owned multi-market festival features solely hip-hop artists and is owned by two 20-somethings who took their licks booking club shows in Florida. The Miami-based Rolling Loud Festival is an anomaly.
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