The Meadows Music and Arts Festival proved to be just as explosive as its predecessor in which the likes of 21 Savage, Joey Bada$$, Migos, and JAY-Z took to the stage on its opening day on Friday [Spetember 15]. Day 2 continued the winning streak with the likes of Future, LL Cool J, and Gorillaz (in the flesh) keeping each other company on the lineup during the festival at Citi Field in Queens.
In the case of Uncle L, fans were treated to special guest appearance from DMC, Grandmaster Flash, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip and Jarobi White to perform “Award Tour” of the group’s Midnight Marauders album following ATCQ’s official announcement to disband as a group in memory of fallen member Phife Dawg, who passed away in March of last year.
For Future’s appearance, the Atlanta-reared rapper recruited the likes of Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, and Yo Gotti for a few assists onstage. Among tracks in his performance were his “Stick Talk,” the 21 Savage collab “X,” “Commas,” “March Madness,” and , of course “Mask Off”. He also gave the crowd a live iteration of “Rake It Up” with Yo Gotti and Queens-native Nicki Minaj blessing the stage together, and intorduced Young Thug who seamlessly ran through cuts like “Pick Up The Phone,” “Lifestyle,” “About The Money,” and the two rappers’ “Relationship” collaboration.
While Meadows presented a mix a true Hip-Hop enthusiasts dreams in the forms of these guests and a primary lineup that also included Tory Lanez, Flatbush Zombies, and even Erykah Badu, no set was as heavily stacked than the headlining performance of Gorillaz, who in a twist on things, appeared in their human form in front of a screen onto which their animated alter egos were projected.
While fans grasped the appearance of Gorillaz ringleader Damon Albarn, they were also gifted with a flurry of spots from the likes of De La Soul (who appeared in their own set earlier in the day) on “Feel Good Inc.”, Pusha T for “Let Me Out,” Little Simz on “Garage Palace,” Big Baby himself, D.R.A.M. on “Andromeda” and a rendition of “We Got the Power” alongside Jehnny Beth sans Noel Gallagher, and Mos Def for an encore performance of “Stylo.”
Sunday [September 17] will mark a day filled with Nas, Action Bronson, Kamaiyah, Ghostface Killah, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Check out highlight clips and reactions to Day 2 of The Meadows .
