“Having the biggest hip-hop festival in the Midwest is very, very special. “Right now, our main focus is to build out in the Midwest and in Chicago and take a moment and build this up here,” says Bennett. The program will be introducing youth members interested in the music industry to a wide range of career fields such as production, audio, media, merchandise and artist relations. Throughout the summer, Lyrical Lemonade has been continuing their Community Clean-Up Days at Douglass Park leading up to the festival, and Bennett plans to launch the Lyrical Lemonade apprenticeship program by bringing in fifteen different students from all across Chicago, prioritizing kids of color. While Lyrical Lemonade will be partnering with the Illinois Department of Health to provide Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to non-vaccinated patrons and community residents, they are confident that the majority of the attendees will present valid cards.įor Bennett, the safety of the North Lawndale residents and out-of-town visitors is simply part of his long-standing responsibility to the Westside community. Lyrical Lemonade had officially announced that all attendees are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result taken 72 hours before the festival, with on-site vaccinations for attendees and community members in partnership with the Illinois Department of Health. Bennett says that they have maintained communications with Chicago’s Department of Health, and have recently met with the City of Chicago along with other festival organizers, to discuss how to keep the outdoor festival safe for its 25,000 – 30,000 attendees.Ĭan Festivals Really Come Back? What's Next After Lollapalooza Meanwhile, festivals and concerts in Chicago have been forced to adapt to the rampant spread of the virus with new cases rising The Summer Smash comes on the heels of Lollapalooza, which was linked to 203 newly reported cases among the hundreds of thousands who attended. “Everyone still got to perform, which was a miracle in itself.” “We somehow managed to get everyone that missed their sets from the rain delay back on stage, even if they had to shorten their sets,” remembers Bennett, who ended up having to negotiate with the fire marshal for more time. Jack Harlow Bounces Around the Diner in Cole Bennett-Directed 'Whats Poppin' Video: Watchįor Bennett and Solorio, having the beloved “Robbery” artist perform his last major festival in his hometown was a moment they will never forget, as it was nearly canceled over a lengthy rain delay that pushed the show off-schedule. And this year is set to be its most ambitious undertaking - not just creatively and visually, but philanthropically.īennett is aiming to uplift Black and Brown youth, not only on the surrounding Westside neighborhoods, but across the Chicago area through community service and launching new apprenticeship programs to create a new pipeline for creatives who want to work in music - All while making sure that fans are as safe as possible from COVID-19’s growing variants. 20), The Summer Smash returns to Chicago for its third go-round in Douglass Park, with A$AP Rocky, Lil Baby, and Lil Uzi Vert headlining the three-day festival. Throughout a year of rescheduling and re-salvaging plans, on Friday (Aug. We need to buckle down, reset and recalibrate for the coming years, and the next moment that much bigger and better,’” Bennett recalls. “I remember the day it happened: we just looked at each other and we’re like, ‘You know, there’s not much we can do. General admission passes are priced at $55 and VIP tickets are going for $100 (the latter includes Lyrical Lemonade-branded goodies). To learn more about SUMMER SMASH and grab tickets before they're gone, visit their website here.Hip-Hop Video Director Cole Bennett on Working With Lil Skies and Lil Xan & Why He's Tired of the… Bennett has helped organize summer concerts at the Portage Theatre for the past two years, but this year's event, presented in partnership with local production company SPKRBX, marks the first time that the one-day festival will be held in an outdoor venue. The festival is curated by Chicago hip-hop blog Lyrical Lemonade, which is run by Cole Bennett, a 22-year-old videographer and artist manager who has established himself as a rap tastemaker, working with rising acts like Ski Mask the Slump God, Yung Bans and Lil Skies (all of whom will perform at the fest). This festival has a hip-hop-focused bill headlined by Brooklyn emcee Joey Bada$$, cloud rap phenomenon Trippie Redd, and local rapper Vic Mensa. The latest addition to the slate is the Lyrical Lemonade SUMMER SMASH, which will take over Douglas Park on August 19th. It's already July in Chicago, but we're still hearing about new summer music festivals joining Chicago's already-crowded calendar in the coming months.
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