Lil Uzi Vert will headline the inaugural IYKYK Music Festival on September 9 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The single-day event, produced by Relentless Beats and Universatile Music, is said to be an examination of hip hop, combining music with interactive activations, art, and fashion.
The premier event marks the Philadelphia rapper’s first appearance in Arizona as a headliner. Aside from Uzi, the roster also features Metro Boomin, Jeleel!, Denzel Curry, and one more unnamed artist. According to the official website, more names will be added to the lineup soon.
Uzi’s festival debut comes with the end of a hip hop dry period following the release of their current album, Pink Tape. Following its June release, their latest album topped the Billboard 200 chart. The 26-song LP was praised for outstanding singles like “Endless Fashion” and “Just Wanna Rock,” and it included Nicki Minaj, Don Toliver, and Travis Scott.
Fans can also look forward to a series of exhilarating performances as the rapper embarks on a 17-city tour this autumn, beginning in Chicago on Oct. 23 and concluding on Nov. 22 at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. They’ll also be stopping in key cities like as Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and Brooklyn.
Instead of focusing on the success of Pink Tape, Uzi is apparently already planning their next album, foregoing a deluxe version. They were also seen in the studio with DJ Akademiks, promising a new compilation of tracks called Barter 16.
Metro Boomin’s career took off after the publication of his critically acclaimed sophomore album HEROES & VILLAINS in 2022. The St. Louis beatsmith has kept his momentum going by recently creating the soundtrack for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It contained appearances from Coi Leray, Lil Wayne, Offset, Nas, Swae Lee, and others.
