This year I got the chance to go to the Day N Night music festival at the Angel Stadium in Orange County, CA and it was an amazing experience. Anaheim played host to the 3 Day Hip-Hop heavy festival which hip hop heads from all over flocked to witness their favorite artists live. The line up this year was insane with Travis Scott, Chance the Rapper, and Kendrick Lamar each headlining a different night. The event was presented by Revolt in partnership with The Observatory, Orange County.
I attended the third and final day and night of the event. As I entered the Stadium on a beautiful Sunday afternoon it was impossible to keep myself from joining the crowds of people dancing to a setlist of bangers put on by Sonny Digital. I scanned the mosh of screaming fans to see there were three full blown stages to ensure nonstop entertainment throughout both Day and Night! With so much going on, it was difficult to catch every single artist I wanted to see, but the amount of musical acts definitely made sure that no matter what stage drew you in, you would not be disappointed. DJ’s like Sonny Digital and Metro Boomin reached beyond the festival lineup to bring us the energy of artists like Kanye West and Drake, along with classic Hip Hop hits. Both DJs masterfully maneuvered their selection of records and ad libs for maximum effect. As far as live performances go, some notable performances I saw were Russ, 21 Savage, Isaiah Rashad, and of course, Kendrick Lamar.
Russ turned the audience into a choir during his set as they sang along to almost every lyric of every song. He created a unifying atmosphere which ultimately represented the entire vibe of the event. Russ was able to switch up the vibes from in your feelings, to feeling like a king without missing a beat and the fans loved it. Although everyone singing along made Russ’s performance spectacular, singing along is not a necessity in a show-stopping performance. Take 21 Savage for example.
21 Savage had the stage lit to the max. The way he flowed over the beats had people vibing so hard they didn’t even care about knowing the lyrics and simply engaged in the energy. Love him or hate him, you could not deny the vibe nor resist the urge to rock your head back and forth as he did his thing. It was truly an infectious and invigorating performance. Although 21’s performance was incredible due to its high energy, chiller acts like Isaiah Rashad still had the crowd gigging and the party jumping just the same.
The Top Dawg Entertainment MC owned the stage like no other and took the audience on a trip as he flowed through his syllabus and slang fluidly over West Coast influenced instrumentals. His lyrical cunning and legendary showmanship created a perfect festival atmosphere. This was the first time I had seen Isaiah Rashad live and I can honestly say that he was one of my favorite acts of all time.
The transition from act to act was seamless and the event as a whole felt like one non-stop party. The only time I stopped was for a water break and, to my amazement, they actually offered free water refill stations! There were multiple stations, so refilling was quick and easy. Hydrated and energized, I dove back into the ocean of onlookers, maneuvering my way through the sea of spectators in order to secure the prime spot to watch the grand finale.
The 3-Day Hip Hop fest culminated in a jaw-dropping performance by Kung Fu Kenny himself. The fans went crazy as he put on a captivating show both visually and sonically. Kendrick took his true fans back with hits like “Backseat Freestyle” and “m.A.A.d City” from his iconic second album while also playing the bangers off his newest project, “DAMN.” Reminiscent of an Angel Game, the crowd at Angel stadium went ballistic as they witnessed hit after hit after hit. The pyrotechnics were not the only source of flames throughout the performance; King Kendrick was spitting fire as he ignited the crowd with every verse. He killed it from beginning to end. He concluded his performance with arguably the most popular song off his latest album; “Humble.” The entire stadium shook with the echo of everyone screaming, “My left stroke just went viral” at the top of their lungs in unison. He chose the perfect song for his finale, a final performance comparable to a walk off home run to end the night. Fittingly, Kendrick’s performance was proceeded by an astonishing fireworks spectacular rivaling that of neighboring Disneyland.
It was truly an exclamation mark on a memorable day and an unforgettable night. Thank you Day N Night, I’ll see you next year.
By: Danny Perez
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