Here Are the Most Insane Hip-Hop Mosh Pits

If you've ever been to a summer music festival then you know that moshing is part of the concert-going experience—especially at a rap show.

To the uninitiated person, a mosh pit just looks like a bunch of people bumping into each other, but there's actually camaraderie and a little bit of science between moshers who engage in this activity. While fans love moshing, it's not without its hazards, ranging from physical assaults, broken bones, nose bleeds and, in some cases, seizures. But we're here to talk about the good stuff.

Many rappers are known for their high-energy shots that consist of crowd-surfing, stage diving and insane mosh pits. A Travis Scott show, for example, is not complete without a wild mosh pit exploding amongst a packed crowd. At a Ski Mask The Slump God show, the Florida rapper always demands that multiple mosh pits happen simultaneously. During a Wu-Tang Clan concert at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, a mosh pit included both male and female fans pushing each other around. It's rare for women to jump into a mosh pit so when it happens, it's a rambunctious celebration of intersectionality.

But there have been some crazy, near-riotous mosh pits at rap shows. One wild mosh pit happened at DMX's performance at Woodstock 1999. The way the Ruff Ryders rapper held thousands of people's attention while they were crowd-surfing and moshing simultaneously was surreal. Back in 1996, at an Onyx concert in Newark, N.J., a riotous mosh pit led to punches being thrown, gang fights and, at one point, someone picked up a chair and smashed it over another concert-goer.

Moshing can be a form of emotional release for fans and a memorable experience that lasts a lifetime. XXL highlights some of the Most Insane Hip-Hop Mosh Pits.