Rolling Loud California 2023 was full of surprises. For starters, fans braved cold weather all weekend long with temperatures dropping into the mid 40’s at night, which is rare for this time of the year. But when the world’s largest hip-hop festival returns to Los Angeles County with Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Future as headliners, being cold should be the least of your worries. I mean, it’s not like fans are fully clothed anyway – t-shirts (or crop tops), shorts, clear plastic backpacks, and your least favorite pair of sneakers are essential when it comes to festival fashion. Plus, people usually buy merch onsite, so everything balances out to some degree. 

The fest’s action-packed weekend brought performances from notable rapstars like 2 Chainz, Kevin Gates, Curren$y, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Yachty, and of course Lil Wayne – the special guest whose set included a surprise appearance by Young Money’s Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj. But there’s more to unpack here. Carti’s OPIUM label left fans scrambling towards the Gopuff stage with back to back sets from Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson. Bones, Xavier Wulf, and Eddy Baker joined forces to share the Levi stage, while Pouya & Fat Nick, and Chow Lee & Cash Cobain followed suit with a united approach to their respective performances. 

Florida made its presence felt as well. Rolling Loud mainstays like Robb Bank$, Ski Mask the Slump God, and Kodak Black put on for the Sunshine State. Not to mention, Danny Towers, City Girls, and newcomers in Luh Tyler and AB (he’s still a newbie in hip-hop) proved that the South has love out West, too.

Beyond that, the highlight of Rolling Loud California would have to be the guest appearances. Tyga invited YG to the stage, and announced their upcoming joint project. Saweetie brought out Too $hort to perform “Blow The Whistle,” Don Toliver called on James Blake and Justin Bieber to winover fans with tracks from his new album Love Sick, Roddy Ricch and DDG joined Trippie Redd on stage, and A$AP Ferg popped out for Future’s set to close out the festival. 

It’s also important to note that the ladies of hip-hop held their own at Hollywood Park. From fast-rising rappers like Bktherula, Gloss Up, Lebra Jolie, Su’lan, and Big Boss Vette, to more established acts such as Shenseea, Kamaiyah, Coi Leray, and Ice Spice’s first-ever RL set, there’s something to be said about the next generation of female rap. 

Between the unreleased music, sets being cut short, and overpriced food – $20 for three vegan tacos is criminally insane – what makes Rolling Loud worth the trip each and every time is the experience. You can’t put a price on celebrating the culture at large amongst thousands of like-minded people.

There’s a village mentality that makes everything that much more worthwhile.