Rolling Loud NYC 2019 - Saturday
photo by Mickey Pierre-Louis

Rolling Loud 2019 Saturday pics (Travis Scott, Wu-Tang Clan, Meek Mill, more)

Of all the New York legacy artists Rolling Loud included this weekend — Fat Joe, Jim Jones, and DMX among them — none commands more respect than the masters of Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan. Their appearance at Citi Field came as part of a trek marking the 25th anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, and being part of Rolling Loud in their hometown was special.

“That’s official, you know?” said Raekwon, when Billboard met with some of the crew before the set. “It’s not just hip-hop being in one box of R&B, or what I call a lot of fun-time music. You get to dive into a world of educated artists, whether they’re old school, new school, this is the time for it.”

Dive they did, into much of 36 Chambers, but they did it without their founder and guru, RZA. Method Man explained on stage that Wu #1 was AWOL because he missed a flight, but in the true mark of icons, they powered through essentials like “Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin to Fuck With” and “Protect Ya Neck” as well as Method Man’s eponymous jam and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” by none other than his son Barsun Jones, aka Young Dirty Bastard.

“If it wasn’t for these brothers, man, we wouldn’t keep alive the legend of ODB,” he told Billboard of his father, who passed away 15 years ago next month. “I just keep pushing. I got babies and they got babies. Wu-Tang is for the chlldren.” Wu-Tang’s play off music? The Al Green classic “Let’s Stay Together.” The saga continues. [Billboard]

The first-ever NYC edition of multi-city hip hop festival Rolling Loud kicked off on Saturday (10/12) at Citi Field. Travis Scott injured his knee during his headlining set, but didn’t let that stop him; after landing wrong on one foot while jumping, he told the crowd, “I ain’t gon’ lie, I think I just, like, broke my knee just now.” He continued, “this show cannot stop. So middle fingers to the sky. Let’s rage.”

Day one of the festival also included sets from Meek Mill, Wu-Tang Clan, YG, Young M.A, Desiigner, Ski Mask the Slump God, Fat Joe, Sheck Wes, Blueface, SAINT JHN, Rico Nasty, Polo G, Playboi Carti, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Tjay, Kemba, Lil Pump, Gunna, Lil Keed, Flipp Dinero, Killy, and more. Check out pictures in the gallery above.

Rolling Loud wraps up on Sunday, with a few lineup and set time changes. If you can’t be there in person, it’s streaming live. You can also check out our list of eight non-headliners not to miss.

photos by Amal Flower Kay, Austin Massey, Emily Gardner, Felix Francisco, Henry Hwu, James Baxter, Justin James, Kadeem Cobham, Kenneth Dapaah, Leanne Leuterio, Marcus McDonald, Mickey Pierre-Louis, Nicolita Bradley, Sebastian Rodriguez, and Simon Chasalow, courtesy of Rolling Loud