Festivals are the best way for rappers to get out and reach the people. While the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to touring for more than a year, artists have been hitting the road once again this year. Originally reserved for just super fans, music festivals have become more mainstream and marketed much better than they were in the past. Hip-hop wasn't always embraced by the organizers of certain fests, but as the genre becomes even bigger, they're left with no choice but to have rappers headline their stages. In the last five years, plenty of rap artists have put on memorable performances at festivals around the country, and put the opportunity to good use. Focusing on the bigger festivals, namely Coachella, Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, Made In America and Austin City Limits, XXL highlights the artists who have headlined these shows more than most.
Travis Scott has fashioned himself into a festival draw on the grandest scale, headlining Rolling Loud seven times across multiple states, along with headlining Coachella, Lollapalooza, Made In America and Austin City Limits. After taking the leap to become one of the biggest rappers in the world after the success of his 2018 album, Astroworld, Travis never looked back, and has maintained his appeal throughout the years, even without a new album to promote at certain points.
In a slightly different generation of rap, there's Future, who has had a successful festival run himself. Headlining Bonnaroo and Rolling Loud Miami in 2018 is impressive on its own, and lines up with the success of his two 2017 albums, Future and Hndrxx, which both reached No. 1. He also has plenty to look forward to, as he'll be headlining Rolling Loud California in December, alongside Kid Cudi and J. Cole, the latter of which has become a festival darling of sorts himself.
Post Malone is a fan favorite when it comes to hitting the stage. He brought hits from his 2016 Stoney album and 2018 Beerbongs & Bentleys LP to Made In America as a headliner in 2018, and also performed as a premier act for Rolling Loud Los Angeles that same year. In the years that followed, Posty has secured other headlining spots, including 2021.
Check out the gallery below to see more of your favorite artists commanding the festival stages over the last five years.